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The global ecumenical family is deeply saddened by the death of Elias Crisóstomo Abramides, on 21 October 2019. He was a pioneer and a vital stalwart in the faith community's ongoing struggle to stop climate change. Elias was a founding member of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Working Group on Climate Change which emerged from WCC participation in the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro that gave rise to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. He continued to be a dedicated and active member of the WCC Working Group on Climate Change, and the ecumenical work on climate change, until his death.

Observed on 13-20 October, the WCC Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance invites churches around the world again to a Churches’ Week of Action on Food, an opportunity to pray, reflect and take action together, for food justice across the globe.

An interfaith prayer breakfast in New York City on 26 September tackled the involvement of faith leaders and faith communities, in partnerships with non-faith actors, to accelerate optimal HIV services to reach men and children, and to promote action to address issues related to sexual violence against children and HIV.

At an informal dialogue, faith leaders gathered with representatives from governments, civil society, academia, and the United Nations to talk about financing adaptation, and loss and damage, related to climate change.

From New York City to Hamburg, from Oslo to Melbourne, from Nairobi to Mumbai, hundreds of thousands of young people peacefully protested climate change on 20 September - and the World Council of Churches (WCC) walked alongside them.

A 5-day training programme updated and equipped 29 youth from 13 countries in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific with the latest information and experiences on key existential issues and how advocacy is conducted, rooted in the Christian faith, in working for justice and peace in communities.

Rev. Malcolm Damon, ecumenical champion of justice for the economy and the Earth, and a son of South Africa, passed away on 8 September.

Damon was a founding member of the Economic Justice Network formed in 1997 to serve the Fellowship of Christian Councils in Southern Africa, consisting of 12 national Christian councils in southern African nations. In 2001, he joined Economic Justice Network as its executive director. Under his leadership, the network became a leading advocate in the southern African region for a fairer global trading system, tax reform and climate justice.

More than 300 environmentalists - among them professors, students, scientists and religious leaders - gathered for the 5th International Eco Conference organized by the Church of South India.

Dr. Nigussu Legesse shared in the joy a year ago when the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church declared an end to a 27-year-old schism that had torn it apart. That rapprochement set in motion a series of events that are taking him back to his homeland.
Legesse was then World Council of Churches (WCC) programme executive and convener for Africa.
After more than 10 years at the council, he is moving back to Addis Ababa as executive director of the Consortium of Christian Relief and Development Associations.

The target set by world leaders in 2016 to get 1.6 million children ages 0-14 living with HIV on treatment by 2018 was missed by a massive margin, according to a report issued on 16 July by UNAIDS.

An Ecumenical Forum for Peace, Reunification and Development Cooperation on the Korean Peninsula, held 10-12 July in Bangkok, has issued a communique that reiterates calls for peace and outlines possible steps toward renewed dialogue.

The third edition of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Eco-School on Water, Food and Climate Justice will be held 4-17 November 2019 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, hosted by the Christian Conference of Asia. This year, the Eco-School will focus on Asia and therefore only open to Asians. Deadline for applications for WCC Eco-School 2019 for Asia on Water, Food and Climate Justice extended to 31 July 2019.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Executive Committee released a statement expressing unfaltering commitment to ending HIV and AIDS. “The HIV epidemic has been like no other,” the statement reads. "Over four decades, AIDS has caused tens of millions of deaths, devastated families and communities, and challenged scientists and doctors seeking an effective vaccine or cure.”

A series of four manuals produced by the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiatives and Advocacy were launched on 1 May in Nairobi, Kenya. The manuals address ecumenical needs for faith-based resources to treat and prevent the spread of HIV along with education on gender issues.