Name: Outi Vasko

Nationality: Finland

Church: Orthodox Church of Finland

Function: Theological secretary to the Archbishop

Central Committee: Member since 2006, member of Executive Committee

Age: 34

First ecumenical encounter: attended ecumenical youth gathering in Poland in 1996.

The role of the church in conflict situations is to work for peace and for peaceful life together. The church must also show solidarity with those who suffer in those situations and to assist in the process of peace-building and reconciliation.

Climate is an issue for Christians because we are responsible for the whole creation, not just human beings but the whole creation as our source of salvation. Churches can offer patience and staying-power because the solutions are long-term. The Baltic Sea, which surrounds Finland, is very vulnerable and is a delicate eco-system, not just for Finland but for all the countries around it.

The biggest challenge facing the WCC and ecumenical movement is how to prioritize when we come from different parts of the world, when the world is changing so fast, and when there are so many challenges. When we try to do too many things, we wind up doing none of them very well.