Public witness: addressing power, affirming peace

: Peace activists scale separation wall. Palestine/Israel, August 2004
EAPPI photo/Martin Smedjeback

In a world where economic injustice, poverty and exclusion, and many forms of violence are rife, the WCC voices the churches' concerns at the international level. On their behalf, it challenges the economic, social, political and cultural powers that be, and offers a prophetic witness for justice, peace and security.

Projects

Overcoming violence: The 2001-2010 Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV) responds to violence from the family to the international levels. It includes an annual focus and team visits, an International Day of Prayer for Peace, training, awareness-building and resource-sharing.
Justice and accountability: This project voices the concerns of the churches and the ecumenical movement at the United Nations, with international financial institutions, the International Criminal Court, etc., in order to influence policy decisions at the global level.
Human rights: This project accompanies churches in critical situations in their efforts to defend human rights and dignity, overcome impunity, achieve accountability and build just and peaceful societies.
Churches in the Middle East: This project aims to build a Palestine/Israel Ecumenical Forum as a space where the entire ecumenical movement can put its collective energies and resources together for lasting peace.
Palestine and Israel: EAPPI: This project enables volunteer "ecumenical accompaniers" to express solidarity with and protect the victims of human rights and humanitarian law violations, make these know, and advocate for their end.
Poverty, wealth and ecology: This project brings churches and partners together to reflect on the connections between poverty, wealth and ecology; act against economic injustice; address just trade, ecological debt, decent work; and pursue work on "Alternative globalization addressing people and earth (AGAPE).