Displaying 81 - 100 of 485

Groundwater is “a political question”

In many regions, groundwater is being extracted faster than it can be replenished. Groundwater pollution from raw material extraction, industry, private households, and agriculture is also increasing. This year’s UN’s World Water Day focused on groundwater, urging to make “the invisible visible.” A new publication by Brot für die Welt (Bread for the World, Germany), a member of the WCC Ecumenical Water Network, takes up this call and demands the better protection and fairer use of this vital resource.  WCC news talked to co-author Dr Ingrid Jacobsen about the social and political dimension of groundwater.

Seven Weeks for Water 2022, week 7: “Pilgrimage of water justice in Europe,” by Prof. Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri

The seventh and final reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water 2022 of the WCCs Ecumenical Water Network is written by Prof. Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri*. In the following reflection she, being the staff focal point of WCCs Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace, makes a compelling analysis of how the WCC pilgrimage and the pilgrimage of water justice inter-relate, complement, and strengthen each other, with a particular reference to Europe.

WCC deputy general secretary reflects on women, pain and resilience in Africa

In the lead-up to International Women’s Day, World Council of Churches (WCC) deputy general secretary Prof. Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri offered reflections on “Women, Pain and Resilience from the African and ecumenical perspective.” The webinar, held on 4 March, was organized by the World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations in collaboration with the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. 

 

Common Threads

Key Themes from Responses to The Church: Towards a Common Vision. Faith and Order Paper No 233

Churches now agree more than they disagree on many characteristics of the Church and its faith, mission, and life: the responses to the convergence statement The Church: Towards a Common Vision make this clear. Within this growth in agreement, key themes come to the fore, calling for greater understanding, study, and common conversation: visible unity, communion, mission, the role of the people of God in ministry and decision-making, sin and the church, and more. 

This volume presents essays on sixteen of these key themes. Each essay was written by a member of the subgroup of the WCC Commission on Faith and Order that focused on reading and analyzing the responses. The essays were then discussed by the group and revised in light of the discussions. Some of the themes have been prominent since the 1982 convergence statement Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry. Others have emerged more recently. 

Together with the report What are the Churches Saying about the Church?, the essays illuminate the many ways in which the vision of unity has inspired and changed the churches, as well as critical areas where future work is needed.

Dr Agnes Abuom shares details on February WCC central committee meeting

The WCC executive committee held a special meeting on 4 January and reached a decision to hold the upcoming WCC central committee meeting, scheduled for 9-15 February, online rather than in-person as previously planned. Below, WCC central committee moderator Dr Agnes Abuom shares some details behind the decision, and plans for moving forward.

Final Communiqué - Religious Consultation on Social Cohesion in Iraq

Invited by the World Council of Churches and the Middle East Council of Churches, 40 representatives of religious authorities and leaders of various Iraqi religions, congregations, and ethnic groups, came together in Beirut to follow up on recommendations of the 2017 conference held in Beirut under the title "Interfaith Consultation of Social Cohesion in Iraq", and to discuss emerging challenges and future prospects for social cohesion in Iraq.

Ecumenical movement

Jessica Roland: “Believe them when they come to you”

Our series of interviews with Thursdays in Black ambassadors highlights those who are playing a vital role in increasing the impact of our collective call for a world without rape and violence. Jessica Roland, is senior specialist for Inclusive Peace for the Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers.

Killer Robots

A Campaign Guide for Churches
Jennifer Philpot-Nissen

Campaign guide for churches concerned about autonomous weapons systems, also known as “killer robots".

The guide is designed to introduce churches to the issue of killer robots, and help raise awareness of the need for Christians to act to ensure decision-makers agree on a pre-emptive ban on the future development of such weapons.