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Sexual and reproductive health services must be not just "youth-friendly" but also “male- and female-friendly" and "youth participatory" so that young men and women gain access to the information and services they need and want, agreed adolescents who attended a workshop in Lomé, Togo on 24-25 March.

During a solidarity visit to Burundi 1-4 March, the World Council of Churches and the All Africa Conference of Churches sent a “Peace Message” urging all parties in Burundi to promote national unity, healing and reconciliation.

Amidst the current tense situation in Burundi, representatives of the World Council of Churches and the All Africa Conference of Churches have embarked on a solidarity visit to Burundi from 1 to 4 March.

The World Council of Churches and the All Africa Conference of Churches have come together in expressing grave concern for the people of Burundi in a situation of extreme tension and escalating human rights violations.

Churches continue to play their role in peace building for South Sudan despite the dashed hopes of many in the world’s newest nation, the moderator of the WCC said at a regional meeting.

The World Council of Churches and the All Africa Conference of Churches have expressed their profound concern over reports of widespread and violent demonstrations in the nation of Burundi. The fellowship of churches represented by these bodies is alarmed at the recent violent clashes in relation to forthcoming presidential elections.

Attacks on civilians and the denial of human rights continues in the Nuba Mountain region of Sudan.

The moderator of the WCC Central Committee called for an openness to change in an era of encounter with “different types of cultures and religions”.

In an ecumenical service organized by the Congolese churches and hosted by the Disciples of Christ parish in Lemba, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the WCC, shared reflections on the resurrection of Christ which, he said, holds particular significance for the DRC, known by some as a “forgotten country with forgotten problems”.

Botshelo Moilwa, a young African woman from Gaborone, Botswana, called on churches to affirm the dignity of women amidst the realities of HIV and AIDS and sexual violence, if they are to realize the Christian vision of justice and peace.

“Uganda is a country of strong Christian witness. It is a country of Christian martyrs like Archbishop Janani Luwum, who lost his life at the hands of Idi Amin. It is therefore natural that we get together in Uganda to see what peace, justice and dignity mean to the African churches.”

At the 50th anniversary of the All Africa Conference of Churches, church leaders from more than forty African countries ask how they can rise up against the shackles of the colonial legacy, conflicts, poverty, class struggles and political upheavals, to unlock Africa's immense potential.

In Africa, trade, aid and investments from the European Union (EU), United States (US) and China have not fully addressed the roots of poverty, inequality and ecological degradation. Churches, therefore, need to engage in a “development dialogue” to support alternative economic agendas, which can help eradicate poverty, while safeguarding Africa’s natural riches.

How can Africa attain economic liberation, social welfare, as well as ecological protection in partnership with the European Union (EU), United States (US) and China? An ecumenical gathering in Tanzania will address this question by assessing investments in poverty eradication and development in the region.

Three major projects were launched at the recent All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) international symposium to encourage theological education initiatives throughout the African region.

Churches in Africa have a great capacity to inspire their members to be agents of change and transformation. This viewpoint was highlighted by Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri, associate general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in her speech at an international symposium of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) .

The general secretaries of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) have expressed their shock and profound concern following the demolition of an Episcopal parish church in Khartoum on orders of Sudanese government authorities.

In a joint statement, the World Council of Churches and the All Africa Conference of Churches have expressed "grave concern over the increasing incidents of attacks on Christians and destruction of church property in Sudan". The councils report the public burning of Bibles and occupation by government forces of buildings housing the Sudan Council of Churches and Sudan Aid in Dafur province.

In a joint statement issued on 18 April, "the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) express grave concern over the escalating armed conflict between Sudan and South Sudan and call upon both parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid any further deterioration of the situation."

A World Council of Churches (WCC) consultation in Kigali discussed peace and security issues in Africa, with more than ninety church and ecumenical leaders. Together, they also reflected on Rwandan experiences of ethnic violence, genocide and church initiatives of reconciliation in the past.