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“Profound acceptance of the others, and a willingness to be open to unity in diversity will uphold values of reconciliation, peace and security in any society and community,” said Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to the participants of international consultation on “Peace, Security and Reconciliation in Myanmar”, organized by the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA) of the World Council of Churches (WCC).

At the recent International AIDS Conference, ecumenical participants focused on the need to intensify churches’ efforts to support women trapped in societies marred with sexual and gender-based violence. There was also an emphasis on reducing stigma attached to HIV in communities.

As post war Sri Lanka experiences a high level of militarization, the northern provinces of the country continue to face serious humanitarian and human rights problems. Three years after the end of a protracted conflict and war that ravaged the country for quarter of a century, the people and communities are struggling to attain a sustained peace and reconciliation.

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“As women, we have a bond that helps us to engage in interfaith dialogue at the grassroots level in communities. Together we can identify the issues that concern all of us,” said the Rev. Krise Anki Gosal from the Christian Evangelical Church in Minahasa, Indonesia.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has expressed appreciation for an appeal from the primate of the Antiochian Greek Orthodox Church, who has called upon all Syrians to “work together in order to achieve peace and stability in Syria.”

Following delay in the proposed adoption of a global Arms Trade Treaty after four weeks of negotiations at the United Nations Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty in New York, the World Council of Churches (WCC) expressed concern for “people and communities waiting for protection from the unregulated arms trade.”

Many church and civil society representatives have expressed disappointment over the lack of vision and ambition in the outcomes of the Rio+20 summit, which took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this June. Yet the affirmation of the human right to water and sanitation is one aspect among others in the results that the future work of the ecumenical movement for sustainability and eco-justice can build on.

The present issue of Current Dialogue focuses on “Christian self-understanding in the context of Islam” from diverse theological and academic perspectives. The journal features various articles offering analysis based on the outcomes of intra-Christian consultations held over the last few years.

Renowned biblical scholar and consultant for the Indigenous Peoples programme at the World Council of Churches (WCC) Maria Chavez Quispe passed away on 24 July in Liestal, Switzerland. Coming from the Methodist Church of Bolivia, Chavez was a committed advocate for inclusive communities. She fought a long battle with cancer.

 “An emerging global crisis in theological education” that has the potential of “endangering the very future and integrity of World Christianity” is the subject of the just-published issue of The Ecumenical Review.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has invited applications for workshops, exhibitions and side events for its upcoming 10th Assembly to be held in Busan, Korea. Proposals must be submitted by 31 October 2012.

Christian leaders representing organizations of some 90 percent of the world’s two billion Christians have issued a joint appeal to the 194 governments currently negotiating the first global Arms Trade Treaty: Keep ammunition in the treaty. Â

Common prayer and music drawn from churches around the world are recognized as highlights of World Council of Churches (WCC) assemblies when they convene every seven years. The Assembly Planning Committee will meet from 23 to 27 July at the Bossey Ecumenical Institute in Switzerland to plan the 10th Assembly, which will take place in Busan, Korea from 30 October to 8 November 2013.Â

The World Council of Churches (WCC) calls on the churches and congregations around the world to observe an International Day of Prayer for Peace on 21 September. The day coincides with the International Day of Peace initiated by the United Nations.

By Susan Kim (*)

The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Royal Aal Al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought (RABIIT) on 12 July issued a report on their joint commitment to help in resolving the tensions in Nigeria. The report reflects a new Christian-Muslim model of cooperation for peace between religions and further interfaith dialogue.

Death threats against human rights defenders in Colombia have caused "great concern" for the World Council of Churches (WCC). A letter from the WCC to the Colombian president, Juan Manuel Santos, calls on the “government to take all necessary measures to effectively protect the life and physical integrity” of the human rights defenders.

Why has Eastern Orthodoxy not developed a full-throated political theology? Responding to this question, author Dr Pantelis Kalaitzidis offered a spirited critique of Orthodox Christians' approaches to political life and political theology at a launch of his book on 4 July at the World Council of Churches (WCC) headquarters in Geneva.

By Naveen Qayyum (*)