Displaying 1 - 20 of 29

Voice of churches vital during UN women’s rights talks

As the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68) drew to a close, a look back shows that, this year, the World Council of Churches (WCC), through its Ecumenical Office to the United Nations, brought many voices to the table to speak on gender equality, women's rights, and empowerment. 

ACT Alliance general secretary: “equity is not negotiable”

As the 78th session of the UN General Assembly and the first-ever Climate Action Summit were held in New York City in September, ACT Alliance general secretary Rudelmar Bueno de Faria reflected on the importance of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the ecumenical movement in creating a more sustainable and equitable world.

Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata: “Colombia is a deeply fragile but promising country”

Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, World Council of Churches (WCC) programme director for Public Witness and Diakonia, led a delegation that visited Colombia on 8-11 August to express solidarity with the Colombian churches, government and people as they collaborate in the design, implementation, and advocacy for the construction of peace in the country. Below, he shares his impressions of the visit.

Weaving the web of peace and justice: a journey for reconciliation in the Korean Peninsula

In an exclusive interview, a prominent figure in the field of peace and justice, the former general secretary of National Council of Churches in Korea and former executive secretary for the Christian Conference of Asia, Rev. Hong-Jung Lee, shared insights into his journey and experiences working towards peace and justice in the Korean Peninsula. Drawing on his extensive experience and involvement in various ecumenical organizations, he shed light on the importance of healing, reconciliation, and the role of churches and Christians in advancing peace in Korea.

Strengthening Christian Perspectives on Human Dignity and Human Rights

Perspectives from an International Consultative Process

The WCC, the Protestant Church in Germany and the United Evangelical Mission, initiated a two-year process of ecumenical study and reflection on the relationship between human dignity and human rights from biblical, theological, and victims’ perspectives, culminating in a Conference on Christian Perspectives on Human Dignity and Humans Rights held in Wuppertal (Germany) and online from 9–12 April 2022.

This publication consists of papers received from theologians, people with different academic backgrounds, experts in ethics and human rights, and human rights defenders—together with the joint message of the conference participants.

On Korean Peninsula, “the churches and the country need reconciliation and unity”

Rev. Dr Hyunju Bae represents the Presbyterian Church of Korea on the World Council of Churches central and executive committees and serves on the WCC Gender Advisory Group. She is a former professor of New Testament Studies at the Busan Presbyterian University, Republic of Korea, and now a co-president of the Korea Christian Environmental Movement Solidarity for Integrity of Creation.  Below, she reflects on a recent prayer vigil for peace, as well as other ecumenical activities in South Korea.

Churches´Commission for Migrants in Europe release European church leaders’ statement on response of Europe to refugees

The Churches' Commission for Migrants in Europe - CCME released a statement that speaks about the response of Europe to refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. The statement addresses the concerns of discriminatory treatment of non-Ukrainians and minority ethnic people in this context and the more general question that the generosity shown in recent weeks often has not been extended to those fleeing from elsewhere.

Below, Dr Torsten Moritz, general secretary at the Churches' Commission for Migrants in Europe, reflects on why church leaders requested such a statement, and what lies at the heart of some of their different inputs.

I Belong Volume 2

Biblical Reflections on Statelessness

This second publication of biblical reflections on statelessness presents new perspectives, including indigenous voices and reflections on the meaning of land. These texts can be valuable tools for discussion and reflection during Bible studies in congregations and communities around the world.

Rev. Frank Chikane: “You can’t do unity at the expense of justice”

When Rev. Frank Chikane was leading the South African Council of Churches in calling out injustices of the apartheid system, their work did not stop even after the council’s office building was bombed to the ground in 1980s. Moderating the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs of the World Council of Churches (WCC) since 2016, Rev. Chikane has been engaged in addressing injustices in many parts of the world. WCC Communication asked Rev. Chikane to look back at his term at the commission and the ongoing calling of churches to address injustices in the world today.

Killer Robots

A Campaign Guide for Churches
Jennifer Philpot-Nissen

Campaign guide for churches concerned about autonomous weapons systems, also known as “killer robots".

The guide is designed to introduce churches to the issue of killer robots, and help raise awareness of the need for Christians to act to ensure decision-makers agree on a pre-emptive ban on the future development of such weapons.

In Colombia, “what is happening is terribly painful”

Rev. Gloria Ulloa, World Council of Churches president for Latin America and the Caribbean, is in Cali, Colombia, with a delegation of DiPaz, the country’s main ecumenical peacebuilding platform. The group is having direct grassroots contact with the conflicts currently taking place. Ulloa and others hope to bring to light testimonies of peoples and communities usually forgotten by the big media.

Below is Ulloa's latest description on the ground.