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As people in many regions suffer from the effects of record-breaking heat, devastating wildfires and extreme flooding, World Council of Churches (WCC) deputy general secretary Rev. Dr Odair Pedroso Mateus lifted up those suffering in prayer while, at the same time, urgently reacting to the latest scientific evidence that the global temperature is rising.

Global faith-based organizations, including the World Council of Churches, are jointly planning an intense period of prayer and action related to climate justice. Online prayers on 12 August and 26 August are open to the public with the goal of praying for the climate continuously until the COP26 climate talks are held in November in Glasgow, Scotland.

Church leaders in South Africa and Zimbabwe are participating in online workshops on “Churches and Child Safeguarding” on 3 and 5 August. Part of the World Council of Churches (WCC) partnership program with UNICEF, “Churches’ Commitments to Children,” the workshops are designed to nurture churches where children feel welcome and safe.

World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca was among dozens of global signatories on a statement, “Together to #ENDviolence: Leaders’ Statement: Six game-changing actions to End Violence Against Children,” released 23 July.

On World Day Against Trafficking in Persons—30 July—the World Council of Churches and Lutheran World Federation co-hosted a joint webinar on human trafficking that put the voices of survivors first.

On 20 July, faith communities from 70 different groups across the world gathered online and in-person in Washington, DC to express solidarity for the billions of people without access to COVID-19 vaccines.

The United Church of Christ, at a 14 June event entitled “UCC at the United Nations: Growing New Connections to Create a Just World for All,” explored how to strengthen global advocacy by journeying with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and other partners.

More than 140 people met online in a spontaneous “Gathering in Grief” to mourn Rev. Phumzile Mabizela, who passed away the morning of on 5 July. Mabizela was the executive director of INERELA+ (the International Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV), co-moderator of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance HIV Campaign Strategy Group and a member of the International Reference Group of WCC Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiatives and Advocacy.