 | 2008 |
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| 09.10.2008 |  | | Seminar on World Mental Health Day
A lunchtime seminar on "Making Mental Health a Global Priority" will take place on World Mental Health Day, 10 October, at Geneva's Ecumenical Centre. Read more
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| 09.10.2008 |  | | Europe and China: relationship between religion and state is changing
The rapidly changing relationship between religion and state and the challenge of multiple identities were the foci of a lively dialogue between ten Chinese and nine European scholars and religious leaders representing Buddhism, Islam, Christianity and traditional Chinese religions held in Sweden, 3-6 October. Read more
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| 02.10.2008 | | | New network for ecumenical theological education in Eastern and Central Europe
In the context of rapid social and political changes in Eastern and Central Europe, some 37 leading representatives of theological and ecumenical institutions throughout the region gathered in Romania recently to seek more mutual cooperation and ecumenical commitment to ecumenical theological education. Read more
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| 30.09.2008 | | | WCC executive committee meets and approves budget and statements
The executive committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC), meeting in Luebeck, Germany, 23-26 September 2008, reviewed programme, budget, and approved various public statements and reports and the extension of the contract of the current general secretary. Read more
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| 26.09.2008 | | | Religious and Political Leaders dialogue on the role of religions in peace
The United Nations Liaison Office of the World Council of Churches (WCC) co-sponsored an international dialogue on September 25 between some 300 religious leaders and political figures - including Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - aimed at exploring faith perspectives and the role of religion regarding global issues such as poverty, war and prejudice while deepening mutual understanding. Read more
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| 25.09.2008 | | | Panel discussion: Cultures and religions for all ages?
On the International Day of Older Persons, 1 October, an inter-religious ceremony and a panel discussion at Geneva's Ecumenical Centre will highlight the role of culture and religion in a rapidly ageing world that struggles to provide care and participation for all.
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| 25.09.2008 | | | Samuel Kobia's term as WCC general secretary extended
The executive committee of the World Council of Churches (WCC) meeting 23-26 September in Luebeck, Germany announced their decision to extend the contract of Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, the current WCC general secretary, through the time when a new general secretary takes office. Read more
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| 24.09.2008 | | | Saints and martyrs, a driving force for church unity
Can saints and martyrs - or for that matter, Christians who lived exemplary lives - help unite the churches into which they were born? An international group of experts will discuss this and other related questions at a symposium in an Italian monastery. Read more
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| 24.09.2008 | | | WCC co-sponsors international dialogue between religious leaders and political figures
The UN Liaison Office of the World Council of Churches (WCC) is co-sponsoring an international dialogue between religious leaders and political figures - including Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - aimed at exploring faith perspectives and the role of religion regarding global issues such as poverty, war and prejudice while deepening mutual understanding. Read more
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| 22.09.2008 |  | | Women in Christian-Muslim dialogue want to break down stereotypes
Can women play a strong role in bringing reconciliation and tolerance to the communities in conflict? Can divisions and divides be resolved from a faith-based perspective, when religion often is considered a cause of violence?
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| 18.09.2008 | | | Christian and Muslim women dialogue takes shape
In the comfort of a simple Swedish meeting room, 25 Christian and Muslim women met to talk about how religion, which is often blamed to cause violence, can move people toward peace. When Rev. Marika Palmdahl welcomed the participants in the meeting "Moving towards a peace through religion" which was held 4-7 September and co-organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Teheran's Institute for Interreligious Dialogue (IID), her white collar band raised some questions. "Does this mean she is a woman priest?" some wondered. Read more
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| 17.09.2008 | | | WCC executive committee to meet in Germany
The World Council of Churches (WCC) executive committee will meet in Lübeck, Germany on 23-26 September. The global food crisis, the conflict in Darfur and the situation in Sri Lanka are some of the issues about which public statements will be considered. The committee will assess the progress done in shaping a new form of WCC assembly, review WCC programme plans and budget and appoint an acting general secretary for 2009. Read more
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| 16.09.2008 | | | In growing numbers, churches pray for peace on 21 September
Nearly 140 congregations and Christian groups in the United States are organizing public prayer events on the International Day of Prayer for Peace, on 21 September. Another grouping of churches from different countries around the world has committed to observe the day with a 24-hour prayer chain. Read more
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| 15.09.2008 | | |
"Promised Land" conference brings about "constructive confrontation", new views on Israel-Palestine conflict
A conference on "Promised Land" that aired different theological approaches to this key issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has given church leaders and theologians new views to take home to their churches. Some participants said their outlook had been changed by the "constructive confrontation" at the World Council of Churches (WCC) event. Read more
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| 10.09.2008 | | | International conference addresses religious dimensions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The need to "re-frame the religious dimensions" of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a key goal of a 4-day international theological conference starting today in the Swiss capital, Bern. The conference involves some 65 theologians and church leaders from all over the world who are focusing on the issue of "Promised Land". Read more
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| 10.09.2008 | | | WCC delegation finds deep wounds in South Ossetia, hears healing words in Moscow
The destruction of ethnic Georgian communities in South Ossetia, the deep wounds to local society and war damage to the capital city confronted a delegation from the World Council of Churches on the second half of a 3-7 September pastoral visit to Georgia and Russia. The findings added urgency to concerns raised by government and church officials during a stop in Moscow. Read more
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| 05.09.2008 | | | After a 4,000 km detour, ecumenical delegation to reach South Ossetia
A pastoral delegation sent by the World Council of Churches (WCC) to Georgia and Russia has not been able to visit South Ossetia from the Georgian side of the ceasefire line. Unable to make the half-hour drive to Tskhinvali from within Georgia, they are now traveling thousands of kilometers to reach the enclave from the Russian side instead. Read more
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| 04.09.2008 | | | Orissa: WCC and LWF ask for end of violence, solidarity
The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) have jointly called on the Prime Minister of India requesting his intervention to end the violence in the state of Orissa. The WCC invites its member churches to join a call from Christians in India to hold a Day of Prayer and Fasting for peace and goodwill on Sunday, 7 September.
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| 03.09.2008 | | |
WCC delegation visits Georgia and Russia
A pastoral delegation from the World Council of Churches (WCC) is visiting Russia and Georgia from 3 to 7 September. The delegation will listen to WCC member churches in both countries, encourage their efforts for peace and visit people displaced by the recent violence as well as church aid programmes. Read more
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| 02.09.2008 | | |
An international ecumenical debate on the issue of "promised land"
One challenge for churches addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the fact that it takes place in a land that different religions consider holy. A conference in Bern will discuss the concept of the "Promised Land" and related theological issues with a view to help more churches become advocates for a just peace.
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| 28.08.2008 | | | Muslim and Christian women to explore religious contributions to peace
Some twenty Christian and Muslim women will meet 4-7 September in Gothenburg, Sweden, as part of a dialogue process labelled "Moving towards peace through religion". Hosted by the Diocese of Gothenburg of the Church of Sweden, the meeting follows one held last year in Teheran. The initiative is co-organized by the Iranian Institute for Interreligious Dialogue (IID) and the World Council of Churches (WCC). Read more
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| 20.08.2008 | | | Ceremonies, books and broadcasts mark the WCC 60th anniversary
"Stating that in seeking Christ they found each other, the 147 churches that sixty years ago came together in Amsterdam, Netherlands committed themselves afresh to Christ and covenanted with one another in constituting the World Council of Churches (WCC)," said the Council's general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia as he prepared to leave for a commemorative event to be held at the location where the WCC was officially founded 60 years ago, 23 August 1948 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Read more
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| 13.08.2008 | | | Inter-religious youth group celebrates open debate
During a youth interfaith seminar outside Geneva last month some participants realized the religious differences are usually smaller than imagined and cultural differences are often more significant than expected. Read more
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| 12.08.2008 | | | Ecumenical bodies call for ceasefire, negotiations and urgent relief in the Caucasus region
A public statement from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Conference of European Churches (CEC) has called for prayers and assistance for those affected by the recent conflict in the Caucasus. The war began five days ago and despite its brevity has already killed hundreds of people, displaced thousands others and severely damaged homes, buildings and property in several cities. Read more
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| 12.08.2008 | | |
Water for all: young Christians study defence of this precious resource
"Water has no colour, no race, no nationality, it is the same all over the world," according to Rania Flavie Tourma, an Orthodox Christian from Syria. So to her, it was perfectly natural that people from around the world gathered near Geneva, Switzerland at the Ecumenical Water Network (EWN) Summer School on Water to unite in defence of this natural resource.
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| 11.08.2008 | | |
"A Common Word" letter sparks a series of dialogues among Christians and Muslims
A recent dialogue held in late July at Yale University in the United States brought together Muslim and Christian scholars, intellectuals, academics and religious leaders from the United States and around the world. The event was one of a series of dialogues organized in response to the October 2007 open letter "A Common Word" sent by 138 Muslim scholars to Christians around the world. The letter invited them to dialogue about what they viewed as the common parts of their respective faiths. Read more
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| 07.08.2008 | | |
Despite poverty, seeds of hope bud in Indonesia
On a recent travel to Indonesia, a "Living Letters" team representing the member churches of the World Council of Churches (WCC) discovered seeds of hope for a world without violence. In Sulawesi, the Moluccas, West Timor and other islands they saw how the churches were working side by side with their communities and those of other faiths to bring peace and the improvement of all people.
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