Below, Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, World Council of Churches (WCC) director of Public Witness and Diakonia, reflects on the relevance of ecumenical diakonia and public witness today.
Sanctions should not harm the support for the most vulnerable, says a report on the impact of sanctions on humanitarian work presented at a side-event of 52nd session at the Human Rights Council of the United Nations in Geneva on 10 March.
We mark 4 March as World Obesity Day. Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a health risk. Obesity has more than tripled since 1975, and more than 1 billion people are obese in the world today.
According to the fifth mark of the Anglican Church's mission, the church aims to protect and renew the earth's creation and sustain it. The Anglican Church of Southern Africa environmental network is dedicated to helping churches and dioceses fulfill God's calling to be earth-keepers and to care for creation.
On 20 February, His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, arrived in the city of Antioch, the historical capital of the Patriarchate, for an historic visit following the devastating earthquake that struck on 6 February.
Almost two weeks have passed since an earthquake that hit northern Syria and Turkey on 6 February, killing over 41,000 people. The disaster also caused thousands of buildings to collapse. In various cities such as Aleppo, Hama, and Lattakia, over 115 schools were destroyed.
H.H. Moran Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East and Supreme Head of the Universal Syriac Orthodox Church, visited Antioch, marking an historic and first Apostolic visit to the place where Saint Peter established the Holy See of Antioch in the year 37.
Following the catastrophic earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey, the Middle East Council of Churches in Syria interviewed H.E. Ephraim Maalouli, Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo, Alexandretta, and Dependencies.
The publication “Called to Transformation – Ecumenical Diakonia” is newly available in German, offering resources to strengthen the diaconal capacity of churches and to advance the cooperation with specialized ministries.
Faith-based organizations gathered in-person and online on 9 February to explore the theme “Ethical Perspectives on COP27 & Looking Forward Towards COP28.”
Faith-based and humanitarian groups across the world were setting in motion appeals for aid and prayers as response expands in the wake of the devastating earthquake that struck Syria and Turkey on 6 February.
As communities in Turkey and Syria were left reeling in the wake of an earthquake that has killed at least 4,300 people—and that figure is growing—churches were reaching out to check on those affected and praying for the safety of those missing.
A new publication, “Applied Research Project: Assessing the impact of sanctions on humanitarian work,” has been released by the Geneva Graduate Institute in partnership with the World Council of Churches (WCC), ACT Alliance, Caritas Internationalis, and World Evangelical Alliance.
A webinar on the global food crisis, responses, and innovations brought the voices of people from across the world in a frank assessment of what the human face of the crisis looks like—and why the world needs a fundamental shift in the way it manages food.
Applications are open for the Ecumenical School on Governance, Economics and Management (GEM School) for an Economy of Life, which will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 21 August through 1 September 2023.
A hybrid-style event, "Global Food Crisis and the Responses – A comprehensive update and discussion,” to be held in Rome on 14 December will update the civil society and faith communities on the latest status of the food crisis and the need for policy responses at local, national, and global levels.
During a webinar, “Faith Communities in the HIV & AIDS response today,” held on World AIDS Day, participants received an overview of the history of response to HIV from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and UNAIDS, and they mapped the way forward in combatting new challenges.
Gathering for a World AIDS Day prayer, the World Council of Churches (WCC) reflected on the latest UNAIDS report, and prayed that churches will renew their commitment to become agents of life for those suffering from HIV and AIDS.
On 1 December, World AIDS Day will mark more than 40 years since the first outbreak of the epidemic; however, in 2021, every two minutes, an adolescent girl or young woman (15-24 years old) acquired HIV.
In commemoration of World AIDS Day,this online meeting will provide an update of the HIV response in the World Council of Churches (WCC) and its ecumenical partners around the globe, looking at the strategies implemented and the way forward.