News in brief 
6. May 08
Myanmar: Churches to mobilize emergency aid
As the death toll of the tropical cyclone Nargis soars by the hour, the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Kobia expressed "great distress and sadness" in a condolence letter to the Myanmar Council of Churches. "The humanitarian aid arm of the WCC and its member churches, Action by Churches Together (ACT) initiated a process to mobilize its members in various countries to extend all possible humanitarian assistance to the...
30. April 08
WCC congratulates Paraguayan President-elect
World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia has congratulated President-elect Fernando Lugo on his victory in Paraguay's recent presidential election. In a letter dated 29 April, Kobia highlights Lugo's "commitment to the poorest and excluded", in tune with "the rich tradition of a Latin American Christianity which has struggled to follow Jesus amidst a reality marked by inequality and lack of justice".
Former WCC general secretary honored by South Africa
(ENI) The Rev. Philip Potter, a former general secretary of the World Council of Churches, has been honoured by South Africa for his efforts to combat racism and apartheid in southern Africa.
22. April 08
WCC delegation visits Christians in the UAE
Appreciation for the good work done by churches in the Gulf region was expressed by the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia at the end of a 17 to 19 April visit to the United Arab Emirates.
14. April 08
Bringing hope to a broken world
"The ecumenical movement is only faithful to the Gospel, if it is a movement of hope confronting itself with the reality of the severe threats to life that people are facing in today's world", said the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia in Lunteren, the Netherlands, on Friday 11 April.
11. April 08
WCC welcomes summit on Zimbabwe crisis
The World Council of Churches (WCC) has welcomed the initiative of Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa to convene a summit of Southern African heads of state to address the current crisis in Zimbabwe.
10. April 08
Danish churches to dialogue with Muslims
Several member churches of the Danish National Council of Churches (DNCC) recently sent a response to a 13 Oct. 2007 open letter from 138 prominent Muslim scholars and leaders to church leaders around the world. The Danish church response was published 10 Apr. in the Danish newspaper, the Christian Daily. The 16 member churches who were signatories to the response said the Muslim letter "represents an important step in the essential dialogue...
10. April 08
Former WCC staff Geneviève Jacques honored in France
Ms Geneviève Jacques, former WCC Programmes Director, has been awarded the Légion d’Honneur by the French Republic for her active solidarity with the peoples of the South.
10. April 08
The WCC mourns the death of Father Vitaly Borovoy
A pioneer of inter-Christian dialogue who played a leading role in the movement for Christian reconciliation and unity, Protopresbyter Vitaly Borovoy, from the Russian Orthodox Church, died on 7 April aged 93.
28. March 08
WCC criticizes Islamophobic film, calls for mutual respect
The movie Fitna, recently released online by Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders was criticized as "a clear case of Islamophobia" by Rev. Dr Shanta Premawardhana, director of the World Council of Churches' (WCC) Programme on Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation. "Through graphic images the filmmaker depicts violent extremism without any attempt to distinguish it from mainstream Islam. Extremism is a problem for most religions...