An international peace conference in Johannesburg has been cancelled after South Africa refused the Dalai Lama a visa to attend the event.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu said Monday he would boycott the conference.
Announcing the postponement at a news conference Tuesday, Irvin Khosa, chairman of the South African football league, did not offer an explanation.
A presidential spokesman, Thabo Masebe, said little.
"South Africa has made this decision," he said. "We stand by the decision."
The peace conference had been scheduled to start today. Officials said they would like to have a conference in the future, but they did not offer a specific date.
The conference had been organized by South African soccer officials, led by Khosa, and was billed as an opportunity to showcase South Africa's role as a human-rights champion ahead of the 2010 World Cup -- the global soccer championship the nation will host next year.
The presidential spokesman had said earlier that the Dalai Lama -- Tibet's spiritual leader and a Nobel Laureate -- did not receive a visa because it was not in South Africa's interest for him to attend.
Masebe said South Africa thinks that, if the Dalai Lama attended the conference, the focus would shift away from the World Cup.
"We cannot allow focus to shift to China and Tibet," he said. He added that South Africa has gained much from its trading relationship with China.
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Khosa made the announcement at a news conference also attended by Chief Mandla Mandela, grandson of former South African President Nelson Mandela. Mandla Mandela said it was a sad day for the country's democracy and the African continent that the South African government had denied the Dalai Lama a visa. South Africa should not succumb to international pressure, Mandela said.
A representative of the Dalai Lama said he was not surprised by the visa refusal. The Tibetan government in exile thinks that China has pressured many countries to refuse a visit by the Dalai Lama, according to Chhime Chhoekyapa, an aide in Dharamsala, India.
The Dalai Lama fled China in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.
The peace conference was to bring together Nobel laureates and top soccer officials. Archbishop Desmond Tutu; former President F.W. De Klerk; laureates Nelson Mandela and Martti Ahtisaar; Seff Blatter, president of soccer's international governing body; and actress Charlize Theron were among those invited. The event had the blessing of the Nobel Committee. A presidential spokesman had said earlier that the Dalai Lama -- Tibet's spiritual leader and a Nobel Laureate -- did not receive a visa because it was not in South Africa's interest for him to attend.
E.L.C.A. - M.U.D.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (E.L.C.A.) Ministry Upstream & Downwind (M.U.D.) program provides one-year service and learning opportunities in South Africa for E.L.C.A. young adults (between the ages of 21-30). As the young adults offer themselves in service, they also learn more about themselves, their relationship with God, and their place in God’s world. Young adults are transformed by their experiences, equipping them to take on responsibilities within the E.L.C.A. and to provide a global perspective on issues facing the church and society.
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Friday, March 27, 2009
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Country Coordinators
Brian & Kristen Konkol (Country Coordinators)
The Country Coordinators, Brian and Kristen Konkol, oversee and facilitate the ELCA-MUD program. They facilitate in-country logistics such as visa procedures, finances and stipends, housing, working out individual placements, arrivals and departures, and evaluations of volunteers. Brian and Kristen have overall responsibility for the volunteer's well-being, support, and guidance during their term of service, and thus play both a pastoral and administrative role. In consultation with ELCA and ELCSA staff, they have the primary role in making decisions about a volunteer's placement, term of service, facilitating conflict resolution, and responding to crisis and emergencies.
Brian Konkol was born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. His parents are George and Judy Konkol, who reside in Amherst Junction, Wisconsin. After graduating from Amherst High School (Amherst, Wisconsin) in 1997, Brian enrolled at Viterbo University (La Crosse, WI), and after four years on the men's basketball team and in pursuit of a Bachelors of Science Degree in Criminal Justice, he graduated from Viterbo in 2001 and immediately enrolled at Luther Theological Seminary (St. Paul, MN) in order to pursue a Master of Divinity degree, with the hopes of being ordained as a minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The "turn" into international service came during Brian’s third year of theological study, when he was selected by the E.L.C.A. to serve in an international "Horizon" internship, and was placed in New Amsterdam, Guyana, with the Ebenezer Lutheran Parish. Following a worthwhile internship year, and after graduating from Luther Seminary in May of 2005 and receiving official ordination into the ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in June of 2005, he was invited to return to Guyana as Long-Term Global Mission Personnel, serving with the Emmanuel Lutheran Parish of Skeldon within the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Guyana. While in Guyana from 2005-2007, in addition to serving as pastor of four congregation, Brian also served as Director of the Lutheran Camp and Retreat Centre (2005-2006), Lecturer at the Lutheran Lay Academy (2005-2007), Co-Host of "The Word for the World" national television program (2005-2007), Advisor to the National Youth Commission (2005-2007), and also provided leadership and support in various other ministries within the community and wider church.
Kristen Konkol was born in Atlantic, Iowa. She is the daughter of Rev. Dr. Charles and Sharon Tews, who reside in Waupaca, Wisconsin. After graduating from Waupaca High School in 1995, Kristen accepted a full-scholarship to play basketball at the University of Toledo (Toledo, Ohio). She graduated with a Bachelors of Science Degree with an emphasis on Cardiac Rehabilitation, while also earning four letters on the highly successful women's basketball team. After graduation, Kristen then pursued Post-Graduate studies at the University of Minnesota, where she earned a Masters of Arts in Kinesiology, with a minor in Complementary and Alternative Therapy and Healing Practices through the Center for Spirituality and Healing. Kristen then worked as a community health specialist and research associate with the University of Minnesota. She worked with a Susan B. Komen Foundation Grant working with breast cancer survivors, and also the National Institute of Health Grant, working on a diabetes prevention study focusing on minority populations in the Twin Cities area. Kristen enrolled with the United States Peace Corps in 2003, and was assigned to Guyana, where she served as a health volunteer and was involved in various aspects of the community, ranging from HIV/AIDS education and awareness, to sports teams, and primary education. In 2006, Kristen moved to Skeldon, Guyana in order to serve as the Director of the Lutheran Camp and Retreat Centre, as well as in various other capacities, such as providing leadership in After-School Reading Programs, HIV/AIDS support groups, community outreach, and various other opportunities.
Brian and Kristen were married on September 23, 2006 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Waupaca, Wisconsin. They enjoy reading, listening to music, playing guitar, outdoor adventures/hiking, camping, running, cycling, basketball, and various other sporting activities.
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