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WCC strengthens call to end statelessness

Statelessness robs individuals of their identity and their most fundamental human rights, acknowledged a webinar on Global Action Plan to End Statelessness on 4 November, organized by the WCC to assess the work achieved since the launch of the UNHCR's #IBelong Campaign to end statelessness.

WCC, LWF host recipients of Right Livelihood Award

The Right Livelihood Award is seen as an “alternative Nobel Prize” and its laureates are often regarded as courageous people or organizations offering exemplary solutions to the root causes of global problems. An interactive seminar, “Fostering Solidarity for Human Rights, Peace and Justice,” featuring several laureates of the award took place on 31 October at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva.

WCC holds discussion on religious freedom literacy and diplomacy

A panel discussion “Religion and Religious Freedom in International Diplomacy” was organized during the 33rd session of the UN Human Rights Council by the United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, the delegation of the European Union to the UN in Geneva and the World Council of Churches (WCC).

WCC speaks on behalf of forcibly displaced persons

In a “Statement on the Forced Displacement Crisis,” a call for the world’s nations to “honour the letter and spirit of their obligations under international law, including human rights and refugee law and especially the right of asylum” was issued on 28 June by the WCC Central Committee.

WCC delegation visits Ukraine

To renew relations with churches and religious organizations and to explore possibilities of joint promotion of peace and reconciliation in Ukraine, a staff delegation from the World Council of Churches (WCC) visited Kyiv 6-8 June. The visit was the fourth such visit by the WCC to Ukraine since the conflict erupted in 2014.

Tveit meets peace-builder Tutu on way to South Africa reconciliation consultation

On his way to a Peace-building and Reconciliation Consultation in Johannesburg, the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary stopped off to visit South African Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu.

WCC general secretary, Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, went to Cape Town to talk with Archbishop Emeritus Tutu, the former leader of the Anglican church during the turbulent apartheid days.

African churches commit to working for the elimination of statelessness

“Statelessness renders people’s vulnerability to abuse and to denial of their rights invisible to national authorities. In this sense the right to a nationality is a threshold issue for access to protection of all other human rights - almost a 'right to have rights'”, said Peter Prove, director of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA), following a regional training workshop on birth registration and gender discriminatory nationality laws in Africa, organized by the WCC in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 11–13 May.

International affairs facilitator reflects on pilgrimage

With a background in international conflict resolution, peace-building and reconciliation, Professor Emily Welty is uniquely suited to her role as acting moderator of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs of the WCC. She facilitated the commission’s work most recently during its annual meeting in Geneva from 7 through 14 March.

Fleeing from – rather than to – a place

“The way we handle the refugee crisis, not least the settling in and integration process, will be of utmost significance, both for the attitude towards refugees and asylum seekers in the future, and for the long-term stability and sustainability of our own societies”, said Knut Vollebaek, ambassador and former Norwegian foreign minister, in his speech at the recent WCC/UN conference on Europe’s refugee crisis.

Symposium focuses on religion, violence, extremism

To promote open discussions on the theological and practical discourse, narrative and experiences on implications for the work of the multi-religious organizations on religion, violence and extremism, the WCC, along with the General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church and the General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists held a Symposium on the Role of Religion and Faith-Based Organizations in International Affairs.