On the anniversary of Juneteenth, remembering the enslavement of African peoples in the United States and their emancipation announced in 1865, leaders from the World Council of Churches (WCC) urged an end to hate speech and to the sin of racism.
A 25 May webinar explored the theme “Two years after George Floyd’s death: Antiracism, #BLM and the United Nations.” As people continue to challenge the systemic racism that has devalued the lives of Black and Brown people globally, many are asking the question: how much progress have we seen in the last two years? why do some of these tragic events spark a stronger call for change than others?
Although America’s Historic Black Churches were on the vanguard of racial change a generation ago, black church leaders today confront a more complex, variegated and frustrating situation.
As many communities worldwide battle to get food to the table, a World Council of Churches (WCC) webinar titled ‘Racism, Land and Food' highlighted the intersections of food, land, and racial injustices on food sovereignty over generations of dispossessed groups.
When Rev. Lamont Anthony Wells, African Descent Lutheran Association national president, reflects on his experience as one of 18 participants from around the world to participate in the United Nations' Fellowship Programme for People of African Descent, he thinks of it as a unique opportunity to advocate for racial justice.
In an ecumenical meeting for North American church leaders on 24 June, prayers and discussion centered on issues that are both deeply painful and seemingly insurmountable: racism, division, vaccine hesitancy, genocide, war. But hope found a way into the virtual gathering as participants supported each other to find ways forward.
A World Council of Churches (WCC) pilgrim team engaged in online visits to indigenous communities on Standing Rock, 25-28 May. The WCC delegation stood in solidarity with the local indigenous communities, particularly along the shore of the Missouri River (Lake Oahe), in their struggle for justice, including water justice.
Classified as one of the most violent cities in Canada, Winnipeg is also the location with the highest concentration of indigenous population, formed in the country by about 1.5 million people from 634 indigenous nations.
A World Council of Churches Pilgrim Team will be visiting indigenous communities on Standing Rock, particularly along the shore of the Missouri River (Lake Oahe), with portions of visits open to the public online on 25-28 May.
The WCC Pilgrim Team Visits (PTV) will focus on indigenous communities on Standing Rock, particularly along the shore of the Missouri River (Lake Oahe) and their struggle for justice, including water justice. The PTV is hosted by the The Standing Rock Episcopal Community & North Dakota Council on Indian Ministries. Rev. Dr John Floberg is the focal point for the host.
How does a group of Christian leaders from Minnesota (USA) focus on writing reflections for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in 2023 while, at the same time, addressing the urgent racism, violence and white supremacy surrounding them?
This Lakota chant rang out anew as the Youth Council from the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Nations gathered with elders, tribal leaders and other water protectors for a springtime rally. Religious leaders continued to stand with them in solidarity for water justice.
In a statement issued just after the verdict finding former Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin guilty of the murder of George Floyd, Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, reflected that no verdict can erase the pain of the Floyd family.
A House panel in the United States Congress advanced a decades-long effort to pay reparations to the descendants of slaves by approving legislation, commonly referred to as H.R. 40, on 15 April that would create a commission to study the issue. The “40” refers to the failed government effort to provide 40 acres (16 hectares) of land to newly freed slaves as the Civil War drew to a close.
It's the first time the House Judiciary Committee has acted on the legislation.
In the wake of rising anti-Asian violence and hate speech in the USA, religious leaders and ecumenical coalitions in the nation are calling for an end to the violence—and the xenophobia and discrimination that undergird it.
A webinar entitled “Reflections on recent developments in the USA and their significance for interreligious relations,” held 9 February, brought together more than 20 advisers in interreligious relations from various World Council of Churches (WCC) member churches from across the globe.
As the National Council of Churches (USA) held an online Christian Unity Gathering on 12-13 October, Rev. James A. Forbes reflected to a tired nation: “Does anybody question whether we’ve seen some plagues?”
The World Council of Churches is publishing a series of interviews that portray insights and reflections from the leaders of faith-based global and regional humanitarian and development organizations. Rev. Dr Karin Achtelstetter is executive director of Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR).
