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In February 2008, five young adults came to Geneva, Switzerland for the World Council of Churches Internship Programme. At the end of their internships in January 2009, each of them started to prepare an ecumenical project based on their interests, passions, concerns and what they had learned during their formative ecumenical experience with the WCC. Each of these projects will be carried out by the interns back in their home contexts inspired by their commitment to the ecumenical vision.

Water is where the meeting in this story takes place. It has great attraction as a place of life and renewal in this dry land. The well where the water can be found is said to be Jacob's - perhaps a reference to the Old Testament patriarch, perhaps a reference to the owner of the plot who has commanded "powerless" slaves and servants to dig the well.

This communiqué was issued by the The World Council of Churches (WCC, Geneva, Switzerland) and the Centre for Inter-religious Dialogue of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (Tehran, Iran) at the end of their fifth symposium that took place in Tehran on 13-14 December 2008.

The theme, The Bible, Crisis and Catastrophe, was chosen because Christians use the Bible to interpret crises and catastrophes in many different ways.

Statement of solidarity with the indigenous peoples and condemnation of the enforced disappearance of James Balao

Rev. Dr Shanta Premawardhana, director of the WCC programme on Inter-religious Dialogue and Cooperation comments on the World Conference on Dialogue, which took place in Madrid, Spain, 16-18 July 2008.

Madrid, Spain

Report of the Inter-Orthodox Consultation in Volos, Greece, 8-12 June 2008

On 13 October 2007 a group of 138 Muslim scholars addressed an open letter to Christian leaders. Among those addressed was the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches.
Based on initial responses from member churches, the WCC initiated a process of responding to the letter. Since November 2007 the WCC commenced consultation with its member churches and ecumenical partners, a number of whom responded with great enthusiasm. This was followed by a meeting of scholars and church experts engaged in the field of Christian-Muslim relations. Their deliberations produced the following commentary on the letter entitled "Learning to Explore Love Together". The commentary is intended to assist the churches in reading and responding to the letter "A Common Word". The document includes suggestions to encourage member churches and ecumenical partners in their reflection on the Letter and in its invitation to explore together with Muslim fellows the love of God and the love of neighbour in their respective contexts.
Churches and ecumenical partners are then invited to share their reflections with the WCC as a contribution to a common understanding of and a common response to this initiative.

A delegation sent by the All Africa Conference of Churches and the World Council of Churches headed by His Excellency former President Joachim Chisano of Mozambique arrived in Burundi on 29th January 2008 for a 3-day visit at the invitation of the National Council of Churches of Burundi.

Aide Memoire summarizing the discussions at a 2-5 December Global Consultation on Genetics and New Biotechnologies held in Johannesburg, South Africa. Participants stated that "the creativity of science needs to serve the common good" and alerted about the risk of biotechnology leading to "increased dependency and threat to biodiversity". "Communities can be devastated by the intrusion of genetically modified seeds and bio-piracy", participants said. They recognized the "need for dialogue with scientists", so as to move "beyond a reactive mode", and called for the "restoration of the churches' prophetic voices and public witness in the growing debate regarding the ethical use of genetics and biotechnologies".

Rev. Dr Robina Marie Winbush, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)