Country watch: Middle East

The Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), the ecumenical organization for most Christian churches in the region, has had a program on drug abuse since 1982. The Council's Unit of Education and Renewal holds meetings and workshops at the parish level, many focusing on drugs. Out of this work, a focus on AIDS also developed. In October 1992, a MECC-sponsored consultation was held in Cyprus, largely to discuss the link between drugs and HIV/AIDS. The conclusion was that Arab society needed to tackle the problem of AIDS before it was too late, particularly by addressing the underlying moral issues and strengthening family discipline to safeguard youth. Recommendations were made for further research into drug addiction and HIV/AIDS, more sensitive legislation to deal with these problems, greater cooperation, and greater objectivity in evaluating existing programs. Since the consultation, efforts have continued to strengthen the capacity of local health authorities to cope. Societies in the Middle East do not usually discuss openly topics defined as delicate or shameful. So, to initiate open discourse about drugs and HIV is, in itself, a significant achievement. The lead taken by MECC has had a liberating effect on parishes, which also now initiate programs on these sensitive topics.