To address the impact of displacements induced by climate change, participants from ecumenical, non-governmental and international organizations, as well as churches, gathered in Bossey, Switzerland, from 22 to 23 May in a World Council of Churches (WCC) conference.

An inter-religious delegation of senior Muslim and Christian leaders has begun a fact-finding visit to Nigeria on 22 May, where in recent months an increase in violence has threatened relations between the two religious communities in Northern Nigeria.

Religious insights can offer immense resources for peacemaking, Professor Johan Galtung, a pioneer in the discipline of peace studies, has said in a lecture at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva.

Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), began a five-day visit to the WCC member churches in Romania with a consultation on 16 May at the patriarchal residence in Bucharest. He met with Patriarch Daniel of the Romanian Orthodox Church and other leaders from the Orthodox churches.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has announced the development of a new book series on Orthodox Theology in partnership with Volos Academy, Greece. Dr Pantelis Kalaitzidis will be the editor of the series.

"The days following the resurrection must have been mystifying and frightening to the followers of Jesus", the eight presidents of the World Council of Churches write in their annual Pentecost message. "Some of them had actually seen the risen Christ – in the upper room, on the road to Emmaus, even touched his wounds and shared a piece of fish. Now they found themselves all together in a room, waiting. It can’t have been easy for them, crowded...

The WCC is urging the NATO summit in Chicago 20-21 May to “lead by example” and withdraw NATO nuclear weapons still deployed in Europe more than two decades after the close of the Cold War.

The WCC congratulates the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople for receiving the Freedom of Worship Award of the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Institute which acknowledges his efforts in promoting religious freedom, dialogue and environmental concerns.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit was honoured with the “Friend of the Armenians” award by the Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern) in the United States, as an acknowledgement of his efforts to support Armenian churches throughout the world.

A Global Theological Education Survey started by the Ecumenical Theological Education programme of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in partnership with other organizations is under way, and will result in the launch of a web based global directory of theological institutions.