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Opening Sermon at Thanksgiving Worship, Doorn, Utrecht, Holland, 14 June.

Civil society organizations and social movements from across the globe met in Geneva, on 15-16 May, 2009, at a Forum on Equity, Justice and Health, organized by Peoples Health Movement, Third World Network, and the World Council of Churches to share concerns and recommend actions that civil society views as being of critical importance for advances in global Health and health equity. Based on the discussions they presented to the WHO and member countries participating in the 62nd World Health Assembly some overarching concerns as well as specific recommendations on the two resolutions on Primary Health Care and Social Determinants of Health.

The challenge of resettlement because of Climate Change was the focus of the Oikoumene Pasifika 2009, which took place in Nadi, Fiji in April 2009. Oikoumene Pasifika bring church leaders from the Pacific Conference of Churches to reflect together on crucial topics affecting the region. WCC staff contributed to this meeting with presentations on Ecumenism and climate change. Church leaders adopted the Moana declaration on "Our Oikos - a new consciousness on climate change and our call to action".

Concerned by the alarming situation affecting the South Asian countries and its manifolding impacts on nurturing peace, security and development, and despite initiatives from different quarters of society and different national, diplomatic and ecumenical interventions, the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), and the South Asian Councils of Churches (SACC) organised an international consultation on "Peace, Security and Development in South Asia", which was held at Whitefield, Bangalore from 30 March to 2 April 2009 .

Statement from the Global Ecumenical Conference on Justice for Dalits, March 21-24, 2009, Bangkok, Thailand

Letter from the WCC general secretary to Gordon Brown and other G20 representatives and the United Nations.

Water is a big issue and a question of justice. For some communities there is no water to irrigate land, or clean water to wash and drink. For other communities there may be plenty of water but it comes in unwelcome destructive episodes whether deluge from the sky, floods from rivers or the rising tide of the sea. 

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.

The cholera crisis in Zimbabwe is a chilling illustration of the crucial link between water, sanitation, health and political responsibility.  By the middle of February 2009, the WHO noted that over 70,000 people were infected and 3,524 had died.  

Water is symbolic of our relationship with God, carrying the image of renewal, promise and hope. It is through water that we are baptized into the community of the church. Furthermore, water is essential to all life on Earth, and it links human life to the rest of God's creation.