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An ecumenical worship service on 21 January at St. James Cathedral in Riga, held during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2016, was vivid confirmation of the ecumenical efforts of Christians in Latvia.

In addition to ecumenical prayer and celebration – with the participation of Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Baptist, Adventist, Pentecostal, Methodist churches, and sometimes even representatives of the Old Believers’ community – Christian unity in Latvia usually takes the form of practical cooperation.

Además de manifestarse en el culto ecuménico –que cuenta con la participación de iglesias luteranas, católicas romanas, ortodoxas, apostólicas armenias, bautistas, adventistas, pentecostales y metodistas, y algunas veces incluso con representantes de la comunidad de viejos creyentes–, la unidad cristiana en Letonia generalmente se materializa en la cooperación práctica, que incluye conferencias teológicas conjuntas, cooperación en la educación teológica o la preparación del programa de educación religiosa ecuménica para las escuelas públicas.

Following the WCC/UN High Level Conference on the Refugee Crisis in Europe, which took place at the Ecumenical Centre Geneva on 18-19 January, a statement has been issued entitled "Europe’s Response to the Refuge Crisis, From Origin to Transit, Reception and Refuge, A Call for Shared Responsibility and Coordinated Action”.

Tras la conferencia de alto nivel celebrada en el Centro Ecuménico de Ginebra el 18 y el 19 de enero por el CMI y la ONU sobre la crisis de refugiados en Europa, se ha publicado una declaración titulada La respuesta de Europa a la crisis de refugiados y migrantes, desde los países de origen y de tránsito hasta los de acogida y refugio: llamamiento a la responsabilidad compartida y las medidas concertadas.

The Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe and the WCC have published a revised and updated edition of their joint study, Mapping Migration: Mapping Churches’ Responses in Europe. The 2016 text explores challenges and changes in the European church landscape in light of international migration.

As they prepared materials for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2016, Christians in Latvia reflected on this year’s theme from 1 Peter 2:9, “Called to proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord.” The week of prayer is traditionally celebrated from 18-25 January (in the northern hemisphere) or at Pentecost (in the southern hemisphere).

As the 21st Conference of Parties (COP 21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change came to a close in Paris, a consultation organized by the National Council of Churches in the Philippines and the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance of the WCC on 11 December in Quezon City, Philippines considered “The Right to Food and Life in the Context of Climate Change.”

During the 4th United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights, the WCC, in collaboration with the ACT Alliance and Lutheran World Federation, organized a side-event on “Faith-based organizations’ contribution to the protection of communities’ land rights: lessons learnt and good practices from Africa, Asia and Latin America” at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva.

Durante el cuarto Foro de las Naciones Unidas sobre las Empresas y los Derechos Humanos, el CMI en colaboración con ACT Alianza y la Federación Luterana Mundial, organizó un evento sobre “La contribución de las organizaciones religiosas a la protección de los derechos de las comunidades sobre las tierras: lecciones aprendidas y buenas prácticas de África, Asia y América Latina”.

Participants in Manilakbazan 2015, called by some the “Lumad caravan”, have come to Manila for a month-long series of activities and protests to bring attention to human rights violations in Lumad communities of the Philippines.

In the wake of recent crisis with the refugees in Europe, it is “absolutely and critically necessary that all European states take their proper responsibility in terms of reception and support for people seeking refuge, safety and a better future for themselves and their families. This cannot be left only to the states where they enter first,” says the WCC general secretary.

Dynamics of “indigenous ecological spiritualties and Christian faith” were explored at a WCC seminar in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

When Rev. Rex Reyes leaves as Christian Conference of Asia president of clergy after two general assemblies and one term as president, the organization loses a humble and very articulate man firmly rooted in the faith.

The WCC says it is grateful that the churches of the Union of Utrecht, the Philippine Independent Church, and the Episcopal Church have embarked on a study about Globalization and Catholicity.

Deeply concerned for migrants in many regions, especially those “driven to undertake journeys of desperate risk and danger”, the WCC Executive Committee has declared: “All members of the international community have a moral and legal duty to save the lives of those in jeopardy at sea or in transit, regardless of their origin and status.”

Profundamente preocupado por la situación de los migrantes en muchas regiones y, en particular, por la de aquellos “obligados a emprender viajes desesperados llenos de riesgos y peligros”, el Comité Ejecutivo del CMI declaró que “todos los miembros de la comunidad internacional tienen el deber moral y legal de salvar las vidas de aquellos que están en peligro, sea en el mar o durante su tránsito, independientemente de su origen o condición”.

Scattered throughout the recent history of Indigenous Peoples are national treaties, declarations and laws that languish in obscurity or are brushed aside and ignored.

Dispersos en la historia reciente de los pueblos indígenas están tratados nacionales, declaraciones y leyes que languidecen en la oscuridad o son descartadas e ignoradas.

A communiqué adopted at a WCC consultation describes human trafficking as a “serious human rights violation” and its consequences are “most horrific results of the economic and social disparities that increase the vulnerability of millions of people”.