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“They want to live without fear and constant harassment”

ire Ní Mheibhric, from Galway, Ireland, served as an ecumenical accompanier in the village of Tubas, in the West Bank, from 31 August to 7 October. She also previously served as an ecumenical accompanier in 2019 in Hebron. The World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, based on an appeal from local church leaders to create an international presence in the country, accompanies the local people and communities, offering protective presence and witnessing their daily struggles and hopes. Below, Ní Mheibhric reflects on what she witnessed while in the field.

Weaving the web of peace and justice: a journey for reconciliation in the Korean Peninsula

In an exclusive interview, a prominent figure in the field of peace and justice, the former general secretary of National Council of Churches in Korea and former executive secretary for the Christian Conference of Asia, Rev. Hong-Jung Lee, shared insights into his journey and experiences working towards peace and justice in the Korean Peninsula. Drawing on his extensive experience and involvement in various ecumenical organizations, he shed light on the importance of healing, reconciliation, and the role of churches and Christians in advancing peace in Korea.

WCC offers input to the UN New Agenda for Peace

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has offered input for the articulation of the UN’s “New Agenda for Peace," a process intended to update the world body’s approach to peace and security in the current global context. In its submission – which is inspired to a significant extent by the WCC 11th Assembly statement on “The Things That Make For Peace”– the WCC focused especially on the need for greater financial and practical support for peacebuilding at national and local levels, rather than for division and military confrontation.

WCC assembly statement calls for global ceasefire, renewed commitment to peace

Recognizing the deep need for, renewed dialogue within the ecumenical movement,” the WCC 11th Assembly released a statement strongly affirming the commitment of the WCC and its member churches to peace making through inter-religious dialogue and cooperation at all levels,” and calling for a global ceasefire in all armed conflicts around the world.

WCC signs civil society statement on Myanmar: impose global arms embargo—now

The World Council of Churches joined dozens of other faith-based and humanitarian groups in signing a Global Civil Society Statement on Myanmar urging the United Nations Security Council to impose a comprehensive global arms embargo on Myanmar to help prevent further violations of human rights against peaceful protesters and others opposing military rule.

WCC releases joint statement rejecting fully autonomous weapons

In conjunction with the International Day of Human Fraternity, the World Council of Churches, Pax Christi Northern California, and Soka Gakkai International issued a joint statement, entitled “A Plea for Preserving Our Shared Humanity,” that expresses concern over the insidious development of weapons systems that lack meaningful human control.

WCC invites all to join Global Prayer for Peaceful Reunification of the Korean Peninsula

The World Council of Churches (WCC) invites all people of good will to observe, on 9 August, a Sunday of Prayer for the Peaceful Reunification of the Korean Peninsula. Each year, churches are invited to join in a prayer for peace and reunification of the Korean Peninsula. Prepared by Christians from both South and North Korea, the prayer is traditionally used on the Sunday before 15 August every year.

Joint message calls for healing wounds and a shared future for the Korean Peninsula

A Joint Ecumenical Peace Message for the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean War was publicly delivered on 22 June during a live-streamed event. Co-sponsored by churches and councils of churches around the world, especially from countries that participated in the Korean War, the message describes the Korean War as an “appallingly destructive conflict” after which no peace treaty was ever concluded.