With Zimbabwe and other African nations heading for elections in the coming months, churches in the region recently reflected on their role in strengthening democratic governance and electoral process.

Power, social injustice, the threat of extremism and Christian-Muslim relations will be among the main themes of a conference on the situation of Christians in the Middle East. The conference is set to take place next week in Lebanon. The international conference will bring together some 150 participants from the Middle East and beyond, representing churches as well as regional [...]

Brussels, 14 May 2013 – At a Public Hearing today in the European Parliament, European Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have joined forces in an ad-hoc coalition to present country-specific recommendations for 2013 in the areas of employment, poverty, education, tax, environmental change and gender equality. Together, they call for a more balanced social, sustainable and equality-based Economic and Monetary Union, [...]

14 May 2013 – The scandal of world hunger could soon be ended if the revenues that developing countries lose through tax dodging were available to them to invest in agricultural development, says a new report from Christian Aid.

Flüchtlingskrise in den Nachbarstaaten spitzt sich zu Angesichts des israelischen Raketenangriffs und der syrischen Reaktion warnt Martin Kessler, Leiter der Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe, dringend vor einer Ausweitung des Konfliktes in Syrien. „Jede weitere Eskalation würde die Situation der Menschen in Syrien enorm verschärfen und die Flüchtlingsströme weiter anwachsen lassen. Schon jetzt ist die Situation der Menschen, die vor dem Krieg in [...]

The World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has expressed concern at the methodology and results of the Albania Census 2011. He has raised questions in regard to the reliability of the process which, he said, has implications for the rights of religious minorities and religious freedoms guaranteed in the country’s constitution.

Presidium of the CPCE marks Europe Day on 9th May Reflecting upon on its own positive experience as a European church community and also in the face of the severe crisis in which Europe is currently embroiled, the Presidium of the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe recalls the courage and vision articulated in the Schuman Declaration of 9th May [...]

ACT Alliance member Christian Aid is calling for countries negotiating a new global climate change agreement to ensure that fairness towards poor countries with the least responsibility for carbon emissions is central to future negotiations. It wants an ‘equity review’ to determine the emission capping actions each country should take.

In Tahiti, an ecumenical delegation was told about the need for re-inscription of French Polynesia (Maohi Nui) on the United Nations list of countries to be decolonized. The delegates discussed various pressing concerns while meeting with the local church leaders, civil society organizations and President Oscar Manutahi Temaru during their visit to French Polynesia from 26 April to 1 May.

Asia Church Leadership Conference BANGKOK, Thailand/GENEVA, 2 May 2013 (LWI) – Lutheran churches in Asia have embarked on a reformation of their theological understanding and reflection on holistic mission and Lutheran identity in the context of the region’s rapid secularization.