WCC WEEKLY: Women’s rights; Churches’ response to suffering world; Syria: Violence against religious communities

28 June - 4 July 2013

Voices of faith challenge violation of women’s rights At the Human Rights Defenders Forum, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter called the abuse of women the “most pervasive and unaddressed human rights violation in the whole world.” This abuse, he stressed, is contrary to the basic premise of every religion, including Christianity. Diakonia is churches’ response to the suffering of the world The WCC general secretary called diakonia an expression of faith that “embodies the signs of God’s reign and makes it visible in all experiences of hope amidst turmoil, in actions that heal and nurture people and relationships.” Ecumenical Patriarch reaffirms power of faith for social justice Faith can be a powerful ally in addressing issues of social justice, said Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. He called faith a bearer of unique perspectives on eradicating poverty, balancing amidst globalization, combating fundamentalism, racism, and developing religious tolerance during conflicts. Increasing violence against religious communities in Syria alarming WCC general secretary issues statement on recent violence in Syria targeting religious communities.

Prayer Cycle 30 June - 6 July 2013 Bolivia, Chile, Peru » View the prayers 7 - 13 July 2013 Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela View the prayers The WCC in social media: Sharing prayers and news on Facebook and Twitter

Upcoming events

Building an interfaith community 12 - 30 August 2013 Bossey, Switzerland "What can we, as people of faith, do to respond and to overcome the pressing challenges of our time, such as violence and conflict, and build together mutually accountable societies based on respect and cooperation?" This is the question up to 30 young Christians, Muslims and Jews from around the world are to explore during a summer seminar at the World Council of Churches' Ecumenical Institute in Bossey. Belonging(s)? Migration in theological perspective 31 August 2013  Berne, Switzerland The church today is confronted with migration issues as they affect its own members and the society in which it acts. The biblical message calls it to accompany people in their quest of and in their fears of the loss of belonging. The church addresses migration primarily in diaconal and social-political perspectives. However, this commitment, and migration issues as a whole, have until now been only scarcely reflected upon from a theological viewpoint. This conference offers the opportunity for such a reflection.

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The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, by the end of 2012 the WCC had 345 member churches representing more than 500 million Christians from Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other traditions in over 110 countries. The WCC works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is the Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway.
Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press
Visiting address: 150 route de Ferney, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland