Walk the Path of the New Commandment: Keynote speech of Peter Prove, director of the WCC's Commission of the Churches on International Affairs at the 70th General Assembly of the National Council of Churches in Korea, 22 November 2021.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) expressed grave concern over the current state of emergency in Sudan. “Government officials, including ministers and civilian members of the Transitional Sovereign Council, have been arrested,” said WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca. “It has also been reported that at least seven people have been killed and some 140 others injured after soldiers opened fire on demonstrators.”
Participants in a meeting of members and partners of the Ecumenical Forum for Peace, Reunification & Cooperation on the Korean Peninsula (EFK), held online on 25 August, emphasized the need to continue to work together for peace on the Korean Peninsula even amid COVID-19 and challenging political circumstances.
The World Council of Churches, with more than 350 member churches in 120 countries representing over 560 million people globally, welcomes the establishment of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas which has brought a desperately-needed respite from the violence, bloodshed and destruction that Secretary-General Guterres rightly described as “appalling” and “senseless”.
As international church-based organisations which have been providing long-standing support to efforts for peace in Colombia, we add our voices to the multitude of urgent calls from the international community for the Colombian authorities to stop the spiral of violence that is doing terrible harm to the civilian population.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) condemns the violence at the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex during the night of Friday 7 May, in which more than 200 people are reported to have been wounded. Reacting to the news, WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca called on Israel to respect the status quo of holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City in the interest of peace and stability. We also call for all to refrain from further violence, and from provocative and destabilizing actions.”
As the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons enters into force on 22 January, the World Council of Churches joined other global faith communities in welcoming the groundbreaking moment. A joint statement endorsed by 156 organizations celebrated the milestone and, at the same time, noted that there is urgent work yet to be done to ensure a nuclear weapons-free world.
Senior UN staff, representatives from faith groups and members of civil society will be presenting at the 7th Annual Symposium on the Role of Religion and Faith-based Organizations in International Affairs on January 26, 2021. This year’s event will focus on “2021: A defining year for accelerating gender equality, equity and justice,” with a series of presentations and discussions on issues including multi-stakeholder collaboration to accelerate gender equality, equity and justice, the urgency for achieving it, women advancing peace and security, and multilateralism and the intersection of religion and human rights.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) is shocked by the violence perpetrated against unarmed protestors at Lekki toll gate, Lagos, on the evening of 20 October 2020 by security force personnel in military camouflage using live ammunition, resulting in a reported 20 deaths and 50 injured. We join the rising chorus of condemnation in Nigeria and around the world against this atrocity.
Address of WCC director for International Affairs Peter Prove at the event commemorating the 40th anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Uprising, "The Prospective Future of the Korean Peninsula After Peaceful Reunification"
Erich Weingartner, who previously helped lead the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, has also represented CanKor, a Canadian interactive resource on North Korea. From the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, he was also founding head of the Food Aid Liaison Unit of the World Food Programme.
A war erupted on the Korean Peninsula 70 years ago that divided Korea and that has yet to end. So, the world’s churches have launched a “70 Days of Prayers - Global Prayer Campaign” for peace.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) continues to amplify the voice of the indigenous Papuans in Indonesia, who are oppressed by racism and discrimination.
Concerned about the escalating crisis of violence, racism and discrimination against indigenous Papuans in Indonesia, a side event co-sponsored by the WCC was convened during a fall session of the UN Human Rights Council to discuss patterns that are oppressing and displacing Papuans.
Greetings for the 64th General Conference and 70th Anniversary of the Christian Council of Mozambique (CCM)
"God of love, guide us in the path of Reconciliation, Unity in Diversity, Justice and Peace". Read by Prof Dr Isabel Apawo Phiri, WCC Deputy General Secretary. 26-30 June 2019, Maputo province, Mozambique
The World Council of Churches (WCC) made a positive impact at the 41st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, held 24 June through 12 July.
The WCC has a long history of engagement with the United Nations human rights system, in witnessing and advocating for human dignity and justice on behalf of the worldwide ecumenical movement.
