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Signing a celebratory certificate commemorating 25 years of fruitful dialogue, leaders from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization in Tehran met online on 27 October.

An interfaith peace prayer service in Rome organized by the Sant'Egidio Community on 20 October drew Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Sikh and Hindu leaders who and prayed together.

World Council of Churches (WCC) interim general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca offered reflections on the newest encyclical of Pope Francis, Fratelli tutti. Subtitled “On fraternity and social friendship,” the document is the Pope’s third encyclical.

Leading a plenary session on 15 October at the G20 Interfaith Forum, World Council of Churches moderator Dr Agnes Abuom spoke on the empowerment of women, youth and vulnerable people. The online forum drew more than 2,000 people from 90 countries.

World Council of Churches moderator Dr Agnes Abuom will lead a plenary session on empower-ment of women, youth and vulnerable people being held at the G20 Interfaith Forum on 15 Octo-ber. The online forum will feature hundreds of policymakers, prominent experts and religious leaders speaking over five days in dozens of sessions.

World Council of Churches interim general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca shared greetings with a conference on “Empowering Youth for Peace through Interreligious cooperation, education and humanitarian action.”

World Council of Churches (WCC) interim general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca sent joyful greetings to Jewish friends and colleagues across the world on the occasion of Rosh Hashanah and the forthcoming High Holy Days.“May this be a time of blessing, joy and peace for you,” writes Sauca. “Certainly, this last year has brought a time of extraordinary challenges for us all.”

Rev. Fr Dr Lawrence Iwuamadi is dean of the Ecumenical Institute, the graduate school which opened its academic year this week. Below, Iwuamadi reflects on the arrival of new students at the Ecumenical Institute during this remarkable time.

Rev. Dr Peniel Rajkumar is the World Council of Churches (WCC) programme coordinator for Interreligious Dialogue and Cooperation. He reflects on the recent release of “Serving a Wounded World in Interreligious Solidarity: A Christian Call to Reflection and Action During COVID-19 and Beyond” by the WCC and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID). The document aims to encourage churches and Christian organizations to reflect on the importance of interreligious solidarity in a world wounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID) have released a joint document, “Serving a Wounded World in Interreligious Solidarity: A Christian Call to Reflection and Action During COVID-19 and Beyond.” Its purpose is to encourage churches and Christian organizations to reflect on the importance of interreligious solidarity in a world wounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anxiety, stress and unexpected changes in lifestyles are making it increasingly difficult for many youngsters to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Alcohol and substance abuse are on the rise as young people desperately search for answers to what is hap-pening around them. Mental health issues are rapidly following In the wake of the phys-ical health and socio-economic issues caused by COVID-19.

From warm greetings, to music and dancing, to practical tips, a World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical International Youth Day on 12 August drew young people from across the world for a virtual gathering that explored the theme of mental health, and how churches can support young people in this area of their lives.

More than 30 alumni of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Young Adults Training for Religious Amity programme gathered online over the last two weeks for a unique “Train the Trainers” event to equip former participants with the skills to organise interreligious dialogue and training in their own communities. The training, which brought together former participants from 2014-2019, included four webinars focussed on deepening interreligious awareness as well as developing leadership competencies in facilitation.

In a 24 July statement on Hagia Sophia, Religions for Peace reiterated its commitment to the universality of heritage as something that can create peace and respect for all faiths. “We call for calm, in times when we see the use of religious sentiments and institutions in a manner that is divisive, thus pitting some believers against one another,” reads the statement. “We stand on the side of peace, and of deliberate, intentional, coexistence, particularly as we hear of the voices, and see the actions, of divisiveness and hatred from many quarters.”

On 11 July, World Council of Churches (WCC) interim general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca sent a letter to the Turkish president expressing “grief and dismay,” noting that since 1934, “Hagia Sophia has been a place of openness, encounter and inspiration for people from all nations and religions.” The letter generated widespread reactions from churches and the media—and also from Muslim leaders. Sauca met online with H.E. Judge Mohamad Abdel Salam, general secretary of the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity (HCHF), special adviser of the Grand Imam of al Azhar Cheikh Ahmad al Tayeb, and special adviser of the Muslim Council of Elders.

During a graduation webcast, students from the World Council of Churches’ Ecumenical Institute Bossey described what it was like to live for ten months or more in an environment like no other. As they receive their post-graduate degrees in ecumenical studies, they look back fondly on their sense of community, professors—and even the food.