A Resolution Calling for the Restoration of Religious Travel Licenses to Cuba

From CWS Executive Committee
EC-4
For Action
Church World Service Inc. Board of Directors
March 21-22, 2006

Introduction

The Board of Directors of Church World Service expresses its great concern and dismay that Church World Service and those member denominations that previously held general licenses for religious travel to Cuba* are no longer being granted these licenses by the U.S. Government. The Board asserts the inadequacy of the limited, restricted licenses that national and conference-level church bodies and ecumenical agencies are now being offered -- licenses which severely limit the number of travelers during the one-year license period, require potential travelers to be listed by name at the time of the license application, and permit at most four trips per year.

Restoration of Religious Travel Licenses to Cuba

Whereas , Church World Service and those member denominations previously holding general licenses for religious travel to Cuba are no longer being granted these licenses;

Whereas, the limited, restricted licenses now offered to Church World Service and its member denominations greatly reduce the ability of U.S. churches to be a Christian presence in Cuba, and to assist Cuban churches in their important faith witness;

Whereas Church World Service, Alliance of Baptists, American Baptist Churches USA, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Episcopal Church, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, Presbyterian Church USA, United Methodist Church, Progressive National Baptist Convention, and United Church of Christ, signed letters on March 15, 2006 to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Treasury John Snow, calling for the restoration of the churches’ general licenses;

Whereas, relationship and fellowship are at the heart of our understanding of church life and mission, and to hinder this activity is to strike at the heart of our religious identity and freedom, principles that are protected by the US Constitution and very much a part of our democratic process.

Therefore, the CWS Board of Directors:

Calls on the U.S. Government to restore to Church World Service, its member denominations and other national and conference-level religious institutions, the general licenses for religious travel to Cuba that they previously held, and
Recommends to its member denominations that they work energetically together and with Church World Service to secure the restoration of these general licenses.

Visas for U.S. Travel for Ecumenical Partners in Cuba

Whereas, officials of the Cuban Council of Churches, which is Church World Service’s ecumenical partner in Cuba, are being denied visas for travel to the United States for church conferences;

Calls on the U.S. Government to grant visas for religious travel to the United States to officials of the Cuban Council of Churches and other Cuban religious leaders.

* These include the American Baptist Churches, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., United Church of Christ/Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Global Ministries, United Methodist Church, and as well as the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. Some, including CWS, now have restricted licenses for religious travel.

See CWS Board of Directors Joins Outcry Against U.S. Restrictions on Religious Visits to Cuba • Back to top