The Interfaith Alliance, based in the USA, has published a new report, “Big Tech, Hate, and Religious Freedom Online,” that works to educate people about the uniquely damaging impact of bigotry and hate.
World Council of Churches
Religions for Peace Australia: Year in Review
Year 2022 saw relaxation of the pandemic restrictions, and the emergence of conflict in Ukraine. There was a strong response from religious leaders in Australia. Living the Change, taking care of the environment and sharing faith community responses to domestic violence were activities that Religions for Peace Australia took up during Year 2022.
World Council of Churches: The Message of Christmas
“The joyful message of the first Christmas states that the love of God in Christ is meant indeed for all people, for the whole of creation,” reads the message. “Our time is a time of fear.”
Some fear the climate emergency, the message acknowledges. “Many are afraid today that they will no longer be able to feed their children tomorrow,” the message laments. “Others are afraid that military conflicts may cause nuclear disasters.”
“The angels of the first Christmas called the shepherds to have faith in the divine promise of peace on earth and God’s goodwill towards humanity,”
Online applications open for interreligious summer course at Bossey
Jews, Christians and Muslims up to the age of 35 years are invited to apply for the 2023 Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Interreligious Studies course. Final submission date for applications is 28 February 2023.
Interfaith dialogue promotes holistic reflection on climate change on eve of COP27 in Egypt
6 November 2022, Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt: Religious leaders and representatives of ecumenical organizations gather for a Talanoa dialogue at the eve of COP27 in Egypt. The dialogue seeks to address how faith-based communities can contribute to the work to address the evermore urgent climate emergency, and in 2022 is held at Qesm Sharm Ash Sheikh, or The Heavenly Cathedral, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, home to congregants of the Coptic Orthodox Church. Photo: LWF/Albin Hillert
On the day before the official opening of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, representatives from different faiths gathered at Qesm Sharm Ash Sheikh, or The Heavenly Cathedral, home to congregants of the Coptic Orthodox Church, to share their perspectives on the climate crisis.
Greeting of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to the WCC 11th Assembly
His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew offered greetings and a pointed message to the delegates and participants at the World Council of Churches (WCC) 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, Germany.
World Council of Churches: Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace Publications
The World Council of Churches and Globethics.net have co-published four new books on different facets of the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace. Harvesting the insights from the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace process and visits from the WCC 10th Assembly in Busan, this series focuses on a number of geographic and thematic areas.
WCC, United Nations Environment Programme, Muslim Council of Elders, NY Board of Rabbis sign joint appeal for climate-responsible finance as a moral imperative towards children
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“.
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.
