Kosovo - ethnic cleansing.  Kosovo is about the size of Connecticut and had about 1.8 million people, 90% being ethnic Albanian, and mostly Muslim. During 3/1/98 to 3/24/99 570,000 have left Kosovo. Since bombing started on 3/24 another 700,000 refugees have fled. The refugee total is up to 1,270,000 or about 71% and this is not counting those who were killed or are hiding in the hills.

Historically since the 6th century it has had Serbians and Albanians with the majority being Serbian. It has many aging but beautiful Orthodox monasteries. In 1389 the Ottoman Empire (Turks) expanded into the area defeating the Serbs and the Albanians. The Serbs resisted in an effort to protect Europe and the Orthodox faith from the infidels. The Albanians pragmatically adjusted. Many Serbs emigrated from Kosovo. Over the centuries the Albanians adopted the Muslim faith in Kosovo. In 1913 the Ottoman territories in Europe were divided up and Kosovo was returned to the Serbs who were a tiny minority. The Albanians in Kosovo continued to be flexible and adjust but the breakup of Yugoslavia and the withdrawal of Croatia and Slovenia broke up the carefully balanced status quo.

More recently, in the late1980's a rising political figure, Slobodan Milosevic, advocated eliminating Kosovo's limited regional autonomy within Serbia. He began a war of terror to keep neighboring Bosnia under Serb control. Many young Albanian young men in Kosovo started to join guerilla bands hoping to force the Serbs out and gain independence. This has evolved into the Kosovo Liberation Army. The Serbs naturally responded but when they couldn't find the guerillas in the hills turned to killing their spouses and children thus effectively terrorizing Kosovo's Albanian majority. The Russian's have a special sympathy for the Serbs based on shared Slavic and Orthodox heritage and because the Serbs were southeastern Europe's biggest losers during World War II when hundreds of thousands were killed by the Nazis and Croats. The Russians are also fearful that independence for Kosovo might be an invitation to some southern and eastern Russian states to also seek independence. Russia after the dismantling of Communism and the loss of their position as a world power and frustrated with their broken economy (while the United States and Western Europe is thriving) can hardly be expected to side with the U.S. even when are receiving U.S. foreign aid.

The Serb people as a whole do not understand what is happening in their name since they do not have access to objective reporting. All politically significant news is either censored or manipulated. They think they are fighting terrorism. They see the Kosovar's as interlopers. They have been taught for generations that the Kosovars are profoundly lazy and disloyal. They insist that Kosovo belongs to them because for centuries it was their political and religious center. The Patriarch and other leaders of the Serbian Orthodox Church have long been critics of Milosevic but have not done enough to challenge the prejudice of many Serbs toward their Muslim neighbors in Kosovo and Bosnia.

PC(USA) at the 210th General Assembly in June 1998 learned in the Human Rights Report that the majority ethnic Albanians in Kosovo were excluded from involvement in local government and admission to universities and colleges and many hundreds had been tortured by the Serb government as part of a general pattern of intimidation of Albanians by Serbs. In response they approved a Commissioners' Resolution 98-8, Concerning Kosovo calling for prayer and communications to Serbia, the United Nations, and the members of PC(USA). PC(USA) is cooperating with Church World Service (the relief arm of the National Council of Churches) and the Orthodox Church in Albania. Mission workers, Cheryl Lee Choy, Arthur Ware and Eloise Ware, in Albania are now doing relief work. PC(USA) staff, Duncan Hanson for Worldwide Ministries Division's Europe office and Rev. Art. Beals of a church in Washington are in Albania. PC(USA) has given at least $400,000 by May 5th from the One Great Hour of Sharing program to do relief work. In cooperation with other churches many tons of food and supplies have been sent to Albania and Macedonia. The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) office on April 16 states that volunteers are urgently needed in Albania. On April 22, President Clinton approved admission of 20,000 Kosovar refugees from Macedonia. The first 453 refugees arrived at Fort Dix, NJ on 5/5. PDA is seeking churches to sponsor families.

Prayer, monetary gifts and volunteers are needed. We need to: Pray daily, several times. Pray together in our worship services. Hold a prayer vigil. Sing peacemaking hymns. Prepare and distribute prayer lists, including lists of world leaders, relief workers, and Christian Churches in the area. Ring church bells daily until the conflict is over. Write checks to Kosovo Relief and put them in the offering plate or send them to the office. Could our church sponsor a family? Prayerfully consider volunteering for a three to six month period in Albania. Keep up with what PC(USA) is doing by checking the PC(USA) web site at http://www.pcusa.org/pda/kos-p.htm and http://horeb.pcusa.org/kosovo/ where most of this information came from.