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After at least 17 Palestinians were killed and more than 1,400 injured by Israeli fire at the Gaza border on 30 March, Palestinians were observing a national day of mourning on 31 March.

In a “Holy Week Statement of Lament and Solidarity” for Maundy Thursday, the Pan African Women’s Ecumenical Empowerment Network demanded an end to gun violence in America. The statement, developed for use in prayer on Maundy Thursday as well as other Holy Week liturgy, decries the response to gun violence against children in the USA as “scarce and insufficient.”

Rev. Ikechukwu Anaga remembers when people didn’t know about “Thursdays in Black,” the global movement resisting attitudes and practices that permit rape and violence. But his community of Aba, in Abia State, Nigeria, was seeing firsthand an increase in gender-based violence and rape. When Anaga helped others in his community make a firm decision to do something about it, the zeal and passion for Thursdays in Black rose.

El Rev. Ikechukwu Anaga recuerda los tiempos en los que la gente no conocía la campaña "Jueves de negro", el movimiento mundial que lucha contra las actitudes y las prácticas que permiten la violación y la violencia, a pesar de que su comunidad de Aba, en el Estado de Abia, en Nigeria, estaba experimentando de primera mano un aumento de la violencia de género y las violaciones. Cuando el Rev. Anaga ayudó a otras personas de su comunidad a tomar la decisión clara de pasar a la acción, aumentaron el entusiasmo y el fervor por la campaña "Jueves de Negro".

Traveling from Tanzania, Esther Ngulwa brought a sense of hope regarding gender equality as she spoke on 10 March, two days before the start of the 62nd Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW62) in New York City.

An exhibit entitled “Faith in Gender Justice” will open in the Scottish Parliament on 8 March in conjunction with International Women’s Day.

In a highly unusual action, the leaders of Jerusalem’s churches closed the doors of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Sunday. The united protest was in response to moves by Jerusalem authorities to begin collecting tens of millions of dollars in taxes from churches, as well as proposed legislation to confiscate church-owned land.

En una acción insólita, los dirigentes de las iglesias de Jerusalén cerraron el domingo las puertas de la Iglesia del Santo Sepulcro. La protesta conjunta respondía a la decisión de las autoridades de Jerusalén de empezar a recaudar decenas de millones de dólares en concepto de impuestos a las iglesias, así como a la propuesta legislativa de confiscar tierras propiedad de las iglesias.

The WACC-SIGNIS Human Rights Award 2016 has gone to the documentary film Cahier africain directed by Heidi Specogna, who was recognized at an awards ceremony on 19 February in Berlin.

Prof. Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri, deputy general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), expressed concern and voiced solidarity for the people of Colombia as they confront a recent upsurge of violence.

La Prof. Dra. Isabel Phiri, vicesecretaria general del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), expresó su preocupación y solidaridad con el pueblo de Colombia ante el reciente recrudecimiento de la violencia.

Bishop Mary Ann Swenson has a unique position in observing and advocating for women’s rights or, as she would quickly clarify, “the fair treatment of human beings” no matter what their gender. As bishop-in-residence at the Hollywood United Methodist Church, she ministers to church members who were not only present at this week’s Golden Globe Awards – they were the nominees. And, as vice-moderator of the WCC Central Committee, she is part of a global parish, traveling to communities far removed from the privilege of Hollywood, where violence occurs against women who are seen by their own communities as having no voice and no rights.

La obispa Mary Ann Swenson se encuentra en una posición única como observadora y defensora de los derechos de las mujeres o, como ella se apresuraría a aclarar, “del trato justo de los seres humanos”, sea cual sea su género. Como obispa residente de la Iglesia Metodista Unida de Hollywood, California (Estados Unidos de América), es pastora de miembros de la iglesia que, no solo estaban en la gala de los Globos de Oro, sino que estaban nominados a los premios. Y paralelamente, como vicemoderadora del Comité Central del CMI, la obispa Swenson es parte de una parroquia mundial, que viaja a comunidades muy alejadas de los privilegios de Hollywood, donde las mujeres son víctimas de la violencia y viven en comunidades donde se considera que ellas no tienen voz ni derechos.

Participants at the Africa Pre-Conference of the Conference on World Mission and Evangelism, arrived in black clothing on 14 September to act in solidarity with the worldwide “Thursdays in Black" campaign.

"Since 1983 Argentina is enjoying the longest period of democracy in our history – it is a great achievement and that is why we need to take care of it." Pride in the peaceful change from military dictatorship to democracy 35 years ago and concern over recent developments in her country was the message that Estela Barnes de Carlotto brought with her to a meeting in Geneva reinvigorating the friendship between the WCC and the Association of the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo, of which she is the president.

“Desde 1983, Argentina disfruta del mayor período de democracia de nuestra historia: supone un gran logro y por eso debemos cuidar de él”. El orgullo por el cambio pacífico de la dictadura militar a la democracia hace treinta y cinco años y la preocupación ante los últimos acontecimientos en su país resumen el mensaje transmitido por Estela Barnes de Carlotto en la reunión celebrada en Ginebra que revitaliza la amistad entre el CMI y la Asociación Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, que preside.

During World Humanitarian Day on 21 August, Dr Rebecca Samuel Dali received the 2017 Humanitarian Award from the Sergio Vieira de Mello Foundation at the United Nations office in Geneva in recognition of her courageous efforts in reintegration of women abducted by the Boko Haram into their local communities in the northern Nigeria. In her visit to the Ecumenical Centre, Dali shares the source of her courage and commitment to help the most vulnerable.

The Methodist Church of Nigeria (Diocese of Umuahia) Women’s Fellowship has invited Jessie Fubara-Manuel, an elder of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria who also collaborates with the World Council of Churches Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiatives and Advocacy (WCC-EHAIA), to deliver the keynote address at the opening of its 42nd conference.