While Christians around the globe prepare to celebrate Easter, military occupation continues to severely impact communities in the same places where Jesus himself is said to have walked in the Easter story. An Easter initiative by the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (WCC-EAPPI) now sets out to connect the Biblical narrative with current realities in Palestine and Israel, to spotlight the injustices of life under occupation.
The road from Jericho to Jerusalem. Bethany. The Mount of Olives. The Holy Sepulchre. The World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (WCC-EAPPI) is exploring the current realities of life under military occupation in four holy sites.
Churches in Korea are expressing solidarity with the people of Myanmar through prayers and letters that urge an end to human rights abuses and the restoration of democracy.
In the month of March, the World Council of Churches is encouraging its fellowship and partners to join the Lott Carey “31 Days of Prayer for Women’s Empowerment,” which is also the 9th Anniversary Global Women’s Prayer Guide. The guide features 31 days of prayer for incarcerated women and girls around the world.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) has requested correction of an article in the Algemeiner that listed the WCC among supporters of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS) against Israel.
The article, by Dexter Van Zile, appeared in the 10 February edition of the newspaper.
In conjunction with the International Day of Human Fraternity 2021, 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.
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.
In fields where one group often challenges their neighbours who own and work the land, two peace activists, Israeli Amos Gvirtz and Palestinian Issa Souf, are busy picking olives and building bridges of justice and peace together.
A reflection based on 1 Samuel 25:1-42, for morning prayers on 7 December 2020 for staff of the World Council of Churches, ACT Alliance and sister organizations.
It is easy to feel despair of the unjust situation for the Palestinians, who are experiencing daily humiliation, annexation of land, growing settlements, land grabbing and poverty. This year Palestine has been illegally occupied for 53 years. But there are also many people in Palestine cultivating hope, faith and love for transforming the situation.
In a time of a global pandemic that has killed almost 200,000 Americans, civil unrest in the streets, and an economy in tatters, I have been blessed with the opportunity to share my thoughts with you during this unique time in history. I decided to contribute to this blog in the form of a personal letter to each of you.
In Cameroon, hundreds of people are praying for peace, and they are also singing, dancing, marching, and listening to reflections led by people of faith who are calling for a ceasefire — now.
Als umfassende Vereinigung von Glaubensgemeinschaften aus der ganzen Welt haben wir uns verpflichtet, mit einer Stimme zu sprechen, die die existenzielle Bedrohung der Menschheit durch Atomwaffen ablehnt. Wir bekräftigen erneut, dass das Vorhandensein auch nur einer einzigen Atomwaffe gegen die grundlegenden Prinzipien unserer verschiedenen Glaubenstraditionen verstößt und alles, was uns lieb und teuer ist, durch unvorstellbare Zerstörung bedroht.
As a wide coalition of faith-based communities from around the world, we have committed to speaking
with one voice that rejects the existential threat to humanity that nuclear weapons pose. We reaffirm that the presence of even one nuclear weapon violates the core principles of our different faith traditions and threatens the unimaginable destruction of everything we hold dear.
We believe that the global prayer campaign for the Korean Peninsula will be a key of peace to open the gate to cultivate forgiveness and reconciliation, a fountain of peace to revitalize a global ecumenical solidarity, and a milestone of peace to end the war on the Korean Peninsula after 70 years.
As the COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread loss and hardship, people across the world have drawn closer to the World Council of Churches (WCC), showing increased interest in many channels of communication.
Ayoko Bahun-Wilson is regional coordinator for West Africa for the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiatives and Advocacy programme. She hosted a weekly radio show for churches in Benin called “Zero Rape, Zero Violence.” The show was offered in collaboration by the WCC, Deborah Network, INACES and Hosannah Radio.
Below, Bahun-Wilson reflects on how the radio show, offered every Wednesday for three months, has heightened awareness—but there are many challenges that remain.
As Brazilians face harder times on a daily basis with the increasing impacts of COVID-19 at all levels of society, several church-based organizations launched a campaign on 11 June calling on people to express solidarity with all who have lost family members and friends due to the pandemic and its systemic consequences in a reality marked by inequality, such as hunger, violence, and racism.
In a video greeting, WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca offered warm greetings to the Communion of Churches in Indonesia on its 70th anniversary.
