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The AACC assembly adopted a statement of concern on Thursday 11 December on the crisis in Zimbabwe, expressing displeasure that "President Mugabe is using power-sharing negotiations as a strategy for wasting time" while "acts of violence continue to be committed against those who do not support ZANU-PF", Mugabe's ruling party. The will of the Zimbabwe people as expressed in March 2008 elections has been thwarted, the assembly said, and international leaders and churches "have failed to bring about an amicable solution".

At the International Inter-religious Conference in The Hague, The Netherlands on the 10th December 2008 ten invited supreme authorities of the different world religions signed a Statement Faith in Human Rights.

The World Council of Churches convened a meeting at the Ecumenical Centre, Geneva on December 4 & 5, 2008 with some of those who have been involved in the work of the Programme to Combat Racism to consider appropriate ways in which its 40th anniversary might be commemorated in 2009.

Meeting in Geneva for a regular encounter, the WCC officers received the sad news of the passing away of Patriarch Alexy II, and wrote to the Russian Orthodox Church to express their condolences.

Commenting on the signing of the convention in Oslo, Norway, Kobia congratulates the more than 100 signatory countries and reiterateds the need for those states that have not yet done so - the United States, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and Zimbabwe - to "sign and support this timely arms control and humanitarian initiative".

Bilateral dialogues are official talks between two Christian churches or families of churches (often known as Christian World Communions, CWCs). They aim at overcoming inherited divergences often related to doctrine and church order, so that the two partners in dialogue may move to declaring that they are in fellowship. The proliferation of bilateral dialogues as from the 1960s has led to the creation of the Forum on Bilateral Dialogues. The Forum provides space and time for CWCs engaged in bilateral dialogues to exchange information, consult together on emerging issues and trends and reflect on the coherence and integrity of the dialogues. The ninth such forum was held in Breklum, Germany, 10-15 March 2008.

This issue presents a collection of voices from the Latin American discourse on theological education. It is interesting to realize how fast developments have progressed on this continent since the last special issue on Latin America in 1992, though some challenges remain the same.

Radical changes and tangible commitments from world leaders are needed if an equitable and sustainable global economic system is to be built, says an ecumenical delegation attending a UN conference on financing for development 29 November-02 December 2008.

"Heartfelt congratulations" were expressed to the newly elected moderator of the Church of Pakistan, Bishop Samuel Azariah, in a 28 November letter by the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia.

"Deeply shocked and saddened" by the attacks in Mumbai, the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia has strongly condemned "such wanton acts of terrorism and violence targeting innocent human lives" in a letter dated 27 November.

The theme, The Bible, Crisis and Catastrophe, was chosen because Christians use the Bible to interpret crises and catastrophes in many different ways.

The Joint Working Group (JWG) is the instrument that monitors and promotes collaboration between the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) and the World Council of Churches (WCC). The group met at the Ecumenical Institute Château de Bossey, Geneva, Switzerland from 16 to 23 November 2008.

Opening address by Rev. Dr Michael Kinnamon

To:
WCC Member Churches
Members of Central Committee
Associate Councils
Christian World Communions
Regional Ecumenical Organizations
Specialized Ministries
International Ecumenical Organizations

Statement of solidarity with the indigenous peoples and condemnation of the enforced disappearance of James Balao