Young Adults Training for Religious Amity programme to be postponed

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic the World Council of Churches (WCC) Young Adults Training for Religious Amity programme that was to take place in Fiji from 15-27 May has been postponed. This decision was made in consultation with the joint ecumenical partners of this pro-gramme - the Pacific Conference of Churches, World Communion of Reformed Churches, Council for World Mission, and World Methodist Council. The organisers agreed that it was impossible to organise the programme as planned in the current unprecedented global situation where the acceleration of COVID-19 infections has prompted mas-sive lockdowns and severe travel restrictions by several countries in order to contain the spread of the pandemic.

The organisers agreed that it was impossible to organise the programme as planned in the current unprecedented global situation where the acceleration of COVID-19 infections has prompted massive lockdowns and severe travel restrictions by several countries in order to contain the spread of the pandemic. The decision was taken both in the light of the impracticality of organising a meeting of this nature which draws participants from across the globe, and a genuine concern to stifle the spread of the pandemic effectively and swiftly.

A cross-programmatic venture of the WCC’s programme on Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation and the programme on Youth Engagement in the Ecumenical Movement, in partnership with other ecumenical organisations, Youth in Asia Training for Religious Amity 2020 was expanded to include global participation beyond Asia and renamed as Young Adults Training for Religious Amity. The new dates of the programme will be announced in due course after careful monitoring of the situation and the programme is highly likely to happen in 2021.

“As interdependent human beings in a globalized world, this is a moment to recognise the sanctity of life, and commit ourselves to preserve and protect all life – especially the lives of those most vulnerable to this pandemic,” said Rev. Dr Peniel Rajkumar, WCC programme coordinator for Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation.

“Though aware of the disappointment that this news will cause to the selected participants, we are confident that this news will be accepted by the participants in the right spirit,” added Joy Eva Bohol, WCC programme executive for Youth Engagement.

WCC work on strengthening interreligious trust and respect

WCC landing page: Coping with the Coronavirus