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The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the ACT Alliance, in a joint letter to Burkina Faso president Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, expressed concern for developments affecting the secu-rity and human rights of many of the nation’s people.

En una carta conjunta dirigida al presidente de Burkina Faso, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré, el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) y ACT Alianza expresaron su preocupación por los acontecimientos que afectan a la seguridad y los derechos humanos de muchos de los habitantes de la nación.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) offers its congratulations to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed as Nobel Peace Prize laureate 2019. Since his election as Prime Minister in April 2018, Mr Ahmed has championed an impressive programme of positive and inspiring reform initiatives, and played a decisive role in the reconciliation of the two synods and fostered unity of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The achievement which this award particularly recognizes is his leadership in bringing an formal end to the twenty-year long fratricidal conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

El Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) felicita al primer ministro de Etiopía, Abiy Ahmed, Premio Nobel de la Paz 2019. Desde su elección como primer ministro en abril de 2018, el Sr. Ahmed ha defendido un impresionante programa de iniciativas de reforma positivas e inspiradoras, ha desempeñado un papel decisivo en la reconciliación de los dos sínodos y ha fomentado la unidad de la Iglesia Ortodoxa Tewahedo de Etiopía. El logro que este premio reconoce particularmente es su liderazgo para poner fin formalmente al conflicto fratricida de veinte años entre Etiopía y Eritrea.

Churches across southern Africa are publicly saying #EnoughIsEnough,” with many denominations and congregations continuing to issue strong statements, arrange special prayer events, and speak out against rising levels of violence.

Both the Dutch Reformed Church and the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa (UPCSA) have been discussing gender justice and how to keep the momentum going on the unprecedented public demand for change.

The World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit is gravely concerned by the deteriorating situation in West Papua (the Indonesian provinces of Papua and Papua Barat), especially in light of reports from church partners in the territory that peaceful anti-racism demonstrations by Papuan students have been attacked with lethal force by Indonesian military forces and armed settler militias. In other places we have learned about horizontal violence between Papuans and non-indigenous residents.

A new concern for South Sudan is emerging, as African religious leaders warn that the failure to implement the latest peace agreement could push the young nation back into war.

The leaders spoke in Nairobi on 12 September, the day the world’s newest nation marked a year since the signing of the Revitalized Agreement on Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan.

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．

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is currently working on learning from its member churches and other partners about the realities around the world of racism, discrimination, and xenophobia, WCC director of international affairs Peter Prove has told a gathering at the United Nations in Geneva.
Prove, director of the WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, Prove was speaking on 17 September at a side event during the 42nd UN Human Rights Council from 9 - 27 September at the Palais des Nations.

El Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI) está recabando información de sus iglesias miembros y otros asociados para conocer las realidades del racismo, la discriminación y la xenofobia en las distintas partes del mundo, dijo el director de Asuntos Internacionales del CMI, Peter Prove, en una reunión en la sede de las Naciones Unidas en Ginebra.

Prove, también director de la Comisión de las Iglesias para Asuntos Internacionales del CMI, intervino el 17 de septiembre en un evento paralelo en el marco de la 42a sesión del Consejo de Derechos Humanos, que se reúne del 9 al 27 de septiembre en el Palacio de las Naciones.

Born in Nazareth, Galilee, Rev. Dr Saïd Ailabouni moved to the US at the age of 19 to become a physician. But he was so angry at God that he went to study theology instead, becoming a Lutheran pastor. Now he is leading the Middle East & Europe desk of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Since leaving his hometown 50 years ago, he visits his Palestinian family regularly. As the World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel approaches, Ailabouni agreed to share some of his lifetime observations with the Word Council of Churches.

Nacido en Nazaret (Galilea), el Rev. Dr. Saïd Ailabouni se mudó a los Estados Unidos a la edad de 19 años para estudiar medicina, pero estaba tan enojado con Dios que acabó estudiando teología y convirtiéndose en un pastor luterano. Actualmente, dirige el departamento para Oriente Medio y Europa de la Iglesia Evangélica Luterana en Estados Unidos. Desde que dejó su ciudad natal hace 50 años, visita a su familia palestina regularmente. Al acercarse la Semana Mundial por la Paz en Palestina e Israel, el Rev. Dr. Ailabouni aceptó compartir algunas de las reflexiones que ha realizado durante su vida con el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias.

The Joint Working Group between the Roman Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches (WCC) met in Lyon, France for its annual plenary session from 2-5 September. The group released a communique focusing on migration and peace building, outlining areas for theological reflection and cooperation.

Erhard Hermansen is general secretary of the Christian Council of Norway, which has been collaborating closely with churches in Sudan and South Sudan for nearly 30 years. Hermansen attended the South Sudan Council of Churches 2019 Assembly in late August, and shares his reflections and hopes below.

As the Waldensian Methodist Synod met in Torre Pelisse in the north of Italy, the assembled delegates received a letter from Pope Francis, who expressed warm greetings.

“I pray for each of you that you may experience the Holy Spirit in these days of encounter, prayer and reflection,” wrote Pope Francis. “Please allow me to join in your prayer that the Lord would deepen the ecumenical spirit among Christians and lead our churches into a growing communion with each other.”

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, together with its campaigners in West Africa, held a regional forum for members of the Economic Community of West African States as well as civil society organisations in Abuja, Nigeira from15-16 August.

On 26-29 August, the South Sudan Council of Churches held its 2019 Assembly, and delegates issued resolutions related to the governance of the organization, and to the path forward for peace and justice.

The South Sudan Council of Churches, an ecumenical body of seven members and associate members, held its first General Assembly since the independence of the largely Christian and animist country in 2011.

A group of United Nations experts together say that countries have an important role to play in promoting religious tolerance and cultural diversity and that they can do this by promoting and protecting human rights, including freedom of religion or belief.

At the most glorious moment in her career, Rev. Prof. Dr Sang Chang discovered that society is not always friendly and that politics can be devilish. But thanks to God, she got over it. Without bitterness and even more determined in her fight for gender equality and social justice.