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Webinar on World Refugee Day will focus on statelessness and the “Interfaith Affirmations on Belongingness”

On 20 June, World Refugee Day, a World Council of Churches (WCC) webinar will focus on statelessness and the recently addopted “Interfaith Affirmations on Belongingness.”

A WCC pilgrim team visit to Italy was facilitated by the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME) and hosted by the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy (FCEI).The group visited church-related initiatives to support refugees and migrants in Palermo, Lampedusa and Rome. At the Methodist temple in Rome, the WCC delegation had the opportunity to visit the exhibition "Listen to my Voice", sponsored by the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy and the Clewer Initiative, May 2022, Photo: WCC

A WCC pilgrim team visit to Italy was facilitated by the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME) and hosted by the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy (FCEI). The group visited church-related initiatives to support refugees and migrants in Palermo, Lampedusa and Rome. At the Methodist temple in Rome, the WCC delegation had the opportunity to visit the exhibition "Listen to my Voice", sponsored by the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy and the Clewer Initiative, May 2022, Photo: Marcelo Schneider/WCC

14 June 2022
Statelessness
Programme activity
Church Engagement to End Statelessness
Migration and Multicultural Ministry
Commission of the Churches on International Affairs
Mission from the Margins

The affirmations, developed by the WCC in collaboration with various religious scholars and Religions for Peace, are an invitation by various religious traditions to uphold and assert some basic principles that all faith communities can affirm in common when it comes to serving and protecting stateless people.

Statelessness is a legal anomaly, and also the antonym of nationality. Discrimination is the main cause for statelessness, whether it is gender-based discrimination, or racially or religiously motivated discrimination. When nationality becomes racialized, history has shown us that states sometimes deprive communities of their right to a nationality. Likewise, religious nationalism has also been a reason to ostracise entire communities. Consequently, discrimination resulting in statelessness is both a cause and a product of displacement.

What do religious traditions have to teach us about belongingness? About non discrimination?

Moderator: Peter Prove, WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs director

Speakers:

  • Ekaterina E., United Stateless
  • Sam Mosallai, UNHCR
  • Prof. Anantanand Rambachan, Saint Olaf College and Religions for Peace
  • Rev. Dr Hans Ucko, Church of Sweden

 

Register here to join this webinar live, 20 June, 3 pm CEST

WCC, Religions for Peace joint message on statelessness: “Belonging—Affirmations for Faith Leaders’

 

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