Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World: Recommendations for Conduct
| Title | Listen | Download | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit |  | In presenting “Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World” at the public launch of the joint recommendations by the WCC, the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) and the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue on 28 June 2011, WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit alluded to Jesus Christ’s prayer for unity in the 17th chapter of John’s gospel. “We are called to be one so that the world may believe,” said Tveit. (7 min 42) | |
| Dr Geoff Tunnicliffe | | Dr Geoff Tunnicliffe, chief executive officer and secretary general of the WEA, said the document was "a major achievement" in that it represents formal agreement on"the essence of Christian mission" while also demonstrating that diverse Christian bodies "are able to work together and to speak together." (9 min 39) | |
| Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran | | Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue of the Roman Catholic Church, said in his presentation that leaders in the churches today “have a duty to proclaim the faith” and also “to propose a greater vision of dialogue.” (16 min) |
International Ecumenical Peace Convocation
| Title | Listen | Download | |
|---|---|---|---|
| WCC general secretary Tveit on Just Peace | | In this interview, the WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit reflects on the outcomes of the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation and expands on the churches' vision for just peace. | |
| Interview with Grub Cooper on the IEPC theme song | | During the past 40 years Grub Cooper has reached deep into the heart of Jamaicans with more than a thousand musical compositions, many of them written and performed as a member of one of Jamaica’s top performing acts, the Fabulous 5. Now Cooper is bringing his gift of songwriting to the world through a newly recorded composition written specifically for the WCC's International Ecumenical Peace Convocation, which was held in Kingston, Jamaica, 17-25 May 2011. |
At the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva
| Title | Listen | Download | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fr Daniel Groody on migration and theology | | Father Daniel Groody, a professor from Notre Dame University in the United States and a Roman Catholic priest, presented a theological approach to the topic of migration at a Tuesday 8 March 2011 gathering in the library of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Geneva. | |
| Dr Yacob Tesfai | | “The prospect for a religion-based approach to peace-making has a great potential in sub-Saharan Africa,” Dr Yacob Tesfai said during the launch of his book "Holy Warriors, Infidels and Peacemakers in Africa" at the Ecumenical Centre on 2 July 2010. | |
| Human rights in the Philippines | | The Rev. Rex Reyes (general secretary of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines and president of the Christian Conference of Asia) and Marie Hilao-Enriquez (general secretary of the human rights group Karapatan) presented the human rights situation in the Philippines and the ecumenical delegation to the UN Human Rights Council of which they were members, at a lunch discussion with staff at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, 7 June 2010. | |
| Jigs Clamor | | Jigs Clamor, husband of one of the medical doctors who were arrested on 6 February 2010, said his wife was threatened with reprisals against her family unless she admits that she and the others were members of the New People’s Army. | |
| Attorney Edre Olalia | | Attorney Edre Olalia, acting secretary general of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers and a legal counsel to the 43 detained health workers, explained how the human rights of the "Morong 43" have been violated and why their arrest and detention should be considered illegal. | |
| Questions and answers | | Marie Hilao-Enriquez, Attorney Edre Olalia and Fr Rex Reyes answer questions on the human rights situation in the Philippines, church advocacy in the Philippines and at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. | |
| Fr Rex Reyes | | Fr Rex Reyes ended the lunch discussion relating the commitment to human rights to the Christian faith and the calling of the church. | |
| Sermon: The Ecumenical Movement of the Cross | | The cross is not just a sign of religious identity, Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit says in this sermon, but a "reality check" for both the churches and the ecumenical movement. During the service on 23 February 2010, Tveit was formally installed as WCC general secretary. (14 min 36) | |
| Copenhagen in review | | Lunchtime Conversation at the Philip Potter library: Thursday, 14 January 2010: "Climate Change, Copenhagen and beyond: ecumenical perspectives", a presentation by WCC programme executive on climate change Dr Guillermo Kerber |
Central Committee 2011
| Title | Listen | Download | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moderator's address | | In his opening address, the Rev. Dr Walter Altmann, moderator of the Central Committee, argued forcefully that unity as well as justice and peace should be included in the theme for the next assembly of the world’s largest ecumenical body. | |
| Report of the general secretary | | “There is no theological reflection that does not take place in God’s vulnerable world and in the midst of the joy and suffering of ordinary people,” said the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit in his report to the first meeting of the WCC Central Committee that he has addressed as general secretary. |
Interfaith seminar, Bossey 2010
| Title | Listen | Download | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning prayer | | Christian morning prayer at the chapel of the Ecumenical Institute Bossey during the inter-religious summer seminar "Building an interfaith community". The daily prayers were prepared alternately by Christian, Jewish and Muslim participants. (18 min) | |
| Colin Craig | | Colin Craig, development director of TIDES Training, speaks about the conflict management and mediation training that his team is providing to students of the interfaith seminar. He also explains how he sees the relation between religion and conflict, and what motivated him to become a peace trainer. (11 min) | |
| Paul Muego | | Paul Edward Muego was part of the team who provided the Dialogue for Peaceful Change training at the seminar. He speaks about how he applies the mediation methodology in his work with non-governmental organizations in the Philippines and what he hopes the students will be taking back to their respective contexts. (3 min) | |
| Koni Patrick | | Koni Patrick is a Christian theology student from Nigeria and a participant of the interfaith seminar in Bossey. (1 min 23) | |
| Adrian Kirk | | Adrian Kirk is a Muslim student from the United States and a participant of the interfaith seminar. (2 min 24) | |
| Van Hmung | | Van Hmung from Myanmar is a master student of Ecumenical Studies at the Ecumenical Institute. (1 min 27) | |
| Sahar Yasdanpour | | Sahar Yasdanpour from Israel is a Jewish participant of the interfaith seminar. (1 min 46) | |
| Lastri Mawa | | Lastri Mawa Ninyoman is a pastor from Indonesia and a participant of the interfaith seminar in Bossey. (2 min 14) |
Global Ecumenical Network on Migration
| Title | Listen | Download | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doris Peschke | | Doris Peschke, general secretary of the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe, gave a keynote on "Churches Responding to Migration in Europe" at a hearing session of the Global Ecumenical Network on Migration, which held its annual meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, 24-30 June 2010. | |
| Franca Di Lecce | | Franca Di Lecce, director of the Service for Refugees and Migrants of the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy, described the Italian reality and the activities that are taking place in her country in the context of the campaign migration2010. | |
| Rev. Keith Briant | | Rev. Keith Briant of the National Council of Churches Australia gave an account of the conditions faced by those who seek asylum in Australia. | |
| Amélé Ekué | | Dr Amélé Ekué, professor of Ecumenical Social Ethics and current dean of the Ecumenical Institute Bossey,gave a keynote lecture on "Ethical reflection on the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families". | |
| Seta Hadeshian | | Seta Hadeshian, director of Diakonia and Social Justice at the Middle East Council of Churches, spoke on "Migration and Diversity - an Opportunity and a Challenge to Churches and Society". | |
| Rev. Asora Amosa | | Rev. Asora Amosa, a Samoan-born pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand and clerk of the church's Pacific Island Synod, shared his experience as a migrant and pastor at the GEM meeting. | |
| Adejare Oyewole | | Apostle Adejare Oyewole of the Council of African and Caribbean Churches in the UK, member of the Churches' Commission for Migrants in Europe Executive Committee and of the Conference of European Churches Central Committee, spoke about the situation of migrants in Britain. | |
| Fr Maurizio Pettena | | Fr Maurizio Pettena, director of the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office, spoke about the ministry to migrants and church advocacy in Australia. | |
| Bishop Francis Nabieu | | Bishop Francis S. Nabieu of the Methodist Church of Sierra Leone, member of the All Africa Conference of Churches General Committee, reflected on the churches' call to be one, and on the theological foundation of their ministry to migrants. |
Conference on the rights of climate refugees
| Title | Listen | Download | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Biermann | | Prof. Dr Frank Biermann (VU University Amsterdam) explains why he uses the term "climate refugees" and why he thinks provisions need to be introduced in international law to address their situation. (3 min) | |
| Peter Emberson | | Peter Emberson, climate change campaigns officer with the Pacific Conference of Churches, speaks on the effects of climate change being observed in the Pacific region, the fears connected to the loss of people's homelands and their expectations towards the international community. (6 min) |
Copenhagen climate summit
| Title | Listen | Download | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D. Tutu and Y. De Boer | | On 13 December 2009, Archbishop Desmond Tutu handed 512,894 signatures collected at countdowntocopenhagen.org calling for a fair, ambitious and binding agreement over to the top UN climate official Yvo de Boer. | |
| Cecilia Hage | | Cecilia Hage of Sweden spoke to Mark Beach about her participation in the March for Climate Justice that was co-organized by the WCC. | |
| Sadiha Hussain | | Sadiha Hussain of the United Kingdom spoke to Mark Beach about her participation in the March for Climate Justice that was co-organized by the WCC. | |
| Gibson Ikanone | | Gibson Ikanone of Nigeria spoke to Mark Beach about his participation in the March for Climate Justice that was co-organized by the WCC. | |
| Yumna Martin | | Yumna Martin of South Africa spoke to Mark Beach about her participation in the March for Climate Justice that was co-organized by the WCC. | |
| Michael Tweed | | Michael Tweed of Northern Ireland spoke to Mark Beach about his participation in the March for Climate Justice that was co-organized by the WCC. | |
| Jakob Wolf | | Dr Jakob Wolf, Head of Section, Dept. of Systematic Theology in Copenhagen, spoke about Theology and Climate Changes at this public seminar hosted by the University of Copenhagen Department of Systematic Theology and the NCC Denmark. | |
| Barbara Rossing | | Biblical scholar Barbara Rossing, professor at the Lutheran School of Theology of Chicago, United States, was one of the speakers at a public seminar on "Creation and the climate crisis" attended by church representatives to the UN climate summit in Copenhagen on 15 December 2009. | |
| Olav Fykse Tveit | | Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, WCC general secretary-elect, spoke about ecumenical visions and future work on climate change at this public seminar hosted by the University of Copenhagen Department of Systematic Theology and the NCC Denmark. | |
| Jesse Mugambi | | Jesse Mugambi, from the University of Nairobi and a member of the WCC working group on climate change, was one of the speakers at a public seminar on "Creation and the climate crisis" attended by church representatives to the UN climate summit in Copenhagen on 15 December 2009. |
WCC UN Advocacy Week 2009
| Title | Listen | Download | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lois Dauway | | Keynote address at the WCC United Nations Advocacy Week by Lois M. Dauway, a member of the WCC Central Committee and the interim deputy general secretary for the General Board for Global Ministries of the United Methodist Church. 16 November 2009 | |
| Olav Kjorven | | Keynote address at the WCC United Nations Advocacy Week by Olav Kjorven, director of the Bureau for Development Policy at the United Nations Development Programme and assistant secretary-general of UNDP. | |
| Rev. Elenie Poulos | | Interview with the Rev. Elenie Poulos about the calling to be a "counter-culture church". Poulos is a Uniting Church minister in Australia and a member of the WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs. The interview was recorded during the WCC UN Advocacy Week. | |
| Rev. Matheus Adadikam | | Rev. Matheus Adadikam, of the Evangelical Christian Church in Tanah Papua, speaks of the situation of the indigenous peoples of West Papua and the role the church can plan in advocating for their rights. | |
| Peter Emberson | | Peter Hans Emberson of the Pacific Conference of Churches in Fiji, speaks about the situation of those Pacific Islands being submerged by raising ocean waters due to climate change and the fact that some people will become displaced. |
Central Committee 2009
| Title | Listen | Download | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violence against women in Congo | | Interview of Rev. Micheline Kasongo from Democratic Republic of Congo. She is a presbyterian Central Committee member. She talks about violence against women in the context of war. (3 min. 54 sec.) | |
| Church and Society | | In preparation to the plenary on Church and Society, many central committee members gave written input. This is the interview of two of them. (10 min. 03 sec.) | |
| Church and Society 2 | | Metropolitan Mor Eustathius Matta Roham, Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, speaks about the issue of church in society and the role of the church in the Middle East. (7 min. 50 sec.) | |
| Interview of Rev. Garry Harriott, Jamaica, on IEPC | | Rev. Gary Harriott, general secretary of the Jamaica Council of Churches and a pastor in the United Church of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, talks about the impact of the Decade to Overcome Violence and the upcoming WCC-sponsored International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC). The IEPC will be held in Kingston, Jamaica, 17-25 May, 2011. (7 minutes 32 sec.) |
