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By Jerry Hames (*)

By Jerry Hames (*)

By Jerry Hames (*)

By Anto Akkara (*)

By Annegret Kapp*

"How can we affirm our identity as Muslims, Jews and Christians not in separation or against each other but in relation to one another?" This is the question 21 young adults from 13 European, Middle Eastern, Asian, African and American countries are exploring during a 2-28 July summer seminar at the World Council of Churches' (WCC) Ecumenical Institute in Bossey. Activities include spiritual and academic exercises as well as sports, recreation and everyday tasks.

"Today, in order to fight poverty, Africa needs to mobilize similar efforts to those rallied against colonialism," World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia told Tanzanian church leaders.

In an interview with Juan Michel (*) a prominent Iraqi Christian shares his views on the situation in the violence-plagued country.

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Christian scholars from Europe and US will discuss peace, justice and security and how they relate to religion, spirituality and healing at an international ecumenical conference on "Forgiveness, peace and reconciliation" to be held 17-20 May 2007 in Volos, Greece. The current situations in Cyprus, Serbia, Russia, Ireland and the Middle East will be amongst case studies considered in a conference section on "Orthodoxy in situations of conflict".

As struggles over the global war on terrorism continue to rage, many in the United States and around the world do not understand the course of events that led from September 11, 2001, to the current expanded conflict.

The "savage murders" of three Christians in Malatya, Turkey, on 18 April are "the latest tragedy" in a series of "killings and other threats directed at members and leaders of religious minorities" in the country that are of "serious concern" and cause "deep revulsion" and "dismay", the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia has told Turkish authorities.

Six committed ecumenists, each with significant experience in specific fields of ecumenical endeavour, have been appointed to take up key leadership roles within the Geneva-based World Council of Churches (WCC). The newly appointed staff members will head five programmes plus a planning and integration office, all of which are the result of programmatic reshaping following the WCC 9th Assembly in 2006 .

An ecumenical report and a call to action documenting human rights violations in the Philippines will be launched today in Geneva (Palais des Nations, Room XXVII, 14:00), within the framework of the current session of the UN Human Rights Council.

"Make me a channel of your peace" was the theme for a celebration of common commitment to overcome violence at a gathering of Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican and Protestant church representatives on 17 February in Wittenberg, Germany.

Rev. Dr Walter Altmann, moderator of the central committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC), on 15 December called the Church of Constantinople a "truly ecumenical church" whose ecumenism has been "tangibly manifested in her many historical initiatives".

With the urgent necessity of peace in Israel and Palestine at the top of the agenda, a World Council of Churches meeting has begun work on setting up an international forum to galvanize world-wide church advocacy for the Middle East.

Issues relating to Chinese government policies with regard to development, international cooperation, and the role of religion in building a "harmonious society" were addressed by World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia and members of a WCC delegation at their meeting with Mr Jia Qinglin, chairperson of the Chinese People's Consultative Conference, on 21 November in Beijing.

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The World Council of Churches' (WCC) central committee has urged religious and political leaders to promote the return of displaced persons, co-existence and reconciliation in the divided region of Kosovo as the basis of any long-term settlement.