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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.

“The image of Martin Luther nailing his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg is a powerful symbol for an entire historical process,” said the Rev. Dr Walter Altmann. He said this “process is a theological rediscovery of God's amazing grace, which is to be received in faith for our salvation.”

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.

[Joint release with the Conference of European Churches (CEC)]

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).

Following the selection of Bishop Tawadros II as new pope of the Egyptian Coptic Church on 4 November, the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary congratulated him for his new role in leading the Coptic Christians, the largest Christian community in the Arab world.

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20.11.12

Despite being a wealthy country at one time, Argentina has more recently faced recurring economic crises, persistent fiscal and current account deficits, high inflation, mounting external debt and capital flight. The major down turn in Argentina’s economy was from 1999 to 2000, and is still causing a feeling of incertitude among its citizens.

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.

Through engaging speakers and discussions, participants at a recent consultation on mission and evangelism explored ways, in which theological education and training programmes on evangelism can relate Christian witness to the changing landscape of Europe.

In recent letters to the National Council of Churches in the United States and the Caribbean Conference of Churches, the World Council of Church (WCC) general secretary, Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit invoked prayers for the people affected by Hurricane Sandy.

By Susan Kim (*)

Despite the contributions made by the World Council of Churches (WCC) towards “zero new infections, zero HIV related deaths and zero stigma and discrimination” there is “more we can do,” said Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri.

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 WCC has announced the opening of its consolidated library housed at the Ecumenical Institute, in Bossey, Switzerland, near its Geneva offices.

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.

While others recall the late George S. McGovern primarily as a United States senator and anti-war presidential candidate of the Vietnam War era, the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has paid tribute to him as the moderator of an ecumenical conference in 1969 that led to the creation of the WCC Programme to Combat Racism and the Special Fund to Combat Racism.