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The World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has expressed deep concern about the conflict in Gaza and Israel. In a recent statement he urged both sides to “cease hostilities” to ensure that “civilians will be protected”.

To challenge the increasing proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) in Africa, and to find effective ways to deter this trend, the World Council of Churches (WCC) will hold a consultation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to strategize common priorities and actions to combat proliferation of arms in the region.

South African activist and Anglican priest Fr Michael Lapsley, SSM (Society of the Sacred Mission), will offer a presentation about his life and work in the Healing of Memories project. He will speak on 30 November at 15:00 in the Visser 't Hooft Hall of the Ecumenical Centre, Geneva, Switzerland.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit congratulated Barack Obama following his re-election as president of the United Sates, wishing him “all the blessings of God’s grace” as he continues work during his second presidential term.

To promote children's rights and eliminate violence against children, the WCC invites its member churches to join an inter-religious call for prayer and action on 20 November.

The life and work of former World Council of Churches (WCC) president Bishop Federico Pagura, 89, are honored in a new book launched in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 26 October, at the First Methodist Church of Buenos Aires (IEMA).

While peace talks are underway between the Colombian government and FARC rebels (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) in Norway, Dr Ricardo Esquivia of the Mennonite Church in Colombia affirmed that “creativity and audacity to advocate for justice in a nonviolent way” is essential at this time.

It is not imaginable for the World Council of Churches (WCC) to have a future “without a much stronger emphasis on international affairs and peace with justice,” said Martin Robra, programme director for the study of ecumenism in the 21st century, at a consultation on "churches and the rule of law" this week in Geneva.

Concerns about Asian countries doing less to protect the rights of migrant workers and the reality that most countries have not ratified United Nations and International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions on the rights of migrant workers were high on the agenda of a recent ecumenical workshop on migrant workers held in Bangkok, Thailand.

The participants in a World Council of Churches (WCC) human rights training in Bangkok, Thailand affirmed that defending “rights and dignity of the voiceless, persecuted, socially marginalized and alienated is the responsibility of all God’s people.”

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a global organization with many skills and experiences. As such it can create added value for the United Nations system, the WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit said in a recent interview for the United Nations Special magazine and website.

Arrests of Palestinian civilians and vandalism of their homes at the hands of Israeli military forces is not a new phenomenon in the West Bank. Natalie Maxson, a volunteer for the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel speaks from her experience of meeting a family in Azzun faced with a similar situation.

In offering “’gendered voices’ as a critical contribution to reflection on justice and peace,” Ecumenical Review guest editors Fulata Lusungu Moyo and Sarojini Nadar note the ways in which gender has become a crucial element in ethical and theological analysis because it “recognizes the unequal power relationships which exist between women and men in the context of different racial, class or caste experiences.”

Orthodox churches have reaffirmed their commitment to "unity, justice and peace" saying that the "supreme act of God`s love is the economy of salvation". This and other theological reflections were shared in an inter-Orthodox consultation in Kos, Greece this week.

As violations of human rights and human dignity are on the increase in Asian countries, selected representatives of Asian churches will take part in a regional human rights training seminar in Thailand.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary has expressed deep sorrow over the death of Armenian Apostolic Patriarch Torkom II Manoogian, primate of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Torkom II passed away on 12 October at the age of 96.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has congratulated the European Union for being the recipient of the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize. The EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on 12 October for its six decades of work in advancing peace and democracy in Europe.

By Marcelo Schneider (*)

After a four year interval the World Council of Council (WCC) and the Centre for Inter-religious Dialogue (CID) in Tehran, Iran, have recommenced their meetings for bi-lateral dialogue.

By Naveen Qayyum (*)