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Plenary on economic justice. Prof. Veronica Araújo coordinates the work of the Focolare Movement's Centre for Dialogue with Culture.

"Changing social and economic context" : Poverty threatens life and human dignity. It is not a destiny, but the very result of the methods and structures of wealth creation and distribution of wealth in individual societies and worldwide. Inequality increases not by accident, but by the way economic and political processes are structured and function. Poverty undermines the very basis of life of billions of children, women and men who are denied not only the benefits of growing wealth, but even of access to basic necessities of life.

Ecumenical Conversations provide a space for delegates to share their experiences in addressing key concerns for the future of the churches and their common witness and action. In dialogue, the Ecumenical Conversations will become an exciting opportunity for addressing together the prevailing dynamics and trends of today's world and discerning the signs of the times in the light of faith.

"Alternative globalization addressing people and earth - A call to love and action" : Prepared by the WCC commission for Justice, Peace and Creation, this call "to love and action" invites the churches to act together for transformation of economic injustice and to continue analyzing and reflecting on challenges of economic globalization and the link between wealth and poverty.

This text is the outcome of more than eight years of study and consultation on the "common understanding and vision of the World Council of Churches", mandated by the WCC Central Committee at its meeting in 1989. Between the Seventh Assembly of the WCC in 1991 and the Eighth Assembly in 1998, this subject was continuously on the agenda of the WCC central committee; in addition, it was extensively discussed in meetings of WCC commissions, advisory bodies and staff. Insights were sought and received from WCC member churches, other churches and a broad range of ecumenical partners, as well as many individual participants in and students of the ecumenical movement.

"Religious plurality and Christian self-understanding" : The question of the theological approach to religious plurality had been on the agenda of the WCC many times, reaching a certain consensus in 1989 and 1990.1 In recent years, it was felt that this difficult and controversial issue needed to be revisited. The present document is the result of a study process in response to suggestions made in 2002 at the WCC central committee to the three staff teams on Faith and Order, Inter-religious Relations, and Mission and Evangelism, and their respective commissions or advisory bodies.

An ecumenical team sponsored by the World Council of Churches (WCC) visited Zimbabwe, 25 September - 1 October 2005. This visit was a continuation of a long journey of accompaniment by the international ecumenical community. As such it sought to build on a number of previous visits and meetings by such ecumenical bodies as the WCC, the All African Conference of Churches (AACC) , and the Fellowship of Christian Councils in Southern Africa (FOCCISA) which have dealt with issues confronting Zimbabwe and other countries in the region.

Address by Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, WCC general secretary, at the international conference of the International Council of Christians and Jews, Chicago, 24-27 July 2005