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Having witnessed at first hand the terrible toll on civilian populations as well as the destruction caused by the current conflict in the region, the three members of an ecumenical pastoral delegation returning from a 10-15 August visit to Beirut and Jerusalem will report on their experiences at a

PRESS BRIEFING

on Wednesday 16 August 2006 at 11:00

at the Ecumenical Centre

150 route de Ferney, Geneva, Salles II & III (1st floor)

The president of the Conference of European Churches (CEC), Rev. Jean-Arnold de Clermont, the [Roman Catholic] Archbishop of Tours (France) Mgr. Bernard-Nicolas Aubertin, representing the Catholic Bishops' Conference of France, and WCC programme executive on racism, Ms Marilia Alves-Schüller; are returning from Jerusalem after having spent an intensive two days in Beirut.

In both cities, they are listening to people's experiences of the conflict, praying together with local Christians, and meeting with government officials and members of civil society organizations.

As well as reporting on what they saw and heard and their discussions with authorities and local populations, delegation members will describe the situation of churches and Christians in the region, and comment on what the latter see as possible ways forward out of the present crisis.

The general secretaries of, respectively, the CEC, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC), and the WCC - the Venerable Colin Williams, Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko, Rev. Dr Setri Nyomi, and Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia - as well as Action by Churches Together (ACT) International director Mr John Nduna, will welcome the delegation to Geneva and answer questions on their organizations' policies and actions in relation to the present conflict in the Middle East.

The briefing will be inEnglish andFrench, with simultaneous interpretation provided.

Please confirm your presence at the press conference in advance by e-mail or phone to:

[email protected] - +41-22-791-6421

An outline of the visits' programme in Beirut and Jerusalem is available at:

oikoumene.org/fileadmin/files/wcc-main/2006pdfs/beirut-jerusalem-visitprogramme.pdf

Recent WCC statements on the Middle East are available in the WCC on-line press room:

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