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Lighting an Advent candle at the chapel of Ecumenical Centre. Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WCC

Lighting an Advent candle at the chapel of Ecumenical Centre. Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WCC

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In a global campaign A Light of Peace, the World Council of Churches (WCC) invites people across the globe to unite in the prayers for the Korean Peninsula and for a world free from nuclear weapons.

“The candle of the first week of Advent reminds us of the coming light of Christ”, says one of the prayers. “Together with sisters and brothers in North and South Korea, and people around the world campaigning to abolish nuclear weapons, we are waiting for the days when the nations will no longer be divided and the nations will beat their weapons into ploughshares.”

On the first week of Advent, the WCC invites the global Christian fellowship to express solidarity for the Korean people and to support efforts to ease tensions and sustain hope.

On the second Sunday in Advent - 10 December - one of WCC’s partners, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons - will receive the Nobel Peace Prize at an award ceremony in Oslo, Norway.

By lighting candles during special prayers and worship services two Sundays in a row, people in many nations from many faith traditions can unify and amplify voices of peace.

Updated prayer resources for churches are available at the WCC website.

More information on WCC campaign  “Light of Peace”, including prayers for peace in the Korean peninsula (available in EnglishFrenchGerman and Spanish)

Korean Peninsula is focus in A light of peace campaign for nuclear free world (WCC press release of 01 December 2017)

WCC urges all parties in Korean Peninsula confrontation to be instruments of peace (WCC press release of 22 November 2017)

Statement on the situation on the Korean peninsula 22 November 2017