Victoria Wettach: Weltgebetstag mit Augenmerk auf Frauenschicksale in Kamerun

18.01.2010 - Achern (rdr). Der Weltgebetstag, der jeweils am ersten Freitag im März in über 170 Ländern begangen wird, steht unter dem Motto »Alles was Atem hat, lobe Gott« und wurde von Frauen aus Kamerun vorbereitet Mit Psalm 150 und den Worten aus Jesaja 42, mit einem afrikanischen Büfett der Kochkünstlerin Victoria Wettach und vielen Liedern und Tänzen bekamen die über 80 Frauen viel Inspiration. (...)
»30 Liter Wasser habe ich auf meinem Kopf getragen. Jeden Tag, aber genug zu trinken gab es dennoch nicht« Victoria Wettach hat Tränen in den Augen, wenn sie über ihre Kindheit spricht, die von entsetzlichem Hunger und tiefer Ungerechtigkeit geprägt war. In Kamerun hat sie ihren Mann kennen gelernt, Pfarrer Walter Wettach aus der evangelischen Kirchengemeinde in Freistett. Seit Jahren lebt sie hier, hat vier Kinder, ist etabliert. »Hier ist mein Zuhause, aber vergessen kann ich nicht.« (...)

STICHWORT Weltgebetstag
In Achern laden die katholische und evangelische Pfarrgemeinde am Freitag, 5. März, ab 19 Uhr im evangelischen Gemeindesaal zum Weltgebetstag ein.

[ Weiterlesen hier: Quelle ]

Pierre Wettach: Rwanda Red Cross Draws 5-Year Plan

Rwanda Red Cross is to set up a new structure to respond to the problems and needs of the most vulnerable people. In respect with the new administrational structure in the country,

The disclosure was made July 29, the official opening of the 4th General Assembly of the Rwanda Red Cross at its Head Offices in Kacyiru.

(...) Later in an interview with The New Times, the head of the International Red Cross Delegation in Rwanda, Pierre Wettach acknowledged the tremendous progress made by the Red Cross in Rwanda and added that the two organizations are in close partnership.

"ICRC continues to support the Rwanda Red Cross Society programmes and capacity building in the key areas of disaster preparedness, health including HIV/AIDS, organisational development and humanitarian values," Wettach said.

He said the national society and the ICRC were involved during the major relief operation after the eruption of Volcano Nyiragongo near Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). (...)

[ Read more at the source: The New Times (Kigali) ]

Pierre Wettach signs ICRC agreement with ECOWAS

On 15 February the International Commitee of the Red Cross (ICRC) concluded a cooperation agreement with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja, Nigeria. The agreement, signed by Lansana Kouyate, Executive Secretary of ECOWAS, and Pierre Wettach, ICRC Delegate-General for Africa, provides for the exchange of information and consultation on matters of common interest.

Under the agreement, ECOWAS, a regional body that plays a major role in settling conflicts in West Africa, and the ICRC, whose status as a humanitarian player is now officially recognized, may undertake joint activities with a view to achieving common objectives. "This is an important agreement," said Pierre Wettach. "It recognizes the independent, impartial and neutral nature of the ICRC and will thus facilitate acceptance of our working principles in conflict areas."

ICRC delegates have already begun to raise awareness of international humanitarian law among the troops of the Economic Community Monitoring Group, the military branch of ECOWAS, in preparation for the deployment of this buffer force in the border area between Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Moreover, each organization may now be invited to take part as an observer in the meetings of the other.

ECOWAS was set up in 1975 to promote economic integration in West Africa. It has 15 member States: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

[ Read On: Source: ICRC ]