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Online training for church leaders in Zimbabwe is helping them find creative, positive theologies to navigate the many challenging facets of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A World Council of Churches (WCC) podcast released on World AIDS Day explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people living with HIV, as well as COVID-19’s impact on efforts to prevent new HIV infections.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) will host an online prayer service on World AIDS Day, observed this year on 1 December.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is mourning the passing away of Hendrew Lusey-Gekawaku on 13 October 2020. He was a registered nurse, public health practitioner and ecumenist who contributed enormously to ecumenical and interfaith HIV and AIDS responses.

The fourth edition of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Eco-School on Water, Food and Climate Justice will be held 18-24 January 2021 in the Pacific region in five countries (Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Tuvalu & Solomon Islands).

In an online ecumenical prayer service on 16 October, the World Council of Churches (WCC) observed World Food Day with the WCC global family, reflecting deeply on what it means to “Grow, Nourish, Sustain Together.”

The World Council of Churches (WCC) welcomed and celebrated the award of the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize to the UN World Food Programme. “We express our gratitude and congratulations to the leadership and each staff member of the World Food Programme,” said Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, WCC interim general secretary. “This vital multilateral organisation comprises many dedicated people, working in the remotest and most vulnerable regions of the world, affected by conflict, climate catastrophe and economic crises.”

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is inviting all people of good will to attend an online prayer service on 16 October, World Food Day at 4:30 p.m. (CET).

Churches around the world will be observing Churches' Week of Action on Food from 11-17 October as hunger is a stark reality for 26.4 percent of the world’s population. The theme of the World Food Day, which falls on 16 October this year, is “Grow, Nourish, Sustain Together.”

The Thursdays in Black campaign for a world free from rape and violence has been intensified in Namibia, bringing awareness of the heightened risk of violence against women and children during the COVID-19 lockdown.

How does one discern the will of God in a time of crisis and danger? Such is the question posed by Pauline Wanjiru Njiru in her new reflection on the Prophet Jeremiah’s counsel to exiles in Babylon.

Stories from Uganda are underscoring the resilience and hope that churches and education can bring in the face of stigma. Programmes developed by the World Council of Churches Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiatives and Advocacy have helped people eliminate stigma associated with HIV and AIDS by providing accurate information; safe spaces in which to share; and a faith-based, science-backed approach to health and healing.

A 28 July World Council of Churches (WCC) webinar entitled "Reconnecting in faith with creation, land and water” explored the ways in which we tie our faith to living responsibly on earth. Participants explored together why and how a sustainable future must be based on the interdependency of the whole creation, not an anthropocentric understanding in which human beings are the dominant species.

During a ceremony recognizing how young people in Uganda are true “agents of change” in health and healing, Rev. Pauline Njiru, eastern Africa regional coordinator for the World Council of Churches Ecumenical HIV & AIDS Initiatives and Advocacy programme, said young people are bringing a fresh drive for justice in many local communities.

African Church leaders are highlighting the need to tame the continent’s persistent post-harvest losses, as organizations point at rising food insecurity due to the coronavirus pandemic.

During a workshop on 29 June-1 July, Pastor Maxwell Kapachawo summed up the inspiration driving the group: “This training has come at the right time! We are facing the challenge of people on antiretroviral therapy defaulting on their medication due to faith healing claims.”

Ayoko Bahun-Wilson is regional coordinator for West Africa for the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiatives and Advocacy programme. She hosted a weekly radio show for churches in Benin called “Zero Rape, Zero Violence.” The show was offered in collaboration by the WCC, Deborah Network, INACES and Hosannah Radio.

Below, Bahun-Wilson reflects on how the radio show, offered every Wednesday for three months, has heightened awareness—but there are many challenges that remain.