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A World Council of Churches (WCC) consultation on peace and human security in Latin America has adopted a communiqué demanding protection mechanisms that insure peace and human security in Latin America.

“Long years of civil war and import of weapons since the 1980s have created a difficult situation in Latin America, where it is challenging to prevent proliferation of arms”, stated Prof. Benjamin Cortes Marchena at a World Council of Churches (WCC) consultation in Antigua, Guatemala. Â

In a recent World Council of Churches (WCC) consultation, participants analyzed the impact of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in Africa’s sub-regions. They pointed out that more than sixty percent of deaths in battle-related conflicts are caused by small arms, and billions of dollars are spent every year on small arms.

“The fight against proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) is critical for peace and security in Africa,” said Peter Omurangi Otim, head of the Peace and Security department of the African Union (AU) at a World Council of Churches (WCC) consultation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, held from 22 to 25 November.

More than thirty participants from different Latin American countries will be meeting in Antigua, Guatemala for a regional consultation reflecting on peace and human security in Latin America.

To challenge the increasing proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) in Africa, and to find effective ways to deter this trend, the World Council of Churches (WCC) will hold a consultation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to strategize common priorities and actions to combat proliferation of arms in the region.

It is not imaginable for the World Council of Churches (WCC) to have a future “without a much stronger emphasis on international affairs and peace with justice,” said Martin Robra, programme director for the study of ecumenism in the 21st century, at a consultation on "churches and the rule of law" this week in Geneva.

“Profound acceptance of the others, and a willingness to be open to unity in diversity will uphold values of reconciliation, peace and security in any society and community,” said Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to the participants of international consultation on “Peace, Security and Reconciliation in Myanmar”, organized by the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA) of the World Council of Churches (WCC).

As post war Sri Lanka experiences a high level of militarization, the northern provinces of the country continue to face serious humanitarian and human rights problems. Three years after the end of a protracted conflict and war that ravaged the country for quarter of a century, the people and communities are struggling to attain a sustained peace and reconciliation.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) Executive Committee recently issued a statement expressing concern over the escalation of violence in Tanah Papua, Indonesia. They urged the Indonesian authorities to stop the killings of civilians at the hands of armed forces and protect the rights of Papuan people.

A World Council of Churches (WCC) consultation in Kigali discussed peace and security issues in Africa, with more than ninety church and ecumenical leaders. Together, they also reflected on Rwandan experiences of ethnic violence, genocide and church initiatives of reconciliation in the past.

During the past year thousands of people from North Africa have disappeared in the Sinai Desert region while crossing the border between Egypt and Israel.