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WCC general secretary speaks at Oslo University bicentenary

The 200 th anniversary of the University of Oslo in Norway provides opportunities for celebration, reflection and assorted special events. On Tuesday 20 September 2011 the general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, was featured in a series of presentations on justice, peace and the role of religion in global perspective.

End of Ramadan celebrations hailed by WCC general secretary

Christians and Muslims, together with leaders of other world religions, should cooperate in “rallying people to form alliances for peace and reconciliation with justice,” according to the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC). Tveit sent greetings on the occasion of the Islamic festival of Eid al Fitr (the end of Ramadan) in a letter to heads of Muslim religious communities throughout the world. Taking note of July’s violence in his native Norway that has brought Christians and Muslims closer, and the momentous events that continue to unfold in North Africa and the Middle East, Tveit called for continuing action toward justice and peace. Read the full text of the WCC general secretary's letter

Norwegian church leaders give thanks for mutual support

Fifteen leaders of dioceses and national church bodies in Norway, among them all 12 bishops of the Church of Norway, joined in common prayer on Wednesday morning 17 August at the Ecumenical Centre chapel in Geneva, Switzerland. They were joined in this act of worship by members of the Norwegian congregation in Geneva and staff of many church-related agencies including the ACT Alliance, Conference of European Churches, Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and World Council of Churches (WCC).

In highly violent communities, peace advocates hold out hope

As peace advocates from around the world relayed heartrending stories of violence and oppression, they also expressed their ongoing hope that a movement of peace will prevail during the proceedings of the second day of the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC) being held in Kingston, Jamaica.

Interfaith Harmony Week to be celebrated

The annual observation of a world-wide Interfaith Harmony Week has been scheduled for the first seven days of February beginning in 2011. One of the groups that has endorsed the initiative was a global consultation of Muslim and Christian organizations addressing the topic “Transforming Communities” in November 2010. The consultation was convened at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva and was jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches (WCC), the World Islamic Call Society and A Common Word.

Muslims and Christians to meet in Geneva to build a common future

High-ranking Muslim and Christian leaders as well as renowned scholars and interfaith practitioners, representing various Islamic and Christians organizations, will gather 1-4 November at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva for an international consultation on Christian and Muslim concerns.

WCC and Pentecostals need each other, WCC general secretary says

“Among the many challenges that we face in the search for Christian unity is the need to overcome divisions and prejudices that exclude one another,” Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the WCC said to the 22nd Pentecostal World Conference in Stockholm, Sweden.

Putting faith at work to halt the spread of HIV

With a new sense of urgency in view of a pandemic that grows exponentially, high level figures from many of the world's faiths have committed to exercise "stronger, more visible and practical leadership" in response to HIV, with an emphasis on eradicating the stigma and discrimination towards those affected.

Inter-religious call to climate action ahead of UN summit

On the eve of the 22 September United Nations Summit on Climate Change representatives of faith communities around the world called on world leaders and on "all people of Earth to accept the reality of the common danger we face, the imperative and responsibility for immediate and decisive action and the opportunity to change."