The World Council of Churches (WCC), United Nations Environment Programme, Muslim Council of Elders, and NY Board of Rabbis have signed a landmark joint appeal, “Climate-Responsible Finance – A moral imperative and responsibility to all children and the living world“.
World Council of Churches
7th International Conference on Ecological Theology and Environmental Ethics
Ecothee 22 will be held at Orthodox Academy of Crete in Kolympari, Chania, Greece, from 26-29 October 2022. This conference is under the Auspices of His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and with the support of the World Council of Churches (WCC) – Care for Creation, sustainability and climate justice (Ecological and Economic Justice). There is a call for Abstracts.
Protests at Police Restrictions for Orthodox Easter in Jerusalem
The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in the Holy Land says it will not cooperate with Israeli police orders to limit the number of people attending the Holy Fire ceremony a day before Easter Sunday, which this year falls on April 24 for the Eastern Orthodox Church.
According to a statement from the church, police are allowing only 1,000 people to enter the Church of the Holy Sepulcher on April 23, along with another 500 who can view the ceremony from outside the church.
World Council of Churches: Stand up for rights and dignity of every human being
Bringing together biblical, theological and practical perspectives on human dignity, participants of the international conference in Wuppertal challenged churches for a common understanding and protection of human rights during the public panel discussion on 11 April.
New eco-theology book combines diverse views with best practices
A new volume—“Contemporary ecotheology, climate justice and environmental stewardship in the world”—is the latest of the continued fruits of the 6th International Conference on Ecological theology and Environmental Ethics, or Ecothee, which took place in September 2019 at the Orthodox Academy of Crete in Kolymvari. This volume is available for full access and download.
COP26 event urges partnership between religious, Indigenous leaders to save planet
There can be no solution to the climate crisis that does not recognize the rights and spiritualities of Indigenous peoples, according to religious leaders who gathered for the official COP26 side event ‘Making Peace with Nature.’
COP-26: Making Peace with Nature: Heeding the Call of Indigenous Peoples
At the COP 26 Climate Change Conference, Religions for Peace partnered with several organiations to present a side-event on listening to indigenous peoples, which is one of the articles of the Paris Agreement. “Making Peace with Nature: Heeding the Call of Indigenous Peoples” explores the role of #religious and #Indigenous leaders and how best to protect our planet, nature, and the climate. The Government of Norway will also be announcing its support for the next phase of the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative (@faiths4forests).
As UN releases climate change report, “the signs of the times have never been clearer” …
The most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, an international body of scientists set up by the United Nations, confirms that human-induced climate change is accelerating and is fundamentally changing our only planetary home. The report finds that we are precariously close to surpassing the relatively safe limit of 1.5°C global temperature rise—in under two decades—with increasingly disastrous consequences. “The signs of the times have never been clearer,” say the World Council of Churches. “The report is a major alarm bell.”
“Anti-racist in Christ?” Online event will consider Christian repentance, action
The World Council of Churches and the Council for World Mission, from 14-17 June, will present online the ecumenical event “Anti-racist in Christ? Ecumenical Christian Repentance, Reflection and Action on Racial Discrimination and Xenophobia.”
World Day for Child Sexual Abuse Prevention, Healing and Justice
The first world-wide day Day for Child Sexual Abuse Prevention, Healing and Justice was recently observed online, on 8 April 2021. This virtual event was hosted by the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science, Harvard Divinity School, the Chan School of Public Health and the Catholic Project at the Catholic University of America and the World Council of Churches.
Joint Initiative of Religions for Peace and World Council of Churches on Thursdays in Black campaign
The World Council of Churches (WCC) and Religions for Peace speak out against gender-based violence and commit to widen religious participation in the Thursdays in Black campaign.
International Women’s Day: Pray for Women around the World
International Women’s Day is held on March 8 each year to honour and celebrate the achievements of women and highlight challenges and the need for action to reach gender equality. The day has been commemorated for well over a century. This year’s international theme is #ChoosetoChallenge.
7th Annual Symposium on the Role of Religion and Faith-based Organizations in International Affairs
The 7th Annual Symposium on the Role of Religion and Faith-Based Organizations in International Affairs, entitled “2021: A Defining Year for Accelerating Gender Equality, Equity and Justice” will be held virtually 8:00 -12:30 pm EST/New York on, Tuesday 26th January 2021.
WCC Faith and Order Commission publishes two volumes on moral discernment
Current tensions within and between churches are often the result of disagreements over moral issues. Churches thus face challenges to preserve unity and meet obstacles to restore unity. Seeing the urgency of the matter, the World Council of Churches’ (WCC) Faith and Order Commission took up the task to assist the churches in finding a way to deepen mutual understanding leading to dialogue. Its study group on moral discernment presents two publications.
16 Days: global voices ring strongly against gender-based violence
The 16 Days Against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that begins on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and ends on 10 December, Human Rights Day.
Online prayer service on World AIDS Day
The World Council of Churches will host an online prayer service on World AIDS Day, observed this year on 1 December. The Prayer Service is available for download and reading during the livestreaming.
Cooler Earth – Higher Benefits
Celebrating International Children’s Day, the World Council of Churches has released a research paper “Cooler Earth – Higher Benefits: Actions by those who care about children, climate and finance.” The publication gives suggestions of how churches and other organisations around the world can respond to the climate emergency through investment decisions which are crucial to protect children from global warming.
World Council of Churches and Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue commemorate 25 years of fruitful dialogue
Beginning with a meeting in Geneva in 1995, and alternating between there and Tehran, the World Council of Churches and the Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue have met regularly, addressing a number of themes including: “Religion and the Contemporary World,” “Religions and Globalisation,” “Religion and Peaceful Coexistence” and “Spirituality and Modernity.” Now, the signing of a celebratory certificate commemorates 25 years of fruitful dialogue, leaders from the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Center for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation in Tehran met online on 27 October.