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The delegation included Bishop Luis Andres Caicedo, Colombian Methodist Church; Cristian Schlick, General Board of Global Ministries, liaison for Justice and Human Rights; Humberto Shikiya, WCC envoy; and Simon Rubinos, consultant.
The WCC leadership provided an overview of the peace efforts in Colombia, including the latest minute from the WCC executive committee, released in June, that reiterates the WCC’s longstanding commitment to “a just, comprehensive, and sustainable peace for the people of Colombia.”
Discussions focused on the role of the WCC in working on global advocacy and prophetic communication. The delegation also received a general welcome to the WCC, and discussed human rights, international affairs, and children and climate.
Speaking on the current work of the WCC in Colombia, WCC programme director for Life, Justice, and Peace Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata highlighted the need to “revisit our assumptions because the conditions have drastically changed.”
Director of the WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs Peter Prove said that the meeting provided an important opportunity for consultation and reflection on means of continuing the work of the churches for peace and human rights in Colombia, the radically changed political context notwithstanding. “We concluded with a renewed sense of mutual commitment to the work for just peace in Colombia, and of the special role of churches and faith communities in this context,” he said.
The delegation receiving the Colombian delegation on behalf of WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay included Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, WCC programme director Life, Justice and Peace, Peter Prove, WCC director of the churches commission on international affairs , and Marianne Ejdersten, WCC director of communication.
