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Some Frequently Asked Questions About
The National Council of Churches
and the Elian Gonzalez Case

 

Table of Contents

How did the NCC become involved in the Elian Gonzalez case? 

How was the grandmothers’ trip paid for? 

How has the NCC worked with the Cuban Council of Churches in the past?

What role did the Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell play in the Gonzalez case?

Did the NCC pay for the attorney who represented Juan Miguel Gonzalez?

Why was it necessary to set up a fund?

Has any part of church offerings gone into the fund?

Did the NCC pay for any other expenses related to Juan Miguel's stay in the United States? 

What programs does the NCC support with its funds?

What did the NCC say about the move among some in Congress to confer U.S. citizenship on Elian, with the aim of removing him from INS jurisdiction?

The NCC’s work to facilitate the reunification of Elian Gonzalez with his father and grandparents in Cuba has received much publicity. How is the Council assisting other families who wish to be reunified?

Some have cited the human rights record of the Cuban government as a reason to keep Elian in the U.S. How do you respond to that? 

In addition to helping asylum seekers, how do you approach human rights issues? 

Do you often play a role in international custody cases?

What was the NCC’s reaction when it learned Elian was on his way home to Cuba?

How did the NCC become involved in the Elian Gonzalez case? 

In early December 1999, the NCC received an urgent request from our Christian partner in Cuba, the Cuban Council of Churches, to work with them to obtain the release and return of Elian to his father, grandmothers and extended family in Cuba. We agreed that Elian belonged with his father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, given that he is a fit parent. 

Alarmed that the United States was not returning the boy quickly and automatically to his father and that a fundamentally humanitarian concern was becoming increasingly politicized, the two Councils proposed that they serve as intermediaries in the physical return of Elian to his father. The Cuban government agreed to the plan and U.S. officials quietly expressed interest. 

However, interest was followed only by silence.  Wanting to put additional pressure for Elian’s return, and concerned that Elian’s father and extended family in Cardenas had few advocates in the United States who had actually met them, the Cuban Council of Churches asked the NCC to visit.  In response, a three-member NCC team made such a visit January 2-5. The NCC’s new general secretary, the Rev. Dr. Robert W. Edgar, who had taken office one day before the trip, requested that his immediate predecessor, the Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell, lead the NCC team to Cuba on his behalf. 

Members of the team visited with Elian’s father, grandmothers, great grandmother and other members of his extended family. Over the course of three days, they spent eight hours with the family in settings that included Juan Miguel’s home, where Elian stayed; Elian’s school, and a local ecumenical center. Dr. Campbell shared her impressions with both U.S. and Cuban government officials and with the public, characterizing the family as "loving and caring." 

As the NCC team returned to the United States, the INS announced its ruling that Elian should be returned to his father in Cuba by January 14. But further delays prompted the two councils to support a visit of Elian’s grandmothers, Raquel Rodriguez and Mariela Quintana, to the United States in mid-January.  

While the grandmothers were disappointed in their hope to take Elian home with them, they did accomplish other goals of their Jan. 20-30 mission. They pressed their case with Attorney General Janet Reno and INS Commissioner Doris Meissner in a Jan. 22 meeting in Washington, D.C. They spoke about their love for Elian to Democratic and Republican congressional representatives and to the American public. And—after days of negotiations involving the INS and Elian’s Miami relatives—they saw their grandson in the Miami home of Sr. Jeanne O’Laughlin, president of Barry University, who had pledged to provide a neutral place for a supervised visit.  

The Council provided pastoral presence and support for the grandmothers throughout their visit and continued to press for Elian's reunion with his father after the grandmothers returned to Cuba. 

The cost to the NCC of the entire effort was modest, and it now appears that voluntary contributions designated for this purpose have actually exceeded costs.  As promised to donors, the surplus will go to assist children and their families in Cuba through the NCC’s program of humanitarian assistance. 

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How was the grandmothers’ trip paid for? 

All but one flight (including domestic and international flights) was paid for by private donations. The Jan. 22 round trip flight (New York-Washington-New York) was paid for by the NCC at a cost comparable to commercial air tickets ($3,100 for seven passengers). The grandmothers stayed in a private residence in New York City, as did the Rev. Oden Marichal, then president of the Cuban Council of Churches, who accompanied them. The Cuban Interests Section took on responsibility for the grandmothers’ schedule beginning with their return on January 26 from Miami to Washington, D.C., and paid for their travel-related expenses other than air fare for that portion of the trip. 

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How has the NCC worked with the Cuban Council of Churches in the past? 

The council-to-council partnership in the Elian case was characteristic of our work with ecumenical councils and other church bodies in more than 80 countries around the world. As people who share a common faith that crosses national boundaries, we and our partners strive to be accountable to each other. That means that the NCC does not make unilateral decisions that affect partners in other countries. On the contrary, we consult with our partners on issues they face and ask how they would like us to be involved. Our partners are on the ground; they know their own churches and their own country.  They also have to live with the consequences of what the NCC does in the name of the churches. Therefore, we take their counsel seriously before acting or speaking on issues that have an impact on them.  

The NCC has a long relationship with the Cuban Council that predates the revolution in Cuba. We have worked to maintain contacts with Christians there through difficult days and through many changes as the relationship between church and state evolves in Cuba. We rejoiced with our Cuban partners when Christmas was openly observed in Cuba in 1997. We celebrated with them when, in June 1999, the Cuban Council and its member Protestant churches were able to hold a month-long national evangelical festival that was open to the public. And we have supported the Cuban Council with humanitarian aid when in recent years churches in Cuba were granted a new role in health care, elder care and other social services.  

When NCC delegations have visited Cuba to see the projects we support, they have been dismayed by the suffering of the Cuban people that is a result of a four-decade-long embargo against Cuba – an embargo harsher than sanctions placed on Libya or Iraq. Our response has been three-fold. We have pressed for a normalization of U.S.-Cuba relations that would ease human need in Cuba and that would allow for the reunification of Cuban families. We have sent humanitarian aid shipments to Cuba since 1992, meeting stringent U.S. licensing requirements to send 325 tons of food, medicine, medical equipment, school supplies and other desperately needed goods. And we have prayed with and for the people of Cuba. We hope that our efforts will hasten the day when no Cuban child and no Cuban family faces the horror that Elian Gonzalez experienced on his dangerous journey from Cuba to the U.S. 

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What role did the Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell play in the Gonzalez case? 

Dr. Campbell maintained the NCC’s long-time relations with the Cuban Council of Churches during her service as the National Council of Churches’ General Secretary, from 1991 until Dec. 31, 1999.  In December 1999, she led in the NCC’s behind-the-scene collaboration with the Cuban Council of Churches to seek ways to ease Elian’s return home.  At Dr. Edgar’s request, she represented the NCC on the Jan. 2-5, 2000, visit to Elian’s family in Cardenas and helped host Elian’s grandmothers when they visited the United States in mid-January.   

While Dr. Campbell has had no official NCC role since then and is no longer a spokesperson for the National Council of Churches, she continued to play an active role in this case as an advisor to Juan Miguel and friend of the family. 

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Did the NCC pay for the attorney who represented Juan Miguel Gonzalez? 

The NCC did not pay for the attorney, Mr. Gregory B. Craig, nor are we currently accepting donations for this purpose.  For several weeks and on an interim basis, the NCC provided administrative support for a legal fund for Juan Miguel Gonzalez that was initiated by a board within the United Methodist Church, one of our member communions. In line with our support for the return of Elian to his father, we were pleased to do so.  

The Executive Committee of the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society created a voluntary fund in March in order to assure legal representation for Juan Miguel. The Rev. Dr. Thom White Wolf Fassett, the general secretary of the Board, subsequently asked the NCC to assist by administering the fund. We did so between April 19 and May 10. Since then the NCC has referred potential contributors directly to Mr. Craig. 

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Why was it necessary to set up a fund? 

The United Methodist General Board of Church and Society took this action so that Juan Miguel could receive equal treatment under the law in the United States, which is one of the keys to the success of a democratic system of government. While Elian’s Miami relatives have enjoyed the services of an extensive team of lawyers, Juan Miguel did not have representation until Mr. Craig’s services were secured in late March. Further, he and other Cuban citizens are prevented from hiring lawyers in the United States because of the broken relationships between the United States and Cuba. Therefore, legal counsel had to be provided for Juan Miguel in order for him to receive equal treatment in U.S. courts. To that end, The United Methodist Board of Church and Society set up the fund and its general secretary participated in negotiations to secure the services of Greg Craig of the Williams and Connolly law firm. Contributions to the fund were not tax deductible. If you have questions about the fund not answered here, please direct them to the United Methodist Board of Church and Society at 202-488-5600. 

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Has any part of church offerings gone into the fund? 

Absolutely not. The fund was set up to receive voluntary contributions from donors who gave specifically to help secure competent legal counsel for Juan Miguel. No NCC monies have gone into this fund and the NCC has not actively solicited funds for this purpose. Neither has any money from United Methodist budgets been used for the fund for Juan Miguel. Only donations designated for Juan Miguel’s legal expenses went into this special fund. 

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Did the NCC pay for any other expenses related to Juan Miguel's stay in the United States? 

No, we did not pay for the travel or any other expenses in connection with his stay in the United States or that of his wife and infant son. Nor did we pay for the visit of Cuban school children and others who came to visit the Gonzalez family. 

Contrary to rumor and some media reports, the National Council of Churches did not charter the aircraft took Elian Gonzalez, his family and others in their party to Cuba. While we are delighted that Elian and his family are home, we had no involvement in the travel arrangements for their return.  

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What programs does the NCC support with its funds? 

Our concern for Elian grows out of our commitment to the well-being of all children and their families. Most of the NCC’s consolidated budget is spent on humanitarian work, including disaster relief, community development and refugee assistance.  Right now we are at work helping our ecumenical and interfaith partners relieve suffering due to drought in Ethiopia, Kenya and Afghanistan; flooding in Mozambique, Madagascar and other parts of southern Africa; violence between ethnic and religious groups in Indonesia’s Maluku (Molucca) Islands, and summer storms in Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin. Other funds are spent on programs of Bible translation and utilization, ministries in Christian education, mission education and much more. For more information on the programs that our 35 Protestant and Orthodox member church bodies carry out together through the NCC, visit the NCC’s Web site: www.ncccusa.org. 

Please note that the NCC is a nonpartisan organization that helps people in need regardless of their race, gender, religion, political affiliation and/or the political system under which they happen to live. The work of the NCC and its units grows out of our understanding of the biblical message of God’s love for all persons and all creation. We live out that message in our work. For example, we provide humanitarian aid such as medicine, medical equipment and food to Cuba through the churches in that country. We also help to resettle some 2,000 Cuban refugees a year in U.S. communities.   

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What did the NCC say about the move among some in Congress to confer U.S. citizenship on Elian, with the aim of removing him from INS jurisdiction? 

The NCC shared the grandmothers’ anguish and concern about legislative efforts in Congress, which we contended served to further delay Elian’s return to his father. Elian’s paternal grandmother, Mariela Quintana, on January 21, said, "Nobody outside has the right to make him (Elian) an American citizen. He was born in Cuba, lives in Cuba, he’s a Cuban. No one, even Congress or the President, can change his status." 

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The NCC’s work to facilitate the reunification of Elian Gonzalez with his father and grandparents in Cuba has received much publicity. How is the Council assisting other families who wish to be reunified? 

The Council, its member communions and their congregations help to resettle thousands of uprooted people in U.S. communities every year. For example, in 1999, we assisted more than 6,700 newcomers representing more than 30 nationalities. In general, about 80 percent of these cases are ones in which families are reunified. We are concerned for all families everywhere who are separated by conflicts between governments and we work for their reunification in many ways. 

In recent years, our U.S. resettlement caseload has included approximately 2,000 Cubans annually. We are authorized to assist those Cubans who come to us through the U.S. Department of State Resettlement Program or the Department of Justice Cuban/Haitian Program. Decisions about who will be accepted for resettlement in the United States are made by the U.S. government, not by the NCC. Decisions about who will receive exit permits from Cuba are made by the Cuban government, not the NCC. Working within legitimate U.S. government programs, the Council makes great efforts to assist Cuban refugees and has done so for decades. No doubt there are people in the Cuban American community who oppose our stand on the Elian Gonzalez case who were themselves assisted by the Council. 

While we must abide by the decisions of government in our resettlement work, we are advocates for a more humane U.S. immigration policy. As a U.S-based organization, we participate in legislative discussions and public forums to carry the message of welcome and refugee protection to Congress and others.  

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Some have cited the human rights record of the Cuban government as a reason to keep Elian in the U.S. How do you respond to that? 

The NCC would never work to repatriate a child who would face persecution on his or her return. In fact as part of our work for refugees that is described above, we work on a daily basis to protect asylum seekers who arrive in the U.S., including those from Cuba. We provide legal assistance and other help to persons who have fled their homelands because they have been persecuted or have grounds to fear persecution. In the Gonzalez case, it is clear that Elian will not face persecution in Cuba.  

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In addition to helping asylum seekers, how do you approach human rights issues? 

The National Council of Churches actively promotes the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights and, in its role as a faith-based NGO, it is committed to working for the human rights of all persons. When asked to act on a particular case of human rights violations, the Council takes the course that it believes will be most effective. In some cases, this means a public resolution from our highest policy making body. Over the years, the NCC’s General Assembly and its predecessor bodies have adopted over 130 resolutions denouncing human rights violations in many countries. Generally, these resolutions include a provision that urges the U.S. government to take action as well. In other cases, a low-profile effort can be more productive. The NCC has worked behind the scenes in countless situations to press the case of prisoners of conscience, of groups whose religious freedoms have been infringed and others whose human rights have been violated. Because of the sensitive nature of this work, many NCC successes in redressing human rights violations must go unreported. 

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Do you often play a role in international custody cases? 

No, this was a rare case, in which we received a special request from a partner ecumenical council.  

What was the NCC’s reaction when it learned Elian was on his way home to Cuba? 

The Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, the NCC’s General Secretary, issued the following statement on June 28, 2000: 

We are delighted that Elian Gonzalez is on his way home at last, in the company of his loving father. The courts of our land have done the right thing in saying that Juan Miguel Gonzalez is the only one entitled to speak for his son. We regret that it has taken so long for there to be a resolution that will enable the boy and his family to be reunited in their own home.  

The National Council of Churches became involved in the plight of this child at the request of the Cuban Council of Churches. The primary concerns of our churches were family bonds and positive human values and our goal was to provide a non-governmental means of reuniting a small child with his family. That was not to be.  

We pray that this little child now will have time, in familiar surroundings, to get on with his life, to come to terms with the loss of his mother, and to reconnect with friends and family following these many months of forced separation. 

The National Council of Churches hopes that a positive aspect of the struggle over this little child’s future will be to make dialogue possible between the United States and Cuba. There also is a wider consideration. Many Americans are in the same situation as Juan Miguel Gonzalez. Their children are withheld from them in other countries and they want them to come home. May the return of Elian Gonzalez to his father be a sign of hope for these other families. 

We pray for a happy life for Elian Gonzalez in the warm embrace of his family. And we pray that all who are separated by these many decades of animosity between our country and Cuba may find a renewed relationship. 

As it says in the Bible, a little child will lead us.

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