Displaying 161 - 180 of 2497
Sort by relevance Sort by date
Feature story
Stone with crack pictured in front of woman placing her hands prayerfully on the stone.

“How is it that my family could be separated on Easter?”

This year at Easter, the WCC is highlighting current realities and challenges related to religious holidays in the Holy Land, joining with local communities in action and prayer; to ensure that freedom of worship is protected in a land so worthy of justice, peace, and dignity. The reflections and voices presented here are meant to welcome the reader into the details of everyday lives—lives met with challenges that often turn into obstacles impeding everything from simple family celebrations to livelihoods, to freedom of religion and movement. Together, these voices also raise the hope for a less divided and conflict-ridden Jerusalem, and a Holy Land in which people of all faiths enjoy an equal measure of freedom of movement and religion.

12 April 2023
Bible studies
placeholder image

Seven Weeks for Water 2023, week 5: "Water: a gift of God, a public good and a human right. Should we privatize it?", by Rev. Dr. Donald Bruce Yeates

Originally published in 2020, the fifth reflection of the seven weeks for water 2023 of the WCC’s Ecumenical Water Network is by Rev. Dr. Donald Bruce Yeates, a minister of Saint Andrews Presbyterian Church of Suva, Fiji and a consultant chaplain at The University of the South Pacific. Bruce has been active in the Pacific since 1975 as an academic in social work, community development and social policy having served at the University of Papua New Guinea and The University of the South Pacific. In the following  reflection he underlines the importance of human right to water and the onslaught of privatisation in the backdrop of  world’s most famous bottled water which comes from his home country, the “Fiji waters”.

20 March 2023
News
Armenian Patriarchate of Istanbul press

WCC general secretary visits Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay visited the Armenian Patriarchate in Istanbul, Turkey on 12 March. His Beatitude, Archbishop Sahak Mashalyan, the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, welcomed the WCC general secretary and congratulated him on his election, wishing him successful years in his service to the worldwide churches.

14 March 2023
Interview
Prof. Jace Pillay

Prof. Jace Pillay reflects on importance of churches in upholding children’s rights

Prof. Jace Pillay, South African research chair for Education and Care in Childhood at the University of Johannesburg, reflected on the importance of churches in ensuring the rights of children.

Twin brother of World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, Jace Pillay noted that South Africa has very good policies with regard to children’s rights —but in many areas those policies exist only on paper, as they are not implemented.

14 March 2023
Bible studies
placeholder image

Seven Weeks for Water 2023, week 3: "Feminization of water poverty in Africa", by Dr Agnes Abuom

Originally written in 2017, The third of the seven reflections of the Lenten Campaign: Seven Weeks for Water 2023 of the Word Council of Churches’ (WCC) Ecumenical Water Network (EWN) is by Dr Agnes Abuom, former moderator of the WCC’s central committee. 

Dr Abuom was the first woman and first African to hold this important position. She is also the Executive Director of TAABCO Research and Development Consultants, based in Nairobi, Kenya. In her reflection, being an African woman on the eve of International Women’s Day, she explores the linkages between poverty, water scarcity and its impact on women.  It is also contextual in that today Kenya is reeling under a serious drought which is deteriorating the situation for women as they are mostly responsible for fetching water for their families.

06 March 2023
Feature story
PhotoByAlbinHillert_20200302_AH2_7889.jpg

What’s it like to monitor human rights in Hebron? Alex Brock gives eyewitness account

Alexander Brock, an international development practitioner from Ireland, recently returned from a deployment with the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel. On 1 March, he gave an eyewitness account of what it’s like to monitor human rights in Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank. He was part of a group of 27 ecumenical accompaniers from all over the world. 

03 March 2023
Blog post
WorldAIDSDayPrayer_20221201GregoiredeFombelle-11.jpg

HIV stigma still not eradicated—but we can change our mindset

The HIV response has more than forty years now; timely and accessible medications are effective and ensure long healthy lives for people living with HIV. We have more prevention tools and strategies, we know much more about the virus, there are many organizations and websites with dedicated information; yet, HIV stigma persists in deep thinking, having serious consequences for the 38 million people living with HIV across the world.

24 February 2023