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Religious leaders uniting for climate peace in solidarity with refugees, boost UN conference

The moment religious leaders from around 40 faith-based organisations worldwide agreed to keep defending the individual right to seek asylum during a gathering in Geneva marked a high point on the eve of the Global Refugee Forum, the world's biggest such international gathering.They met at a one-day event on 12 December at the World Council of Churches (WCC), chaired by an Armenian archbishop and a UN diplomat who was once a Turkish legislator.

14 December 2023

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew: climate change constitutes a spiritual and ethical issue

His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew addressed an assembly of religious leaders gathered at the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Centre on 12 December—the day before the opening of the Global Refugee Forum.

14 December 2023

Faith-based leaders release statement to Global Refugee Forum: “seeking asylum is a basic human right”

In a message to the Global Refugee Forum released 12 December, faith-based leaders underscored their commitment to offering sanctuary for refugees as well defending their human rights.

12 December 2023

Statement: public statement

Statement: Religious Leaders Unite for Climate Peace in Solidarity with Refugees

Reinforcing the traditional role of faith communities in offering sanctuary and, indeed hospitality to refugees, 90 faith-based leaders today committed to offering their continued and additional support to refugees, including children, on their journey to safety, including in reception and admission, meeting protection or service delivery needs and supporting communities to find solutions such as private sponsorship or scholarship programmes.

12 December 2023

Ecumenical movement

Message

Address by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the WCC Town-Hall Discussion on Interfaith Dialogue, Climate Change, and Refugee Displacement

Address by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the WCC Town-Hall Discussion on Interfaith Dialogue, Climate Change, and Refugee Displacement - at the Religious Leaders Unite for Climate Peace in Solidarity with Refugees, Ecumenical Center, Geneva, Switzerland 12 December 2023.

12 December 2023

Ecumenical movement

Message

Message of the H.E. Archbishop Dr Aykazian Vicken at the Religious Leaders Unite for Climate Peace in Solidarity with Refugees

Message of the H.E. Archbishop Dr Aykazian Vicken, Vice-moderator of the WCC central committee at the "Religious Leaders Unite for Climate Peace in Solidarity with Refugees" event at the Ecumenical Center, Geneva, Switzerland 12 December 2023.

12 December 2023

WCC Officers

In Colombia, WCC is helping people realize dreams of a future in peace with justice

In September, the World Council of Churches (WCC), with the Colombian Episcopal Conference, United Nations Mission in Colombia, and Organization of American States, was appointed as a permanent accompanier for peace talks with the Estado Mayor Central FARC-EP in Colombia.

20 October 2023

Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (Brazil) to become Blue University

The Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná in Brazil is looking at how to transform into a “Blue University.” Brother Rogério Renato Mateucci, rector, confirmed the university’s commitment to become part of the global Blue Community network.

28 August 2023

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity service at the Interchurch Center in New York City

In New York City, unity prayers focus on how we “can join hands and minds and do the work that God has called us to do”

Christians in New York City opened the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on 18 January by participating in a worship service at the Interchurch Center, an office building that houses many church-related organizations and many others focused on intercultural and religious exchange. The service was infused with themes of justice and unity, both from a perspective of African-American history and the urging of Christians today to put their faith into action.

24 January 2023

Kathryn Lohre (right) with Rev. Nicqi Ashwood (left), WCC Program Executive of the Just Community of Women and Men, and Dr Agnes Abuom (center), former moderator of the WCC Central Committee, Photo: Courtesy of Kathryn Lohre

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America looks back on WCC assembly as “a beautiful reunion”

To the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, relationships are at the heart of its membership in the World Council of Churches (WCC).

06 October 2022

Winnie Byanyima, executive director of UNAIDS

For children with HIV, inequality must be addressed, urge faith-based leaders

An interfaith breakfast held in conjunction with the 77th session of the UN General Assembly brought into focus the urgent need for policymakers to better address key gaps to end inequalities in HIV services for children.

26 September 2022

Loyce Maturu speaks at an interfaith breakfast

Loyce Maturu on childhood HIV: “interfaith community has the power to make a difference”

As Loyce Maturu shared her story of growing up in Zimbabwe at an interfaith breakfast in New York City on 22 September, she held herself up as an example that faith communities really can make a difference for children who have HIV.

26 September 2022

GEM School grounds economic justice biblically

The first face-to-face GEM School held since 2019 has opened in Berlin, Germany, with a focus on ecological and feminist economics.

06 July 2022

A woman standing at the entrance of the Global Village, Durban, South Africa

“Statelessness is about expulsion from the human community”

Ekaterina E. wears the human face of statelessness every day.“Statelessness is about expulsion from the human community” she says, “for me personally, being stateless means I have been separated from my mother for nearly 30 years now.”

23 June 2022

Statement: public statement

Stockholm+50 Interfaith Statement - “Faith Values and Reach - Contribution to Environmental Policy”

03 June 2022

Ecumenical movement

A group of Oromo IDPs walk on the dry riverbed near Burka Dare IDP site in Seweyna woreda (administrative unit), Bale Zone, Ethiopia, Photo: Albin Hillert/Life on Earth Pictures

WCC, Religions for Peace will release joint message on statelessness: “Belonging—Affirmations for Faith Leaders’

The World Council of Churches (WCC) and Religions for Peace will issue on 9 May a joint message on statelessness, “Belonging—Affirmations for Faith Leaders”.

The document is one of the most recent fruits of WCC work that has been ongoing for more than a decade around the issue of statelessness. It is currently available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.

06 May 2022

Background document

Message from the waters of Brazil to the waters of the world

Ecumenical Water Network-Brazil (REDA-Brazil) Stands in Solidarity with #FAME 2022.

28 April 2022

WCC Programmes

A woman firefighter greets a young refugee child from Ukraine as he arrives at the Vama Siret border crossing, Romania. The Vama Siret border crossing connects northeast Romania with Ukraine. Located north of Siret and further in the south the city of Suceava, the crossing connects Romania with the Ukrainian village of Terebleche and further north the city of Chernivtsi. Following the invasion of Ukraine by Russian military starting on 24 February 2022, close to half a million refugees have fled across the

WCC encourages singing, praying for peace as creative ideas abound

A “human chain” singing for peace and a new hymn by Swedish composer and pastor Per Harling are just two of many creative ways people are expressing their yearning for peace.

30 March 2022