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Should robots make life and death decisions? Religious leaders are asked to tell governments “Never”.

The increasingly influential role of the financial sector, its impact on communities and their struggles toward a just financial system remained the focus of discussions in the workshops organized by the churches at the World Social Forum.

Anglican and Reformed member churches of the WCC have taken significant new actions toward climate justice.

A special tribute was paid by the WCC to the Rev. Dr Philip Potter, the third general secretary of the WCC, who served in that office from 1972 to 1984. A global ecumenical leader known for accompanying churches around the world in their struggles for unity, justice and peace, Potter died on 31 March at the age of 93 in Lübeck, Germany.

They are there every day, each month of the year – as they have been for the last 13 years. They have become a natural element in the chaos of life in Israel and Palestine. Their presence is appreciated. They provide safety and stability. Their sole weapon is a pen, or a camera. They see and listen; they analyze and report back.

The social and ecological cost of expanding mineral exploration and extraction was highlighted by churches at the World Social Forum.

The deputy general secretary of the WCC Georges Lemopoulos has expressed deep sadness over the passing away of Patriarch Mar Khanania Dinkha IV, head of the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, a WCC member church.

To address confusions about the respective roles of intra-church and inter-religious dialogue, or dialogue among Christians as contrasted to dialogue among world faiths, a group engaged with the WCC is to prepare a short guide that will offer definitions for sometimes confusing terminology used in such dialogues, setting out different goals of the two forms of dialogue and offering practical suggestions and examples about the methodologies and issues.

The peace process in South Sudan and efforts from churches towards reconciliation were the focus of a meeting between Ellen Margrethe Løj, special representative and head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, and Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the WCC.

This Lenten season, the WCC invites its member churches to pray on Sunday 29 March for those affected by wars in the Middle East, especially in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Egypt. The season of prayer is meant to revive hope from hopelessness, taking into account the vulnerability of minority communities and the threat of losing the diversity of the social fabric in this region.

The WCC and the Conference of European Churches has received with grief the news of a serious plane accident in the French Alps.

Authentic discipleship in mission and evangelism, hospitality, justice and inclusiveness emerged as significant topics in a recent meeting of members of the WCC Commission on World Mission and Evangelism. These topics will influence the theme of the World Mission Conference which is planned to be held in 2018.

A WCC delegation visited Ukraine from 17 to 20 March, reporting that they “heard a consistent call for the World Council of Churches and the ecumenical movement to inform the international community about the situation in Ukraine, to promote a more adequate humanitarian response to the human suffering resulting from the conflict, and to support and strengthen the efforts of the churches and faith communities of Ukraine for justice and peace.”

The WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has expressed support to the churches in India amidst increasing acts of violence and vandalism affecting Christian communities in the country.

Ahead of World Water Day on 22 March, a number of Christian organizations are reflecting on the significance of water – a scarce resource threatened and denied to millions around the world.

Following bomb attacks on two churches in Lahore, Pakistan, the WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has condemned the violence against people and communities on the basis of their religious identity, and has called upon the Pakistani government to act swiftly in bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Four member churches of the WCC are represented among 26 faith leaders in the United Kingdom who issued a joint statement recently calling on states with nuclear weapons to join other states in negotiations to eliminate nuclear arsenals.

A coalition of civil society and labour groups has launched an Independent Commission for the Reform of International Corporate Taxation in response to rising inequality and mounting public anger over corporate tax cheats. Among the organizations responsible for the establishment of the Commission is the WCC.

Blogger and political analyst Hany Fawzy from the Coptic Orthodox Church in Egypt – a member church of the WCC, reflects on the killing of 21 Christians by the “Islamic State” in Libya.