Displaying 1 - 20 of 67

What can churches do to prevent modern slavery?

Jackline Makena Mutuma is clergy with the Methodist Church in Kenya and a student at the Ecumenical Institute at the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, where her current research is related to the intersection of modern day slavery and global warming. She was also recently elected as one of the vice moderators of the WCC Commission on Faith and Order. In a WCC interview, she reflects on the urgent issue of preventing modern slavery.

WCC urges World Economic Forum to consider longer-term good of all people

As the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting commenced in Davos beginning 15 January, World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay urged the gathering to renew its commitment to multilateral cooperation for the longer-term good of all people. 

The forum is convening under the theme Rebuilding Trust.” 

A journey through advocacy, women's leadership, and the Korea peace appeal

The call for peace in Korea has resonated for decades, echoing across international borders and faith communities. Patti Talbot, who has served The United Church of Canada for nearly 30 years, sheds light on the enduring relevance of ecumenical advocacy efforts for peace in the Korean Peninsula. She shared insights into the importance of these efforts and their potential to change the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata: “Colombia is a deeply fragile but promising country”

Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, World Council of Churches (WCC) programme director for Public Witness and Diakonia, led a delegation that visited Colombia on 8-11 August to express solidarity with the Colombian churches, government and people as they collaborate in the design, implementation, and advocacy for the construction of peace in the country. Below, he shares his impressions of the visit.

On Korean Peninsula, “the churches and the country need reconciliation and unity”

Rev. Dr Hyunju Bae represents the Presbyterian Church of Korea on the World Council of Churches central and executive committees and serves on the WCC Gender Advisory Group. She is a former professor of New Testament Studies at the Busan Presbyterian University, Republic of Korea, and now a co-president of the Korea Christian Environmental Movement Solidarity for Integrity of Creation.  Below, she reflects on a recent prayer vigil for peace, as well as other ecumenical activities in South Korea.

“Go for Gender Justice” initiative opened by Protestant Church in Germany in Berlin

A Go for Gender Justice” initiative was launched by the Protestant Church in Germany in Berlin on 1 February with calls for overcoming gender clichés and traditional role models. Germanys "First Lady,” the judge Elke Büdenbender called on women and men to fight together for social change. Under the motto "Go for Gender Justice,” nine regional churches invited people to move together toward gender equality.

World Social Forum convenes to “express and practice solidarity”

The World Social Forum 2021 is taking place virtually from 23-31 January, taking into account the interlinked global crises of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic hardship and climate emergency. Faith groups are continuing to accompany this process by organising discussions on theologies of liberation.

Joint Interfaith Statement on the Entry into Force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

As the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons enters into force on 22 January, the World Council of Churches joined other global faith communities in welcoming the groundbreaking moment. A joint statement endorsed by 156 organizations celebrated the milestone and, at the same time, noted that there is urgent work yet to be done to ensure a nuclear weapons-free world.

Commission on International Affairs

“Coventry Cathedral continues to speak a word of hope to the world”

The Right Reverend Dr Christopher Cocksworth is Bishop of Coventry, the senior leader of the Church of England in Coventry and Warwickshire in the United Kingdom. On 14 November 2020, Bishop Cocksworth, along with the Archbishops of Canterbury and York as well as more than 30 other bishops, issued a statement welcoming the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and calling on the UK Government to join it. The statement coincided with the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the bombing of Coventry and destruction of its cathedral.