Displaying 41 - 60 of 82

Holy Land tourism goes beyond traditional paths

For decades, the tourist industry in the Holy Land has been dominated by Israeli tour operators who rely mostly on Israeli hotel owners and land arrangement providers. Visiting Palestinian territories is seldom prioritized and excursions rarely take Palestinian perspectives into account. Most visitors are thus not provided opportunities to familiarize themselves with everyday life of the Palestinian people.

Churches in Norway and Pakistan break new ecumenical ground

In a country where Christians are in clear minority, often suffering discrimination, and in a context that has seen repeated frictions and violence between people of different religious traditions, the Church of Norway and Church of Pakistan have broken new ecumenical ground during a recent week in Lahore, Pakistan.

Study shows religious and ethnic diversity vital for peace in Iraq and Syria

Analyzing efforts to protect religious communities and groups and build peace in Syria and Iraq, the WCC and Norwegian Church Aid presented a joint study on protection needs of religious and ethnic minorities in Syria and Iraq. The findings were announced on 12 December to the media and public at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

In Syria and Iraq, minorities must come out of the darkness

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.

Plenary on children took place at WCC Central Committee meeting

A plenary discussion on support by religious communities for the rights of children, and a first draft of the statement of “principles for child-friendly churches,” captured the imagination of the Central Committee of the WCC on 27 June. The document will now undergo further revision and be resubmitted at the next WCC executive committee meeting.

WCC Central Committee decries human trafficking and smuggling of migrants

Saying that “human trafficking and migrant smuggling constitute modern-day slavery,” the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) “urges its member churches to join this challenge, and inspired by the Gospel, to contribute to the awareness and prevention of human trafficking and migrant smuggling in each of our areas of mission.”

Local work by faith-based groups key to ending AIDS

Getting more people tested and treated for HIV, caring for the sick, helping people understand how to care for themselves —these are the tasks of faith-based organizations (FBOs) helping people with HIV in local communities.

WCC welcomes ceasefire agreement in Colombia

In a statement adopted by its Central Committee meeting in Trondheim, Norway, the WCC “welcomes the news of the historic bilateral ceasefire agreement concluded by the government of Colombia and the FARC-EP in Havana on 23 June 2016.”