Rev. Gloria Ulloa, World Council of Churches president for Latin America and the Caribbean, is in Cali, Colombia, with a delegation of DiPaz, the country’s main ecumenical peacebuilding platform. The group is having direct grassroots contact with the conflicts currently taking place. Ulloa and others hope to bring to light testimonies of peoples and communities usually forgotten by the big media.
Below is Ulloa's latest description on the ground.
Le Conseil œcuménique des Églises, ACT Alliance, la Fédération luthérienne mondiale, la Communion mondiale d'Églises réformées, la Communion anglicane, le Conseil méthodiste mondial, le Conseil épiscopal latino-américain et l'Association mondiale pour la communication chrétienne ont, dans une lettre envoyée le 18 mai, exhorté le président colombien Iván Duque Marquéz à mettre fin à la spirale de la violence qui porte un préjudice terrible à la population civile.
The World Council of Churches, ACT Alliance, Lutheran World Federation, World Communion of Reformed Churches, Anglican Communion, World Methodist Council, Latin American Episcopal Council and World Association for Christian Communication, in a letter sent 18 May, urged Colombian president Iván Duque Marquéz to stop the spiral of violence that is doing terrible harm to the civilian population.
In a 17 May letter to the Ecumenical Forum of the Churches in El Salvador, World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca and ACT Alliance general secretary Rudelmar Bueno de Faria wrote that they are following the political developments in El Salvador with great concern.
Confrontés à l’une des plus graves crises de santé publique dans le monde, les chrétiens du Brésil maintiennent leur traditionnelle célébration de la Semaine de prière pour l'unité des chrétiens dans la période précédant la Pentecôte. Toutefois, pour la deuxième année consécutive, ils prieront sans se rassembler physiquement.
In the midst of one of the worst public health crises in the world, Christians in Brazil are upholding their tradition of celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in the lead up to Pentecost. For the second year, they will be gathering in prayer without physical gatherings though.
Du 4 au 6 mai, le séminaire international en ligne «Tragédie brésilienne : un risque pour notre maison commune?» a rassemblé des responsables religieux ainsi que des leaders des droits sociaux et humains et des experts renommés pour analyser de quelle manière le processus de déconstruction de la démocratie qui s’est opéré au Brésil ces dernières années a entraîné le pays dans de nombreuses crises.
“It is with great concern that we are following political developments in El Salvador that undermine democracy and the rule of law in the country”, said Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, acting general secretary of the World Council of Churches.
"We pray that the God of life will lead El Salvador to peace and justice”, added Sauca.
An international online seminar, “Brazilian Tragedy: A Risk to Our Common Home?” brought religious, social and human rights leaders together with prominent experts on 4-6 May to discuss how the process of deconstructing democracy in Brazil in recent years has led the country to multiple crises.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) shared a congratulatory message with the Global Christian Forum on the forum’s upcoming third anniversary of its global gathering in Bogota, and the publication of the record of that event.
As human rights violations worsen in the Philippines, religious leaders there are urging global solidarity for their increasingly urgent quest for justice.
Le film «Silence radio», de Juliana Fanjul, a reçu le prix des Droits de l’Homme 2020, décerné par l’Association mondiale pour la communication chrétienne (WACC) et l’Association catholique mondiale pour la communication (SIGNIS).
Le long métrage documentaire dresse le portrait de Carmen Arestigui, journaliste et animatrice radio critique envers le gouvernement.
I’m writing this text exactly one year after Brazil declared quarantine, on 16 March. Last year we went into quarantine thinking it would only be two weeks at home, and maybe a few months of wearing masks and sanitizing our hands. I’m the first to confess that I’ve underestimated the virus. However, we all know that is not how it went. Month after month went by - the internet joked about how could it possibly be August already, when last week was March?
The film “Radio Silence,” by Juliana Fanjul, has received the Human Rights Award 2020 from the World Association for Christian Communication and SIGNIS, the World Catholic Association for Communication.
The feature-length documentary portrays government-critical journalist and radio host Carmen Arestigui.
As a report on human rights abuses in the Philippines was delivered to the UN by the global group Investigate PH, churches and human rights groups reiterated their concerns over propagation of a culture that allows the abuse to happen.
Rev. Romi Bencke, general secretary of the National Council of Christian Churches of Brazil, believes that being an ecumenical leader means having the courage to ask the most difficult questions even in a polarized society.
Following the disappearance in Paraguay of a teenage girl and the killing of two 11-year-olds, World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca called for justice and an end to senseless, conflict-laden violence that tragically targets children.
As the Ecumenical Fraternity Campaign begins in Brazil, World Council of Churches interim general secretary Rev. Dr Ioan Sauca shared his hope that the campaign will bring a unique opportunity to express concrete solidarity and support to the work of churches engaged in expressing Christian unity.
In a letter sent on 11 February, Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, World Council of Churches (WCC) interim general secretary, sent condolences to the United Evangelical Lutheran Church for the passing of Rev. Fabián Kreischer on 7 February, in San Miguel, outside Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The new surge in COVID-19 related hospitalizations and deaths has drastically increased the need for pastoral care almost everywhere. Brazil and Great Britain are two hard-hit countries, where the pandemic has brought existential questions on the table.
