Recent years have witnessed a seismic shift in the global landscape of climate litigation, with youth activists taking center stage in the fight for environmental justice.
The fifth reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water 2024 series of the WCC Ecumenical Water Network is written by Rev. Jane Stranz. In this reflection, she dwells on the text where Jesus calms a storm, while his disciples were panicked. She calls for a conversion from relying on a God with magical powers to having faith in a God who calls us to take an active part in the miracle of overcoming fear. Jesus calls us to share in interpreting the signs of the times and take responsible action together for the kingdom. A clarion call indeed in our advocacy for water justice and climate justice.
Three World Council of Churches (WCC) commissions—the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, Commission on Health and Healing, and Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development—are jointly meeting from 5-8 March in Geneva to explore the theme "Faith and Effective Witness and Diakonia in the 21st Century.”
Events with involvement of the World Council of Churches and ecumenical partners at the COP28 conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 30 November - 12 December.
With COP28 beginning on 30 November in Dubai, faith communities are ready to press for phasing out fossil fuels, push for climate justice, and present a united front.
Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, World Council of Churches (WCC) programme director for Public Witness and Diakonia, offered a keynote speech at the Christian Aid assembly in London on 20 November.
Responding to global crises such as conflicts, pandemic aftereffects, and the pressing challenges of climate change, the World Council of Churches (WCC), with ecumenical organizations and partners, is set to organize a "Weekend of Prayer & Action Against Hunger" on 14-16 October. With 258 million people in 58 countries facing severe hunger in 2022, the need to act is critical.
"2000", "3000", "10 000,” and "we cannot provide reliable estimates regarding the number of victims”—these were heard and read in the last days ever too often about the situation in Libya. This situation highlights the pressing issues of climate change and global injustices also regarding the youth. Again and again.
As the 78th session of the UN General Assembly and the first-ever Climate Action Summit were held in New York City in September, ACT Alliance general secretary Rudelmar Bueno de Faria reflected on the importance of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the ecumenical movement in creating a more sustainable and equitable world.
"Diakonia of Hope in a fragile world", keynote address by Rev Dr Kenneth Mtata at the Regional Conference for the DRAE (Africa and Europe) region in Neuendettelsau, Germany, 06 - 10 September 2023
Held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – a city of socioeconomic contrasts – from 21 August to 1 September, the 6th edition of the Ecumenical School on Governance, Economics, and Management for an Economy of Life (GEM School 2023) gathered 24 participants to rethink economic systems for a more equitable, sustainable planet.
World Council of Churches (WCC) programme director for Public Witness and Diakonia Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata delved into the heart of “Theology of Work” in a keynote address during the opening of the New International Financial and Economic Architecture (NIFEA) Consultation on Labour, being hosted 21-23 August by the National Council of Churches in Malaysia.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) is calling on Azerbaijan for the immediate lifting of the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh, as more than 120,000 people—including 30,000 children—are suffering under an increasingly dire humanitarian crisis.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) is calling on Azerbaijan for the immediate lifting of the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh, as more than 120,000 people—including 30,000 children—are suffering under an increasingly dire humanitarian crisis.
Children who gathered prior and during the New Global Financial Pact, held 22-23 June in Paris, delivered a clear message to President Macron and world leaders: the existing colonial economic model must be replaced with one that prioritizes humanity over profits.
Rev. Matthew Ross, who served as WCC programme executive for Diakonia and Capacity Building from 2018-2023, reflects on how the document “Called to Transformation – Ecumenical Diakonia,” which he edited, is being received in ways that affirm the importance of diaconal service and mission.
Burundi recently witnessed a significant event aimed at fostering inclusivity and addressing the impact of climate change on persons with disabilities. During the National Dialogue on Disability-Inclusive Climate Change Policies and Programs last week, the Friends Church in Burundi embarked on a mission to support and uplift women and girls with disabilities in Nyabihanga, Gitega Province.
World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay served as a keynote speaker at the Ninth Conference for Research in Diakonia and Christian Social Practice, hosted by the International Society for the Research and Study of Diakonia and Christian Social Practice and VID Specialized University. The theme of the conference was “Contested Spaces of Diaconia – Seeking Justice, Safety and Well-Being.”
As Pope Francis presented a message in preparation for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay offered reflections that amplified the message centered around the theme “Let Justice and Peace Flow.”
The World Council of Churches (WCC) cohosted an online consultation on 12 April to address the pressing issue of the converging food and debt crises. The event invited churches, ecumenical partners, and civil society allies to come together to examine the intersections and roots of these crises, and to seek collective guidance on possible joint responses.