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Twenty-five ecumenical theologians and leaders gathered for public lectures coordinated by the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Tokyo, Japan, on 17 September under the theme “Global Manifestations of Racism Today”.

Lectures and responses reflected on racism as a major concern of the ecumenical movement. Reflections focused on understanding global manifestations of racism today, and reaffirming the intersection of race and ethnicity with other determining characteristics．

As more and more people in the Philippines lose their loved ones to extrajudicial killings, and are falsely accused of crimes by the authorities, the World Council of Churches (WCC) is increasing its support and accompaniment of people fighting for human rights in the Philippines.
On 16 September, concerned colleagues and guests gathered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva to attend an event entitled: “Defending the Sanctity of Life and Dignity of Creation: The Human Rights Situation in the Philippines”. The event gave a platform to four different speakers from victim, human rights and church perspectives.

In a gesture of solidarity with marginalized minorities in Japan, a pilgrim team with participants from around the world gathered in Tokyo, Japan, on 12 September to encourage, empower, support and walk alongside minority communities for four days.

Twenty-seven indigenous and ecumenical youths gathered together for a five-day World Council of Churches (WCC) event this week in Japan’s third-largest, western city of Osaka. Participants gathered under the theme, “WCC Continuing Formation on Youth and Racism Awareness in Asia & Indigenous Youth Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace.”

Fourteen church leaders and activists from Canada, India, Indonesia, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States, embarked on a Pilgrim Team Visit to the Philippines from 9-13 August. They listened, learned and bore witness to the escalating human rights crisis in the country. The visit was convened by the World Council of Churches in partnership with the National Council of Churches in the Philippines.

The Obispo Maximo of the Philippine Independent Church, Fr. Rhee Millena Timbang, released a pastoral message on 3 August celebrating the 117th anniversary of the church.

Dinesh Suna, coordinator of the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Water Network, spoke at the G20 Interfaith Forum, held 7-9 June in Tokyo. This year’s theme was “Peace, People, Planet: Pathways Forward.” About 2,000 participants attend the gathering, which precedes the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan. The interfaith forum submitted recommendations for G20 leaders.

Der Ökumenische Rat der Kirchen (ÖRK) hat das Massaker an 14 Bäuerinnen und Bauern durch die Polizei in der Stadt Canlaon und den Gemeinden Manjuyod und Santa Catalina in der Provinz Negros Oriental auf den Philippinen Anfang dieses Monats verurteilt. Zudem hat der ÖRK auch seinen Aufruf an die Regierung der Philippinen wiederholt, der Kultur der Straflosigkeit ein Ende zu bereiten, eine umfassende Untersuchung derartiger Tötungen sicherzustellen und die Verantwortlichen zur Rechenschaft zu ziehen.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) condemned the massacre earlier this month of 14 farmers by police officers in Canlaon City, as well as Manjuyod and Santa Catalina towns in Negros Oriental in the Philippines. The WCC also renewed its call for the government of the Philippines to end the culture of impunity and to ensure full investigation and accountability for all such killings.

The WCC invites applications for a seminar on Youth and Racism Awareness in Asia, to be held in Osaka, Japan on 8-12 September 2019.

Pilgrims coming from Germany, Italy and Norway ended their journeys for climate justice on 7 December upon arrival at the St Stephen’s Church in Katowice, Poland, where the United Nations (UN) climate conference is underway. They were warmly welcomed by the delegations of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) that are attending the 24th Conference of Parties of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24).

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit “received with joy” the news of the verdict which has resolved the long pending case of Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian woman convicted and sentenced to death under Pakistan's blasphemy laws in 2010.

The National Christian Council (NCC) in Japan and other faith-based groups in the nation have issued a joint statement regarding comments from Masahiko Shibayama, minister of education and science, about the “Imperial Rescript of Education.”

Auf einer internationalen Konferenz gegen Fremdenfeindlichkeit in Rom tauschte eine Gruppe von vier religiösen Würdenträgern aus der buddhistischen, christlichen, hinduistischen und islamischen Tradition offen ihre Gedanken darüber aus, wie Fremdenfeindlichkeit manchmal tief in den Strukturen dieser Traditionen verankert ist.

At a global conference on xenophobia in Rome, a panel of four religious leaders from, respectively, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and Islamic traditions, spoke candidly about how xenophobia can sometimes be woven deeply into the fabric of these traditions.

Rev. Dr Toshihiro Takami, honorary president of the Asian Rural Institute (ARI) in Japan passed away at the Maronie Nursing Care Facility on 6 September. He was 91 years old.

Bishop John Victor Samuel, age 87, one of the pioneers of the Church of Pakistan and a towering ecumenical stalwart, passed away in Multan, Pakistan on 30 August. His funeral was held in Multan on 2 September.

Ob als einzelne Gläubige oder als Gemeinschaft: Es ist unsere gemeinsame Aufgabe, uns für die Einheit der Christen einzusetzen, sagt Melanio L. Aoanan. Der philippinische Ausbilder ruft zu einer klaren Vision für die ökumenische Ausbildung auf, die auf das 21. Jahrhundert zugeschnitten ist.

Whether as individual believers or as a community, it is our collective task to advocate for Christian unity, says Melanio L. Aoanan from the Philippines. A clear vision for religious and ecumenical theological education is needed that is relevant in the 21st century.

Dr. Erlinda N. Senturias von den Philippinen dankt dem ÖRK für die Schaffung von geschützten Räumen, in denen die Kirchen über HIV und AIDS sprechen können. Sie bittet darum, dass die ökumenische Bewegung ein verlässlicher Partner bei der Unterstützung auf diesem Weg zu Gesundheit und Heilung bleibt.