The World Council of Churches (WCC), a global fellowship of 352 churches representing more than half a billion Christians from around the world, has been deeply involved in the work of the United Nations from as early as 1946 through its Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA). The WCC is a platform for common action by churches on issues that negate or threaten the dignity of all people.
Linking with the theme of 68th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, “Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective”, this hybrid session will bring a range of perspectives to bear on the questions: What can we do to address extreme wealth concentration? How can taxing the richest in our societies as well as addressing corporate tax evasion serve to advance the goal of gender equity? And why should faith-based organisations care?
A group of church leaders from Sweden met with the World Council of Churches (WCC) to prepare for the year 2025, with a focus on commemorating 100 years since the beginning of the Life and Work movement as well as the commemoration of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, where bishops representing the whole of Christendom gathered together for the first time to discuss the faith and witness of the church.
Recent years have witnessed a seismic shift in the global landscape of climate litigation, with youth activists taking center stage in the fight for environmental justice.
Kevin Maina, a member of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development and a representative of the Anglican communion, shares his experience as a participant of the United Nations Environment Assembly's sixth session (UNEA-6) in Kenya.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) has published online new materials related to the 2024 WCC-EAPPI Easter Initiative: “Out of the darkness – Easter solidarity with the Holy Land.”
A panel discussion, “Zacchaeus Tax: Transforming the Global Economic System and Advancing Gender Justice,” on 19 March explored the intersections between tax justice and gender justice—and why this is a matter of faith.
Zacchaeus Tax (ZacTax) is an ecumenical campaign by churches, seeking a transformed global tax system that acts like the biblical character Zacchaeus, delivering equity and making reparation for historic and structural injustice.
A workshop at the World Council of Churches (WCC) has highlighted the right to health and dignified access to it, as well as the faith sector's engagement with migrants and refugees for health and HIV services in fighting stigma and discrimination.
Women and men gathered online on International Women’s Day with deep determination to find solutions to the scourge of femicide. A webinar on 8 March, entitled “End Femicide: Invest in Women’s Lives,” drew more than 100 people online.
As three World Council of Churches commissions—the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, Commission on Health and Healing, and Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development—completed their meeting on 8 March in Geneva, they came away with a sense of collaborative determination to address the world’s challenges with hope and with practical actions.
Max Weber, a student at the World Council of Churches (WCC) Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, is currently completing a WCC research fellowship. He took time to reflect on his recent attendance at the World Social Forum 2024 in Kathmandu, Nepal, as well as his studies related to economic and ecological justice.
The Kanak concept of “Do Kamo: the authentic human in a permanent becoming”, emphasizes that true human nature is not a fixed state—not something one is born with, but rather an ongoing process of maturation. This is a metaphor for personal growth and transformation, as individuals let go of their past selves and embrace their true identities. This transformation symbolizes shedding our primitive natures and embracing the qualities and potentials of a Do Kamo.
People from around the world involved in the work of three critical World Council of Churches (WCC) commissions have discussed global geopolitical trends impacting their activities and church members. The panel, led by the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, was moderated by Dr Mathews George Chunakara, general secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia.
Three World Council of Churches (WCC) commissions—the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, Commission on Health and Healing, and Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development—are jointly meeting from 5-8 March in Geneva to explore the theme "Faith and Effective Witness and Diakonia in the 21st Century.”
The fourth reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water 2024 series of the WCC Ecumenical Water Network is written by Rev. Dr Anupama Hial. In this reflection, she recalls her struggles in the past as a Dalit woman in India to get access to clean water. She challenges churches to be a catalyst for fulfilling the promise of Isaiah to provide free water to all who are thirsty, especially to the Dalit women.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) contributed insights at side events of the World Social Forum titled “Debt Crisis, Food Sovereignty, and Climate Change,” and “Agriculture, Food Sovereignty, Agro-Ecology Energy, and Natural Resources.”
The World Council of Churches was among the undersigning organizations on several statements related to key justice issues released from the World Social Forum, which took place 15-19 February in Nepal.
The World Council of Churches (WCC) Jerusalem Liaison Office Advisory Group convened on 20 February under the leadership of WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay.
