February 2005

> WCC Central Committee meeting

> WCC-RCC Joint Working Group

> Workshop on sexual violence in Africa

> WCC general secretary to visit Scandinavian countries

>>>WCC Central Committee meeting

15-22 February, Geneva, Switzerland

The World Council of Churches will hold its next Central Committee meeting from 15-22 February in Geneva, Switzerland. The WCC's main governing body will discuss several key issues such as the overall theme of healing and reconciliation, issues related to the Pacific region, and different churches' understandings of human sexuality. The WCC assembly, taking place in Porto Alegre (Brazil) in February 2006, and consensus methodology as a new approach to decision-making are also at the top of the agenda. Public issues such as Indigenous peoples, migration, and small arms will also be discussed, and the Central Committee will consider papers on communication and advocacy work.

Draft agenda and accreditation form for media available at:

www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/press_corner/index-e.html

>>>Executive Committee of the WCC-RCC Joint Working Group

27-28 February, Geneva, Switzerland

The Executive Committee of theJoint Working Group of the Roman Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches will meet to discuss the comments of the WCC Central Committee on Roman Catholic Relations in general, and the eighth report of the Joint Working Group to the upcoming WCC Assembly. It will also plan the celebration of the 40th anniversary of its mandate.

More information about the Joint Working Group is available at:

www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/ecumenical/index-e.html

>>>Workshop on stopping sexual violence in Africa

23 February - 1 March 2005, Limuru, Kenya

To empower sexually abused women and silent churches to speak out and to end violence against women and children is the main aim of the "Tamar campaign workshop" organized by the World Council of Churches in collaboration with St Paul's United Theological College, Limuru, Kenya, and the Fellowship of Churches and Councils of Churches in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa (FECCLAHA).

Through contextual Bible studies, the workshop is intended to develop practical and pastoral responses towards safety, justice and healing. The five-day workshop will bring together about 40 theological educators and women in church ministry from various countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The "Tamar campaign", outlining the bigger framework of the workshop, is a project of the Institute for the study of the Bible at KwaZuluNatal University, South Africa. The institute promotes contextual Bible study as a way of developing biblical, theological and ethical resources for restoring dignity and wellbeing to the sufferers of sexual violence and their families. The campaign is based on the story of incest and rape of Tamar by her half-brother (2 Samuel 13).

>>>WCC general secretary to visit member churches in Scandinavia

27 February - 7 March, Norway, Sweden, Denmark

WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia will visit WCC member churches in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Meetings with members and partners of the WCC, with church leaders and government representatives are scheduled for all three countries.

Highlights of the visit to Norway will be a meeting with Crown Prince Haakon, a lecture at the Norwegian School of Theology, and a meeting with the Sami Council of the Church of Norway.

In Sweden, Kobia will preach at an Eucharist service in Uppsala Cathedral, and hold a lecture at the Theological Institute at the University of Uppsala.

The visit to Denmark will include meetings with Lutheran and Baptist member churches as well as with church Organizations like DanChurchAid and the Danish Missionary Council.