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Straddling the equator in the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Australia and Hawaii, is the small island country of Kiribati.  The vast majority of its 33 coral atolls never exceed three meters above sea level, making Kiribati's 94,000 inhabitants vulnerable to a rare danger: their country is sinking. Â

"New paradigms and models of ecumenical work and engagement" are necessary to counter "a malaise in the ecumenical movement" in Asia, a group of ecumenists from the region stated.

Today in Jerusalem, at the launch of a worldwide week of action for peace in Israel and Palestine, different churches will come together for an ecumenical service giving thanks for "every church and parish around the world that is praying with us this day for peace".

Firsthand reports on the extraordinary development of Christianity in Nepal and the growing need for improvements in theological education and participation in the ecumenical movement were all part of recent consultation on the future of theological education in South Asia.

Churches in Bangladesh have launched a massive relief effort for victims of the devastating cyclone that has claimed thousands of lives along the country's southwestern coast.

by Mark Woods, Walt Wiltschek and Stephen Webb (*)

<span style="font-weight: bold; "» Indigenous peoples challenge UN draft declaration

Rights of minorities, increasing trends of religious intolerance, political violence, the need for strengthening of interfaith dialogue at grassroots level and Christian contributions to social development were discussed by WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia and Prof. Dr Iajjudin Ahmed, President of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, during his first visit to the country.

From 26 March to 2 April World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia will visit WCC member churches in Bangladesh and Thailand for the first time since taking office. On 1 April, he will also be the keynote speaker at the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) general assembly.

The rights of the Papuan people will be the focus of WCC's involvement in the 61st session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR). The WCC delegation includes representatives from Papua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Nepal and Colombia. A written submission has been presented to the commission, and a study on the economic, social and cultural rights of the Papuan people, commissioned by German churches with the WCC and undertaken by Papuan academics and human rights defenders, will be released on Thursday, 31 March.

WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia visits WCC member churches in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Meetings with WCC members and partners, church leaders and government representatives are scheduled for all three countries.

Concerned about the growing plight of children in many parts of Asia, church leaders will gather in Colombo, Sri Lanka from 28-31 August and from 1-4 September in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to evolve a strategy for mobilising churches to take a more active role in overcoming violence against children in both local and national contexts in Asia.