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Today the world joins in mourning the passing of a towering figure in the struggle for freedom and for human dignity and rights.

When the World Council of Churches (WCC) launched the Programme to Combat Racism after years of in-depth theological reflections and prayer in 1971, South Africa's insidious racist apartheid policies were in full throw. The programme brought the WCC into the world's spotlight. Yet racism did not start 50 years ago. And it did not end with the casting out of apartheid at the end of the 20th century. During that era, figures such as Nobel Peace Prize laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela fought racism in society and the church.

An upcoming webinar on 8 December, entitled “From Combatting Racism to Overcoming Racism, Racial Discrimination and Xenophobia: the Old and the New for the Present and the Future of Racial Justice,” will publicly launch a new World Council of Churches (WCC) programme while commemorating the 50th anniversary of the WCC Progamme to Combat Racism.

World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, in a letter to the president of France, expressed support for appeals from the Protestant Church of Kanaky-New Caledonia and other concerned partners regarding the third referendum under the Noumea Accord.

A webinar on 6 December—fifth in an ongoing series—will remember past massacres in Europe.

A World Council of Churches (WCC) webcast on 3 December will introduce a new campaign guide for churches concerned about autonomous weapons systems, also known as “killer robots”.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is gathering a group of experts and practitioners on Overcoming Racism, Racial Discrimination and Xenophobia for a pre-Assembly consultation on 6-10 December, in Geneva.

The National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) held its 70th General Assembly on 22 November with the theme “Walk the Path of the New Commandment.”

A 22 November webinar, “Debt Cancellation as Anti-Racism in times of Black Lives Matter protests”, will explore how debt cancellation for African and other developing countries can be an instrument for overcoming racism.

In a public statement, the World Council of Churches executive committee marked the 75th anniversary of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA), created in 1946.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA) has facilitated churches’ engagement in a wide range of critical issues of the world since the last WCC Assembly in Busan, concluded the 58th meeting of the WCC CCIA, gathering church representatives in Johannesburg and online in the 75th anniversary year of the Commission’s creation.

A webinar on 19 November—part of an ongoing series—will remember past massacres that took place in the Middle East.

A webinar on 4 November, “Realizing Equal Nationality Rights for All,” shined a light on the challenges facing an estimated 15 million people worldwide who are stateless, meaning no country considers them to be a national by operation of law.

With the welcoming sound of South African drums, the 58th meeting of the World Council of Churches Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA) began this week in Johannesburg, reviewing the work of the commission between two WCC assemblies and discussing the churches’ engagement in critical issues of the world today.

During the 58th meeting of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA) in Johannesburg, a webinar celebrating the 75th anniversary of the commission offered historical conversations between former and present CCIA moderators and commissioners.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) expressed grave concern over the current state of emergency in Sudan. “Government officials, including ministers and civilian members of the Transitional Sovereign Council, have been arrested,” said WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca. “It has also been reported that at least seven people have been killed and some 140 others injured after soldiers opened fire on demonstrators.”

The WCC’s Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA) will meet on 2-6 November in Johannesburg and online, reviewing its work between the two WCC assemblies and preparing for the upcoming WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany.

A webinar on 4 November, “Realizing Equal Nationality Rights for All,” will consider that an estimated 15 million people worldwide are stateless—having no country that considers them to be a national by operation of law.

A webinar on 18 October remembered past massacres in the Pacific, honoring the legacy and resilience of the victims. Speakers reflected on past massacres in Samoa, the Marshall Islands, and Kanaky, all of which took place during colonial times or during occupation.