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If we do not adjust aid better to the needs of the minorities in Syria and northern Iraq, we run the risk of building walls instead of bridges. As the populations of Syria and Iraq feel the toll of armed conflicts in their countries, the World Council of Churches and Norwegian Church Aid are now releasing a unique joint study, “Protection needs of minorities from Syria and Iraq,” today, 28 November, in Oslo, Norway.

Women walk slowly around in their sanctuary at Lalesh. Some have their children with them. They have been collected from the refugee camp to go to the Yazidis’ holy place, in the mountains of northern Iraq, some distance from Dohuk. All are quiet to begin with, and everyone makes sure not to tread on the doorstep to the temple.

Las mujeres caminan despacio cerca del santuario de Lalesh. Algunas tienen con ellas a sus hijos. Los han recogido en el campo de refugiados para ir al lugar sagrado de los yazidíes, en las montañas del norte de Iraq, a cierta distancia de Dohuk. Todos están tranquilos en un primer momento, y se aseguran de no pisotear el escalón de la entrada al templo.

Madeline, 14, and sister Sabrine, 16, are both paralyzed in their legs. “They were paralyzed by shock. Something happened to their nervous system”, says father Mohammad. The family was caught in the crossfire in Daraa, in southern Syria. Son Louay, 3, was killed by a bomb. That’s when they decided to flee. Bombs were constantly falling during their flight.

Madeline, de 14 años, y su hermana Sabrine, de 16, tienen las piernas paralizadas. “Quedaron paralizadas por el impacto. Algo le pasó a su sistema nervioso”, dice su padre, Mohammad. La familia quedó atrapada en el fuego cruzado en Daraa, al sur de Siria. El hijo, Louay, de tres años, murió a causa de una bomba. Fue entonces cuando decidieron huir. Cayeron bombas constantemente durante su huida.

IS attacked at four in the morning. In the small village of Tel Hermes, only men stayed behind to try to defend it. The elderly had also stayed behind. Now IS dragged everyone out in their pyjamas. Of around 30 men, half were killed. One of them was electrician Fouad Younan.

El Estado Islámico (EI) atacó a las cuatro de la mañana. En la pequeña aldea de Tel Hermes, solo se quedaron atrás los hombres para intentar defenderla. Los ancianos también se habían quedado. El EI arrastró a todos fuera en pijama. De los aproximadamente treinta hombres, la mitad fueron asesinados. Uno de ellos era el electricista Fouad Younan.

The WCC convened an inter-Orthodox consultation in Cyprus on 6-13 October to respond to the text “The Church: Towards a Common Vision,” a convergence document presented by the WCC Faith and Order Commission.

El CMI convocó una consulta interortodoxa en Chipre del 6 al 13 de octubre para responder al documento “La Iglesia: Hacia una visión común”, un texto de convergencia presentado por la Comisión de Fe y Constitución del CMI.

The Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC), at its meeting in Trondheim, Norway, 27 June 2016, has elected a new executive committee with 11 new members.

El Comité Central del CMI, en su reunión en Trondheim, Noruega, 27 de junio de 2016, ha elegido un nuevo comité ejecutivo, el que incluye 11 nuevos miembros.

Forty years after the Soweto uprising, leaders of churches in conflict-torn countries gathered in South Africa to study the ways of peace and reconciliation.

With a background in international conflict resolution, peace-building and reconciliation, Professor Emily Welty is uniquely suited to her role as acting moderator of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs of the WCC. She facilitated the commission’s work most recently during its annual meeting in Geneva from 7 through 14 March.

When Stephen Sidorak speaks about “A Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace to Japan on a Matter of Life and Death” his voice rings with passion, commitment and regret along with a yearning that nuclear weapons must never be used in anger again.

Cuando Stephen Sidorak habla de “Una peregrinación de justicia y paz a Japón por una cuestión de vida o muerte” en su voz resuena una mezcla de pasión, determinación y tristeza junto con el deseo de que las armas nucleares nunca vuelvan a ser instrumentos de la ira.

“The way we handle the refugee crisis, not least the settling in and integration process, will be of utmost significance, both for the attitude towards refugees and asylum seekers in the future, and for the long-term stability and sustainability of our own societies”, said Knut Vollebaek, ambassador and former Norwegian foreign minister, in his speech at the recent WCC/UN conference on Europe’s refugee crisis.

“Hoy en día, los países europeos se enfrentan a miles de migrantes que huyen de Siria y otros países desgarrados por la guerra a lugares de los que por lo general saben muy poco. Recibir a esa gran multitud de personas plantea enormes dificultades. La forma en que manejemos esta crisis migratoria, en particular el proceso de asentamiento e integración, será de suma importancia tanto en lo que se refiere a la actitud hacia los migrantes y futuros solicitantes de asilo, como a la estabilidad y sostenibilidad de nuestras propias sociedades”, sostuvo Knut Vollebaek, embajador y ex ministro de exteriores de Noruega, en el discurso que pronunciara en la Conferencia del CMI y la ONU sobre la crisis de refugiados en Europa, que tuvo lugar en Ginebra, los días 18 y 19 de enero.

To promote open discussions on the theological and practical discourse, narrative and experiences on implications for the work of the multi-religious organizations on religion, violence and extremism, the WCC, along with the General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church and the General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists held a Symposium on the Role of Religion and Faith-Based Organizations in International Affairs.

Following the recent nuclear test conducted by North Korea, the WCC is calling on all parties involved in the current situation on the Korean peninsula – especially South Korea, North Korea, the USA, Japan and China – to “invest in initiatives to reduce tensions, to promote dialogue and to encourage negotiations for an end to the suspended state of war, and for peaceful co-existence on the Korean peninsula, rather than measures that increase the risk of catastrophic conflict“, according to WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit.

Nearly 60 participants gathered to reflect on the theme “Reclaim Evangelism!” at the North American 2015 Conference on Evangelism, held 29 October - 2 November in Nashville, Tennessee (U.S.). The conference was organized by the WCC and the NCCUSA, in consultation with the Canadian Council of Churches, and it was hosted by the Discipleship Ministries of the United Methodist Church.