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The World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has expressed deep concern about the conflict in Gaza and Israel. In a recent statement he urged both sides to “cease hostilities” to ensure that “civilians will be protected”.

To challenge the increasing proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) in Africa, and to find effective ways to deter this trend, the World Council of Churches (WCC) will hold a consultation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to strategize common priorities and actions to combat proliferation of arms in the region.

To promote children's rights and eliminate violence against children, the WCC invites its member churches to join an inter-religious call for prayer and action on 20 November.

The participants in a World Council of Churches (WCC) human rights training in Bangkok, Thailand affirmed that defending “rights and dignity of the voiceless, persecuted, socially marginalized and alienated is the responsibility of all God’s people.”

Arrests of Palestinian civilians and vandalism of their homes at the hands of Israeli military forces is not a new phenomenon in the West Bank. Natalie Maxson, a volunteer for the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel speaks from her experience of meeting a family in Azzun faced with a similar situation.

As violations of human rights and human dignity are on the increase in Asian countries, selected representatives of Asian churches will take part in a regional human rights training seminar in Thailand.

By Marcelo Schneider (*)

A public statement applauding steps toward peace talks in Colombia was issued recently by representatives of churches and ecumenical organizations that form the Peace Commission of the Evangelical Council (CEDECOL), the Ecumenical Network in Colombia and the Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI).

“Faith and Order has a long and significant history in the life of the ecumenical movement. Its two convergence texts, 'Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry' and now 'The Church: Towards a Common Vision', provide our member churches with the necessary theological tools towards the full communion of our common fellowship,” said Metropolitan Prof. Dr Gennadios of Sassima. Metropolitan Gennadios serves as vice-moderator of the WCC Central Committee.

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.

Calle Almedal from Sweden has worked on issues of HIV since 1982. He is a former consultant for the Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiative in Africa (EHAIA), a project of the World Council of Churches. In an interview he speaks about HIV's impact on communities, the importance of education in sexual health and churches' responses to HIV.