In her sermon at the first prayer service attended by US President Barack Obama after his inauguration, Rev. Dr Sharon Watkins, general minister and president of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), called on the leader who, she said, would "set the tone" for the nation, to chose compassion, faithfulness and love over vengefulness, anger and fear.

"The murder of Mr Lasantha Wickremetunge last week and killings of several other journalists in the past few years deepen the concern over a series of calculated attempts to stifle the media and to suppress differences of opinion and freedom of expression by violent means," said WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia in a 13 January letter to the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

In a statement to the plenary of high-level segment of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland on Friday, 12 December, a delegation representing the World Council of Churches (WCC) will tell government representatives that a "much more principle-based approach is crucial for reaching an effective and equitable global climate policy regime built on the ethical imperatives of justice, equity and solidarity."

The AACC Assembly adopted a statement of concern on Thursday 11 December on the crisis in Zimbabwe, expressing displeasure that "President Mugabe is using power-sharing negotiations as a strategy for wasting time" while "acts of violence continue to be committed against those who do not support ZANU-PF", Mugabe's ruling party. The will of the Zimbabwe people as expressed in March 2008 elections has been thwarted, the Assembly said, and...

Liberian information minister Lawrence K. Bropleh spoke Monday on behalf of his country's president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, in a keynote address to the ninth assembly of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC). He called on African churches to regain and reassert their vision of bold leadership against a backdrop of global financial meltdown and political instability.

The message that climate changes threatens human rights and must therefore be considered an ethical issue will be brought to the United Nations Climate Change Conference currently under way in Poznań, Poland by a delegation representing the World Council of Churches (WCC).

The Convention on Cluster Munitions has been welcomed as a "humane and historic victory" by the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia. Commenting on the signing of the convention in Oslo, Norway today, Kobia congratulated the more than 100 signatory countries and reiterated the need for states that have not yet done so - including the United States, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and Zimbabwe -...

"Deeply shocked and saddened" by the news of yesterday's attacks in Mumbai, the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia has strongly condemned "such wanton acts of terrorism and violence targeting innocent human lives". He also expressed "sincere condolences and sympathy" to victims and families.

Leaders and representatives of 24 US churches gathering in Washington, D.C. next week will deliver a message to President-elect Barack Obama, outlining hopes for the new administration in leading the nation forward and working for peace with justice.

The Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV) sponsored by the World Council of Churches (WCC) has launched its 2009 focus on the Caribbean region with the theme: "One Love: Building a Peaceful Caribbean".