Global - News
WCC Ecumenical Review online
Wiley-Blackwell, the co-publisher of the World Council of Churches journal, 'The Ecumenical Review', has just released its first issue online. Volume 61 Issue 1 (March 2009) is available as a free sample.
Hopefully the other WCC journal, 'International Review of Mission', will also be available very soon on this platform.
Please feel free to have a look at the World Council of Churches Library and Archives website at library.oikoumene.org, for exploring more resources, journals, databases, bibliographies etc.
UN decade for inter-religious cooperation and peace
Some forty-five religious, interfaith, and value-based organizations from five continents agreed to form a coalition to advance a, "United Nations Decade for Inter-religious and Intercultural Dialogue, Understanding, and Cooperation for Peace". Coalition members expressed the hope that the UN Sixty-Fourth General Assembly, which will begin its deliberations in September 2009, will approve a resolution establishing such a decade from 2011-2020.
The coalition elected a steering committee - composed of organizations representing religious communities, interfaith and value-based civil society organizations - to strategically promote the decade idea among member states of the UN. This committee will be chaired by Mr. Stein Villumstad, Deputy Secretary General for Religions For Peace.
To read more visit wcrp.org.
WCC youth executive vacancy
The youth executive of the World Council of Churches, Natalie Maxson is leaving her post to further her academic career in her native Canada.
"...trust that though I will leave the WCC office, the ecumenical movement is more important to me than ever before. After this vast and rich experience I look forward to sharing the expertise I have gained back in my own context and church and wherever else God may lead me." (Natalie Maxson)
The soon to be vacant role of youth executive has been advertised and can be found in the vacancy notices section of the WCC's website. The start date is 1 July 2009 and applications must be submitted by 30 April 2009.
World's first global election
Earth Hour is on Saturday 28 March 2009 at 8.30pm, local time, wherever you live on planet earth.
You can VOTE EARTH by switching off your lights for the hour, or you can vote global warming by leaving your lights on.
The results of the election will be presented at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009. Vote Earth campaigners want one billion votes for Earth to tell world leaders that we have to take action against global warming.
To find out more visit voteearth2009.org.
Global - Events
Bossey seminar - Healing of Memories
A healed memory does not disappear, it can remain troublesome. But it looses its capacity to poison the present and foreclose the future. The remaining wounds can even become sources of healing for others.
The Ecumenical Institute at Bossey will run a seminar exploring healing memories in the context of communities. The seminar will be held in the beautiful Château De Bossey on 17-23 August 2009.
Further information can be found at Healing of Memories.
Modest scholarships are available.
Asia - Events
CCA womens internship opportunity
The Christian Conference of Asia's (CCA) Ecumenincal Formation, Gender Justice and Youth Formation Desk is offering an internship program especially for indigenous and dalit women in Asia. CCA invites a young, indigenous or dalit woman from India to serve as an intern in the CCA office in Chaingmai for a period of nine months. Women applying must be aged between 24 and 34.
The role begins in April and the deadline for applications is 26 March. Please see the internship information page for more details.
Europe - News
EYCE general secretary says goodbye
Ecumenical Youth Council in Europe (EYCE) General Secretary Rebekka Højmark Jensen announced her resignation from the position to the EYCE Executive Committee in December 2008. At the following meeting in January/February 2009, the Executive Committee agreed to dissolve the contract from 31st March.
To read more visit eyce.org
Europe - Events
European-wide action week against racism
March 21st was declared International Day for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by the General Assembly of the United Nations as a reaction to the murder of 69 anti-apartheid demonstrators in Sharpeville, South-Africa, in 1960.
During the annual European-wide Action Week, which centres around 21 March, thousands of people actively engage themselves for tolerance, equal rights and celebrate the diversity of Europe.
Find out more at unitedagainstracism.org.
WSCF seminar - religious freedom as a human right
According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his/her religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance" - but is this true in Europe today?
WSCF is running a seminar on the aforementioned topic in Lviv, Ukraine on 25-30 May.
Travel subsidies are available.
To find out more and to apply please visit wscf-europe.org.
Middle East - News
JAI olive planting
In February the Palestinian Joint Advocacy Initiative ran their Olive Planting Program. People can come from all over the world to help local farmers plant their olives.
Besides olive planting, the program features introductory sessions about the current situation in Palestine. These sessions consist of: discussing the effects of the Apartheid Wall; tours in the old city of Jerusalem/Hebron/Bethlehem; cultural events; and social gatherings.
To read daily personal accounts of this recent program please visit jai-pal.org.
North America - Events
SCM Canada Shine Conference
The Student Christian Movement (SCM) in Canada is having a conference of LGBT youth and their friends exploring issues of faith, justice, spirituality, leadership and activist organizing.
The Shine Conference will be held in Toronto, Canada from 6-10 May and will partly coincide with SCM Canada's General Conference.
For more information please click here.
