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Pilgrimage towards peace and justice formed the theme of remarks opening the 5-day Ecumenical Peace Consultation in Sigtuna, Sweden. The WCC general secretary invited 80 participants from all over the world to join in a common journey of hope.

The opening of the Berlin Wall 25 years ago was one of the most dramatic symbols of the global changes sweeping across the world in 1989.

Inspired by the theme “a pilgrimage of justice and peace” – a call issued by the WCC 10th Assembly in 2013 – a conference in Germany affirmed the commitment of working together with churches in South Korea and Japan towards a “common journey of spiritual renewal and prophetic calling” for a “just peace” in the region.

“If we are to respond to the ecological crisis in a responsible and substantial way, we must move beyond mere talk to practical action,” said Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople in an official message to the Interfaith Summit on Climate Change to be held this week in New York City.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby generously granted an interview on the subject of “the pilgrimage of justice and peace” last week in São Paulo, Brazil. His visit to Brazil was part of a personal journey that has taken Welby to 31 Anglican provinces around the world since his enthronement as archbishop in 2013.

Around 400 international participants representing diverse religious traditions at the Sant’Egidio community's 28th International Meeting of People and Religions in Antwerp, Belgium, focused on the theme “Peace is the Future”. The meeting featured dialogue, prayers and reflections on cultures and religions, including on 9 September an address from the WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit.

More than 250 mission workers and church leaders from around the world gathered in Berlin, Germany, 27 to 28 August, for the Mission Respect congress which reviewed the 2011 document "Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World - Recommendations for Conduct".

Around 400 people met at the Temple de la Fusterie in Geneva, Switzerland to participate in an inter-religious vigil on 20 August expressing solidarity with the persecuted religious communities in Iraq during this time of conflict in the country.

Geneva State Council President François Longchamp welcomed the WCC Central Committee on Wednesday 2 July, reflecting on Geneva's historic roles as well as its determination to look forward in matters of both religion and state.

Justice and peace are not possible without the involvement and participation of women. To accomplish this vision the United Nations Security Council resolution (UNSCR) 1325 can be an important negotiation tool for religious women's on-going work for conflict resolution and peace-building around the world.

Leaders of historic faith communities across Europe have gathered in Geneva to consider the role of inter-religious dialogue and cooperation in addressing social divisions and opportunities. On 13 May, the conference focused on a round-table symposium addressing the theme “Societies in Transition”.

With a growing awareness of plurality in theological education as a result of the changing faces of Christianity, and the reality of churches co-existing with other religions, members of the executive committee of the World Conference of Associations of Theological Institutions affirmed their commitment to cooperate closely, share information and build collaborative networks to strengthen world-wide initiatives in ecumenical theological education.

The Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit visited Finland this week, and spoke to the Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Erkki Tuomioja, about the situation in Ukraine and in the Middle East. Tveit was also one of the speakers at the global partnership consultation organized by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.

The WCC welcomed representatives of the World Jewish Congress (WJC) on 20 March at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting was held following reopening of the WJC’s office in Geneva.

In an audience with Pope Francis in the Vatican, the WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit stressed the significance of Christian unity. He also expressed appreciation for Pope Francis’s call to pray for peace in Syria and his call for churches to remember the poor, encouraging Christians to work for economic justice.

“The immediate end of the suffering of the people in Syria must now be the focus for all parties in the Geneva 2 talks,” WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit said in a meeting today, 14 February in Geneva with members of the Syrian opposition. And “this includes all parties in the conflict,” he added.

“As faith communities and religious leaders, we are obliged constantly to remind people about the obligation and responsibility to choose peace through dialogue,” said Bartholomew, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.

The WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit emphasized close links between the biblical understanding of peace and a “harmonious society” in which all citizens are valued. Tveit was speaking at the 9th World Assembly of Religions for Peace, held from 20 to 22 November in Vienna, Austria.

Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the WCC honoured the legacy of the 4th-century Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, saying that Constantine promoted the values of religious freedom, peace and fruitful collaboration between the church and the state.

Work for the rights of religious minorities should be done in the spirit of universalism, said the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, in his opening address at a WCC consultation.