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Nazeli Kandakarjian, a member of the Armenian Apostolic Church (Holy See of Cilicia) in Lebanon, is serving as a young adult steward at these central committee meetings. She arrived five days late for the training programme due to a series of visa difficulties, ultimately receiving her visa just a few hours before her rescheduled flight on 11 Feb. "It was like in the movies", she said of the last-minute rush. When she finally arrived in Geneva, though--her first trip outside the Middle East--she was warmly welcomed by the other stewards. They were eager to learn about her, and she enjoyed hearing their stories, as well. She said the group bonded quickly and has worked well together. "It's like being in the center of the globe", said Kandakarjian, who was born in Kuwait. "I have people from all over the world telling me their experiences. It couldn't be any better than this. I'm so happy to be here". A friend who attended the WCC Assembly in Porto Alegre in 2006 encouraged her to apply for the stewards programme. She did, because she liked the idea of actually working at the meetings and not just being an observer. Now Kandakarjian is carrying that same message to others. "I would like to encourage everyone to be in this kind of experience", she said, expressing an appreciation for the ecumenical work she was able to witness. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It's great". All of the stewards were recognised at the conclusion of the meetings Wednesday with a round of applause and the moderator's thanks, and each received the gift of a WCC watch.

The World Council of Churches central committee issued a reminder on the pressing issue of climate change this week, urging member churches and others to "Be stewards of God's creation".

By Walt Wiltschek (*)

The church has an important role to play if Kenya is to achieve peace and stability for the future, several speakers said Friday. The African nation has seen significant violence over the past two months in the wake of presidential elections, killing nearly 1,000 people and forcing some 300,000 others to flee their homes. "We believe that for Kenya and Africa, church unity and ecumenical cooperation is not just an optional alternative", said Rev. Dr Mvume Dandala, general secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches, which is based in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. "Sometimes the churches have to work hard if they are to be relevant". Eden Grace, a member of the Friends (Quakers) who was based in the city of Kisumu until the violence erupted and forced her to evacuate, said the church "has to have a role in restoring the ability of Kenyans to live side by side". The WCC Central Committee is expected to consider one or more public issues statements related to Kenya during their meetings in Geneva, which conclude 20 February. For more information on a recent WCC ecumenical solidarity visit to Kenya, go to http://overcomingviolence.org/index.php?id=5524 .

The convocation will meet under the theme "Glory to God and peace on earth". It will be the culmination of the WCC's Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV), which has sought to network and bring attention to the peacemaking initiatives of its various member churches.

Rev. Dr Fernando Enns says the new English version of his book, The Peace Church and the Ecumenical Community , is a much easier read than the original German text. The English edition was officially launched during the WCC Central Committee meetings on Thursday. "This is a small church that has put ethics and theology very closely together... and the peace issue is at the very center," Enns, a Mennonite theologian from Germany, said of the Historic Peace Churches. "I feel this is a very rich tradition that should present (itself) in a clearer way." While Enns grew up in the peace church tradition, he also found valuable perspective as he became involved in the ecumenical movement. He feels the two spheres have much to share with each other, and he hopes his book contributes to that conversation. Enns, a member of Central Committee, also carefully grounded the principles of nonviolence in trinitarian theology. The church, he said, is the place where overcoming violence must start. The book, produced in conjunction with the WCC's Decade to Overcome Violence , is co-published with Pandora Press. A limited number were available at the meetings and quickly sold out.

A group of young adults again has a significant role at these Central Committee meetings in Geneva, with two dozen young people from 22 countries on five continents serving as stewards. They can be easily spotted around the building, all wearing their royal blue WCC shirts. The stewards assist in a variety of ways during the meetings, often behind the scenes, while learning about the ecumenical movement and the work of the WCC. Their tasks include distributing documents and translation headsets, monitoring the doors of the main hall, setting up for morning prayers, assisting the press operation, running errands, and much more---including the job of ringing bells to summon Central Committee members back to their tables after breaks. Stewards, chosen through a competitive application process, serve during each Central Committee meeting and Assembly.

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In Burundi, where democratic elections in 2005 fostered hopes for peace and democracy, recent crime and violence has caused the churches there to fear for the nation's stability. An ecumenical delegation led by former Mozambique president, Joaquim Chissano, visited the central African country at the invitation of the National Council of Churches in Burundi, 28-31 January. Chissano has gained international recognition for a successful disarmament programme in Mozambique.

As mediation to solve the disputed Kenyan presidential election enters a critical phase, top-level figures from the two parties met an international ecumenical delegation, which asked them to move on from the electoral dispute and seek a compromise solution.

As Kenyan churches are struggling to help prevent the country from descending into genocide, they envision a long term healing effort that will require the sustained engagement of international ecumenical partners.

Churches working for peace amidst a wave of post electoral violence in Kenya will receive a pastoral and solidarity visit of an international ecumenical delegation sent by the World Council of Churches (WCC) from 30 January to 3 February.

A number of major international Christian youth movements and organizations called for stronger efforts towards unity in a joint statement issued on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Addressed to the heads of the Roman Catholic Church, the World Council of Churches, Christian World Communions and Regional Ecumenical Organizations, the statement asks them to "share ecumenical dialogue with young people" and expresses the commitment of the signatories to "raise awareness of the importance of Christian unity among young people".

In a statement issued yesterday, the heads of churches in Jerusalem and the Holy Land called on the international community and the state of Israel to end the current siege on the Gaza Strip which has caused most recently cuts in electricity and limited the shipments of medicine, fuel, food and other goods across the border.

In order to serve the Indian church and the people more effectively, Dalit theology needs to re-invent itself as a theology of life for all. This was one of the findings of an international symposium that brought together some 30 Dalit theologians, social activists and academics from around the globe in Kolkata, India, last week.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia has called on Kenyan political leaders to keep moving towards dialogue while praising the countries' churches for their role in peacemaking.

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia has called on the leaders of Kenya's two main political parties to "turn urgently from partisan postures and negotiate in good faith to reach a non-violent, political solution" to the country's electoral dispute. In a statement made public on 2 January, Kobia affirmed that "an independent investigation of the electoral dispute is necessary and should be monitored by international observers".

A new World Council of Churches (WCC) initiative aimed at supporting Christians living in conflict situations around the world has begun. "When one part of the body suffers, the whole body suffers with it," Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, general secretary of the WCC said in a videotaped address to experts in international relations and ecumenical partners at a recent consultation held in Geneva, 8-10 December.

Can churches be peacemakers in a world racked by violence? This is the question to be addressed by World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia at the Washington National Cathedral, Washington DC, on Sunday, 16 December 2007.

As 2008 marks the 60th anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it will be a "fantastic opportunity" for churches to re-connect with the endeavour of protecting and promoting human dignity, participants at an international ecumenical consultation were told.