War has always tragically impacted women and children, but the traumatic effects of weaponizing women in war have long been swept under the carpet.On 8 December, the World Council of Churches (WCC) held a hybrid discussion watched globally as part of the 16 Days Against Gender-based Violence.
The moment religious leaders from around 40 faith-based organisations worldwide agreed to keep defending the individual right to seek asylum during a gathering in Geneva marked a high point on the eve of the Global Refugee Forum, the world's biggest such international gathering.They met at a one-day event on 12 December at the World Council of Churches (WCC), chaired by an Armenian archbishop and a UN diplomat who was once a Turkish legislator.
Located in the Flores neighborhood of the City of Buenos Aires, for almost 50 years the Argentine Commission for Refugees and Migrants has carried out committed work in favor of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.
When the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, churches had already been responding to humanitarian need in the country for eight years, since the annexation of Crimea in 2014. The work being undertaken by churches in meeting the needs of those displaced by the war is not new, but the scale is staggering as 14 million people have been displaced in the six months since the invasion began.
The biblical ideal of welcoming the stranger is embedded in the ecumenical work of European churches. Despite restrained resources, they are at the forefront in supporting refugees.
As the bells of Karlsruhe, Germany rang out across the city, thousands of Christians gathered on Wednesday, 31 August in the prayer tent at the heart of the 11th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC). Representatives from each of the eight geographical regions in which the WCC is active brought gifts and concerns reflecting their own cultural and historical contexts. The international congregation prayed in thanksgiving to God, adding their expectation for the coming nine days of the Assembly, “We share the hope of meeting each other in the warm embrace of Christ’s love that moves us to reconciliation and unity.”
With the information on World Council of Churches (WCC) library and archives newly consolidated on the WCC website, the services and collections are more accessible than ever, making the legacy of the WCC come alive for people around the world.