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"Churches cannot challenge injustice if they cannot recognize its entrenched presence within the church itself,"€ reads a document by a working group of the World Council of Churches (WCC) programme on Just and Inclusive Communities.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a “dehumanizing practice”, said the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC). He said that churches need to work together with other religious partners and governments to eliminate this practice.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit expressed “deepest sorrow” on the death of Patriarch Ignatius IV (Hazim) of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East. He passed away on 5 December in Lebanon, at age 92.Â

“Long years of civil war and import of weapons since the 1980s have created a difficult situation in Latin America, where it is challenging to prevent proliferation of arms”, stated Prof. Benjamin Cortes Marchena at a World Council of Churches (WCC) consultation in Antigua, Guatemala. Â

By Dr Susan Parry (*)

Negotiations in Doha have achieved little in the way of a fair and binding treaty that could reverse the current trends in climate change. This was the observation of the World Council of Churches (WCC) delegates at the Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP 18.

24.12.12

The newly upgraded status of Palestine in the United Nations (UN) is viewed as a positive step in the direction toward peace and a reaffirmation of the World Council of Churches (WCC) long-term commitment to a two-state solution, Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, WCC general secretary said on Friday.

In a recent World Council of Churches (WCC) consultation, participants analyzed the impact of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in Africa’s sub-regions. They pointed out that more than sixty percent of deaths in battle-related conflicts are caused by small arms, and billions of dollars are spent every year on small arms.

With a robust evocation of the Word – written, spoken, incarnate – Bishop Martin Schindehütte of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) launched a day of planning with leadership of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and other ecumenical organizations in Geneva for the celebration in 2017 of the 500th anniversary of the seminal moment in the Reformation when Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses in Wittenberg.

By Susan Kim (*)

Observing World Toilet Day in the village of Parja Suku in Odisha, India, brought forward the painful reality of many communities around the world where good, hygienic sanitation facilities are lacking.

“The fight against proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) is critical for peace and security in Africa,” said Peter Omurangi Otim, head of the Peace and Security department of the African Union (AU) at a World Council of Churches (WCC) consultation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, held from 22 to 25 November.

More than thirty participants from different Latin American countries will be meeting in Antigua, Guatemala for a regional consultation reflecting on peace and human security in Latin America.

Bishop K. H. Ting, who is remembered as a “great visionary” by the World Council of Churches has passed away on 22 November, at the age of 97. The WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit expressed admiration for Bishop Ting’s commitment to reconciliation between church and society, Christians and non-Christians in China.

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

International Review of Mission (IRM), the journal of the World Council of Churches (WCC) which celebrated its centenary this past year, focuses on one of the most recent ecumenical affirmations of Christian mission in its November 2012 edition. The title of the issue is “New Milestone in Mission.”

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is inviting individuals and congregations to join “16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence” through reflections, prayers and action towards overcoming violence against women.

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

To promote awareness and action against female genital mutilation (FGM), an evening featuring music, reflections, an art exhibition and wine tasting will be held on 3 December at 18:00 at the Ecumenical Centre, Geneva, Switzerland.