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Seven Weeks for Water 2024, week 4: "Thirst for justice: a Dalit women’s perspective on water rights"

The  fourth reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water 2024 series of the WCC Ecumenical Water Network is written by Rev. Dr Anupama Hial.  In this reflection, she recalls her struggles in the past as a Dalit woman in India to get access to clean water.  She challenges churches to be a catalyst for fulfilling the promise of Isaiah to provide free water to all who are thirsty, especially to the Dalit women. 

Seven Weeks for Water 2024, week 3: "Celebrating Jesus’ life in water through the lens of justice”

The third reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water 2024 series of the WCC Ecumenical Water Network is written by Very Rev. Dr Augustinos Bairactaris. In this reflection, he underscores that the water justice issue is a theological task for all, and that the health of the water is vital to human civilization, and for the stability of the worlds climate and biodiversity. He urges all Christians to pray, fast, and act together for a sustainable environment and planet, especially during Lent.

Seven Weeks for Water 2024, week 1: Water for peace in the Middle East region

The first reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water 2024 series of the WCC Ecumenical Water Network is written by Dr Munib Younan,* bishop emeritus of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land and former president of the Lutheran World Federation. In this reflection, the author, as a Palestinian, in line with this year's theme of "leveraging water for peace,” reflects on Isaiah's promise of free water for the thirsty in the context of the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza that has worsened the water situation in Gaza to catastrophic levels.

WCC to share key insights at World Social Forum

At the World Social Forum 2024, taking place 15-19 February in Nepal, the World Council of Churches (WCC) will have an active role in this platform for the convergence of a diverse range of participants, including social movements, laborers, farmers, civil society groups, marginalized communities, and those affected by the impacts of neoliberal capitalism and privatization. 

WCC Eco-School begins in Crete

Fifteen young people from 10 countries across Europe and North America are taking part of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Eco-School at the Orthodox Academy of Crete, Greece, 11-18 November, exploring water, food, and climate justice.

Applications invited for WCC Eco-School for Europe and North America region

The fifth edition of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Eco-School on Water, Food, and Climate Justice, will be held 24-31 July in Crete, Greece. Convening in-person in the Orthodox Academy of Crete, Greece, the event is open to young people under 30 years of age from the Europe and  North America region only. 

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”.

WCC Eco School for North America postponed until 2023

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has postponed its Eco School in North America until 2023, when it will be held in Europe. To accommodate participants from North America, a special event will be conducted in the region. Details about the event and the venue will be announced soon.

Water and justice at the WCC 11th Assembly

“The global water crisis is not simply about dealing with scarcity, it’s about fighting inequality and discrimination, about addressing blatant mismanagement and often also corruption.” For Bishop Arnold Temple, chair of the WCC Ecumenical Water Network, this is why it is so important for churches to keep raising awareness and speaking up about water being a matter of justice and rights. "It's great to see that the importance of water and the churches' commitment to water justice are going to be reflected in the programme of the upcoming WCC 11th Assembly", Temple notes. 

Groundwater is “a political question”

In many regions, groundwater is being extracted faster than it can be replenished. Groundwater pollution from raw material extraction, industry, private households, and agriculture is also increasing. This year’s UN’s World Water Day focused on groundwater, urging to make “the invisible visible.” A new publication by Brot für die Welt (Bread for the World, Germany), a member of the WCC Ecumenical Water Network, takes up this call and demands the better protection and fairer use of this vital resource.  WCC news talked to co-author Dr Ingrid Jacobsen about the social and political dimension of groundwater.

WCC Eco-School 2022 postponed to November 2022

Applications are still open for the fifth edition of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Eco-School on Water, Food and Climate Justice. The new dates are 20-26 November 2022.  Convening in-person at the Stony Point Center in New York, the event is open to young people under 30 years of age from the North America region only. 

Seven Weeks for Water 2022, week 5: “Water – a blessing and a threat?”, by Peter Pavlovic

The fifth reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water 2022 of the WCC’s Ecumenical Water Network is written by Peter Pavlovic.* He reflects that  Europe is a water rich continent, still, a lot of concerns related to water availability persist in the region.  Climate change makes this problem worse, our vulnerability is, as the last IPCC report warns, increasingly exposed.  Faith describes the world as a gift of God given to humanity. Fragility of our existence is closely related to disrespecting the limits of the world in which we live and is rooted in the failure of our relationship with God.

Webinar explores how women navigate nexus of water, food and climate change

Held in conjunction with the 66th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, a World Council of Churches’ (WCC) webinar explored how women are navigating the water, food, and climate change nexus. Panellists and participants shared women-led and gender-just responses to the climate crisis as well as the role of churches and faith-based organisations.

Applications open for WCC Eco-School 2022 with focus on North America

Applications are open for the fifth edition of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Eco-School on Water, Food and Climate Justice, to be held 24 April-1 May 2022 in the North America region. Convening in-person at the Stony Point Center in New York, the event is open to young people under 30 years of age from the North America region only.