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On 15 April, faith-based and civil society organizations came together to engage with the theme of the third session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent and its implications for the work of religious organizations working with and for People of African Descent.

According to the fifth mark of the Anglican Church's mission, the church aims to protect and renew the earth's creation and sustain it. The Anglican Church of Southern Africa environmental network is dedicated to helping churches and dioceses fulfill God's calling to be earth-keepers and to care for creation.

Preceding the first session of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent (Permanent Forum), the World Council of Churches (WCC) hosted, on 29 November, a webinar entitled “The New UN Forum on People of African descent: realising the promises of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action?”



 

With over 3,500 participants from all over the world, opportunities for “encounter” are rich and continuous at the 11^th Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) taking place in Karlsruhe, Germany. Intentional gatherings – from small “home” groups to regional meetings also help to connect participants and bring different perspectives to the concerns and hopes being raised under the Assembly theme, “Christ’s love moves the world to reconciliation and unity”.

On a glorious Friday morning, the prayer tent at the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11^th Assembly in Karlsruhe burst with enthusiastic singing of hymns, liturgical responses and praise songs in German, English, Spanish, Arabic, Maohi, Estonian, and Xhosa.

In Harare it was called Padare —a public procession celebrating a special day or event; In Porto Alegre, Mutirao —celebrating and reflecting together; In Busan, it was Madang —the traditional courtyard, a space for deliberation, celebration, and fellowship. And now in Karlsruhe, it is Brunnen —a well in the marketplace.

An interfaith statement developed at Stockholm+50, “Faith Values and Reach - Contribution to Environmental Policy,” was signed by representatives of various faith-based organizations and Indigenous cultures across the world, including the World Council of Churches, and directed to the governments, UN entities, civil society, and all stakeholders of the “Stockholm+50” processes.

A recent webinar, “Debt Cancellation as Anti-Racism in times of Black Lives Matter protests,” explored how debt cancellation for African and other developing countries can be an instrument for overcoming racism.

A symposium exploring the complex question of misleading theologies in Africa ended here on 24 November, amid concerns that the phenomenon was harming the efforts to combat coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and other diseases.