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In Colombia, WCC is helping people realize dreams of a future in peace with justice

In September, the World Council of Churches (WCC), with the Colombian Episcopal Conference, United Nations Mission in Colombia, and Organization of American States, was appointed as a permanent accompanier for peace talks with the Estado Mayor Central FARC-EP in Colombia.

20 October 2023

Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (Brazil) to become Blue University

The Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná in Brazil is looking at how to transform into a “Blue University.” Brother Rogério Renato Mateucci, rector, confirmed the university’s commitment to become part of the global Blue Community network.

28 August 2023

The church grounds of the Community United Church of Christ in Fresno, USA,

Beyond gravel: designing water-wise church grounds

Becoming better stewards of Creation by killing off your church lawn? It sounds odd, but it is exactly what the Community United Church of Christ (UCC) in Fresno, USA, did. Facing increasing drought and water scarcity in their home state California, the congregation embarked on a project to drastically reduce their water use. Thanks to the massive support of volunteers, an entirely new, water-wise landscape was created that offers a lot to discover.

29 May 2023

From exhaustion to excitement—to hope

A reflection originally shared at the "Working Together" meeting between the World Council of Churches and specialized ministries, convened 3-4 May in Bossey, Switzerland.

15 May 2023

Marie Anne Sliwinski

Jocabed Solano brings Indigenous perspective to COP27: “We are dancing and we have our feet together with the land”

Jocabed Solano is attending COP27, bringing an Indigenous perspective from Panama and from Latin America.

16 November 2022

Eco School alumna recalls “very enriching and formative experience”

Malena Lozada, from Argentina, attended the World Council of Churches Eco School in 2018. She has remained engaged in climate talks, and is now a climate scientist pursuing a PhD related to climate change.

21 October 2022

Répondre aux besoins humanitaires en Ukraine

Lorsque la Russie a lancé son invasion à grande échelle de l’Ukraine le 24 février 2022, cela faisait déjà huit ans que les Églises répondaient aux besoins humanitaires du pays, depuis l’annexion de la Crimée en 2014. L’action des Églises pour répondre aux besoins des personnes déplacées par la guerre ne date pas d’hier, mais leur ampleur est sans commune mesure face aux 14 millions de personnes déplacées au cours des six derniers mois, depuis le début de l’invasion.

27 September 2022

Ukraine: Responding to humanitarian need

When the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, churches had already been responding to humanitarian need in the country for eight years, since the annexation of Crimea in 2014. The work being undertaken by churches in meeting the needs of those displaced by the war is not new, but the scale is staggering as 14 million people have been displaced in the six months since the invasion began.

08 September 2022

Reflecting on California groundwater abuse

I live in western Oregon, part of the Pacific Northwest long regarded as a verdant paradise, courtesy of rains and snowfall that can exceed 100 inches each year. The snowfall in the mountains sustains our rivers through the dry summer. But our climate has been profoundly disrupted. Where I live, summers are far drier and hot. But just to the south of us, this climate change has caused a drought worse than any drought in the past 1200 years. Scientists call it a “mega-drought,” a severe drought affecting massive areas of the western United States for more than two decades.

24 February 2022

Susan Lea Smith

“Bathroom ministry” for the homeless

Whether people have access to a safe and clean toilet has wide-reaching consequences for their dignity, health, access to education, and gender equality. Churches around the world are therefore acting as messengers, implementers, advocators, and guardians to promote better sanitation and hygiene. There are many practical and encouraging examples. One is the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew & Matthew (SsAM) in Wilmington (Delaware) in the USA, which has a “community bathroom” that people from the homeless community can use.

14 December 2021

COP26: historic moment into what really matters to sustain life

The highly anticipated, long awaited COP26 began 31 October. It has now been six years since the adoption of the Paris Agreement at COP21 and much remains to be implemented in order to fulfil the promises agreed to at that historic moment by the member states. We knew then that the road ahead would be challenging and that changing our systems would require a radical shift in policies and behaviours—but we were hopeful.

01 November 2021

Joy Kennedy

En Argentine, « Servir un monde blessé » est un appel à la collaboration plein d’espoir

Le professeur Dr h.c. Humberto Martin Shikiya, vice-président du Centre œcuménique régional de défense des causes et de service (CREAS) en Argentine, réfléchit à la manière dont le document « Servir un monde blessé dans la solidarité interreligieuse » : un appel chrétien à la réflexion et à l’action pendant la COVID-19 et au-delà » est reçu comme un appel plein d’espoir à la collaboration œcuménique et interreligieuse. Le Conseil œcuménique des Églises (COE) et le Conseil pontifical pour le dialogue interreligieux ont publié conjointement « Servir un monde blessé » pour encourager les Églises et les organisations chrétiennes à réfléchir à l’importance de la solidarité interreligieuse dans un monde blessé par la pandémie de COVID-19.

03 August 2021

In Argentina, “Serving a Wounded World” is a hopeful call to collaborate

Prof. Dr h.c. Humberto Martin Shikiya, vice president of the Regional Ecumenical Advisory and Service Center (CREAS) In Argentina, reflects on how “Serving a Wounded World in Interreligious Solidarity: A Christian Call to Reflection and Action During COVID-19 and Beyond” is being received as a hopeful call to collaborate ecumenically and interreligiously. The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue jointly published “Serving a Wounded World” to encourage churches and Christian organizations to reflect on the importance of interreligious solidarity in a world wounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

02 August 2021

Bishop Teresa Jefferson-Snorton reflects on how churches can head off vaccine hesitancy

Bishop Teresa Jefferson-Snorton is ecumenical officer for the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and presiding bishop of the Fifth Episcopal District. Below, she shares her reflections on the vital role of churches in reducing vaccine hesitancy and increasing vaccine equity.

08 July 2021

Indigenous peoples and the pandemic in the land of inequalities

476 million indigenous people live around the world, of which 11.5% live in our Latin American region. In these years that we are going from the COVID 19 pandemic in our territories (indigenous or tribal at the Latin American level), the presence of many extractive companies, mainly uranium and lithium, has increased, land traffickers and among other monoculture companies with fires for the cultivation of oil palm, logging, putting vulnerable peoples at greater risk than what is already experienced.

04 June 2021

Dina Ludeña Cebrian

Standing Rock Tribal Office Building with a “Black Snake” depicting the DAPL oil pipeline.

In Standing Rock, eco-justice and indigenous identity go hand-in-hand

A World Council of Churches (WCC) pilgrim team engaged in online visits to indigenous communities on Standing Rock, 25-28 May. The WCC delegation stood in solidarity with the local indigenous communities, particularly along the shore of the Missouri River (Lake Oahe), in their struggle for justice, including water justice.

03 June 2021

Arctic communities to WCC pilgrims: “We need your voice”

Lorraine Netro, who was raised in the Gwich’in First Nation of Old Crow, Yukon (Canada), is part of an indigenous community—but she’s also a global citizen.

“Today’s Arctic peoples are important members of global society,” Netro said. “The survival of Arctic cultures and communities remains tied to the wildlife and landscape of the Arctic Refuge.”

11 May 2021