From Harare to Porto Alegre I Ii an Illustrated Account of the Life of the World Council of Churches December 1998 to February 2006
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From Harare to Porto Alegre i ii An Illustrated Account of the Life of the World Council of Churches December 1998 to February 2006 From Harare to Porto Alegre iii 1998-2006 World Council of Churches, Geneva Photo credits Pages 1 (bottom), 2, 4, 6, 9 (left), 13, 18, Pages 11, 31 (bottom), 70, 71, 81, 113, Page 106: (right) 21, 23 (both), 24, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31 (top), 122 (top), 124, 144: Chris Black/WCC Mike DuBose/UMNS/ACT International 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38, 39, 40, 41, 43, 44, Page 19: Marta Luksza Page 107: 45, 47 (both), 48 (both), 49, 50 (top), 51, Daniel Fekete/HIA/ACT International 52, 53, 55 (right), 56, 57, 58, 59 (left), 60 Page 20: Henna Aaltonen/WCC (bottom right), 61, 62, 63 (right), 67, 68, Pages 122 (bottom), 123: Page 22: L’Osservatore Romano 72, 73, 74, 76, 78, 84, 87 (top and bot- Paul Weinberg/WCC tom), 89, 90, 91 (left), 92 (both), 93, 94, Pages 25, 55 (left): Page 127: Eva Halling/EAPPI 95, 96, 97, 101, 103, 104, 108, 109, 116 Juan Michel/WCC (both), 117, 120, 121, 130, 131 (both), Page 128: Didier Rüf/WCC Pages 27, 112: 137, 138, 141 (top), 145, 148, 150, 151, Paulino Menezes/WCC & LWF Page 134: Ida Suhrke/EAPPI 152, 154, 158, 160, 161, 164, 166, 189: Peter Williams/WCC Page 42: Dmytro Shevchuk Page 135: EAPPI Pages 1 (top), 54, 83 (both), 119 (right), Pages 66 (bottom), 110: Marc French/WCC Page 136 (right): Hege Opseth/NCA/ACT International 136 (left), 162-63: Eduardo Quadros/WCC Page 75: Jeremy Routledge/EAPPI Page 139: Adrián Stehlik/WCC Pages 7, 15, 37, 59 (right), 60 (top), 63 Pages 79, 87 (middle), 159, 162 (left), 173: (left), 64, 65, 66 (top), 85, 88, 91 (left), 98, Catherine Alt/WCC Page 141 (bottom): Christoph Gocke/EAPPI 99, 100, 102 (both), 106 (left), 111, 114, 115 (bottom), 118 (both), 119 (left), 129, Page 80: unattributed Page 142: Jonathan Frerichs/ACT International 132, 133, 140, 147, 149 (both), 163 Page 82: Hans Ucko (right): Paul Jeffrey/ACT International Page 143: Matt Robson/EAPPI iv Page 86: Joel/EAPPI Pages 8, 9 (right), 10: Page 146: unattributed Andreas Schölzer/WCC Page 105: Orla Clinton/Church of Sweden/ ACT International The WCC central committee expresses its gratitude to Sara Speicher for her creative efforts in coordinating the preparation of this report, working closely with each team to interpret the Council’s vision and actions in our continuing quest for Christian unity and proclamation of God’s reign. Original: English. This publication is also available in French, German and Spanish. Cover and design: Marie Arnaud Snakkers Cover photos: Paul Jeffrey/ACT International, Peter Williams/WCC, Paul Weinberg/WCC, Chris Black/WCC, Juan Michel/WCC, Hege Opseth NCA/ACT International ISBN 2-8254-1456-5 © 2005 World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney, P.O.Box 2100 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland Web site: http://www.wcc-coe.org Printed in France Contents Preface Aram I . p.ix The WCC in Facts and Figures . p.xi Introduction . p.01 Churches Seeking Reconciliation and Peace . p.07 Learning new ways of working . p.08 Ambitious goals and concrete efforts . p.10 Overcoming violence against women . p.14 Annual focus . p.15 Strengthening the Fellowship of Churches . p.18 Relations with Orthodox churches . p.19 Being a member of the WCC . p.20 Visiting the churches . p.21 Relations with the Roman Catholic Church . p.22 v Dialogue with Pentecostal, Evangelical and Independent churches . p.24 Progress towards a global Christian forum . p.26 Fostering the coherence of the ecumenical movement . p.27 Discussing the reconfiguration of the ecumenical movement . p.28 Supporting participation and leadership of youth . p.29 Special Commission on Orthodox Participation in the WCC . p.32 Building the Unity of the Church . p.38 Studies towards unity . p.39 Theological reflection on peace . p.44 Human sexuality . p.45 “A Church of All and for All” . p.47 Supporting United and Uniting churches . p.47 Worship and spirituality . p.48 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity . p.49 75th anniversary of efforts towards visible unity . p.50 Witnessing to the World . p.51 Reflecting on mission today . p.53 Learning how to do mission in unity . p.57 The churches’ health and healing ministry . p.60 Conference on world mission and evangelism . p.61 p.64 . Next steps in mission . p.65 . Churches respond to HIV and AIDS . p.67 . Ecumenical HIV/AIDS Initiative in Africa . p.70 . Education as Ecumenical Formation . p.70 . Renewing ecumenical spirit in the regions . p.73 . Supporting ecumenical education and responding to new challenges . p.77 . Scholarships . p.78 . The Ecumenical Institute at Bossey . p.81 . Engaging in Dialogue with Neighbours of other Religions . p.82 . Discerning the WCC’s role . p.83 . Christian-Muslim dialogue . p.86 . Religion and violence . p.88 . Common responses to critical issues . p.88 Inter-religious dialogue “critical moment” conference . p.90 . Guidance to churches . p.91 . New understandings . p.95 . Serving Human Need . p.95 . Partnership and ecumenical priorities for diakonia . vi p.99 . Capacity-building and reflection on diakonia . p.101 . Advocating for uprooted people . p.103 . Supporting and involving children . p.105 . Action by Churches Together (ACT) International . p.108 . Ecumenical Church Loan Fund (ECLOF) . p.109 . Upholding the Fullness of Life . p.110 . Challenging global economic structures . p.113 . Women and economy . p.115 The difference a letter can make . p.116 . Ecological justice . p.118 . Working in solidarity with Indigenous peoples . p.120 . Proclaiming a church for all: Ecumenical Disability Advocates Network p.121 . Broadening definitions and response to racism . p.123 . Women’s voices and visions . p.125 . Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (EAA) . p.127 . Promoting Peace, Security and Human Rights . p.128 . Response to conflict . p.128 . Kosovo crisis . p.129 . September 11, 2001 . p.130 . Israel-Palestine . p.132 . Iraq . Regional conflicts . p.134 Impunity and reconciliation . p.136 Human rights . p.137 Disarmament . p.138 Advocacy with the United Nations . p.140 Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) p.141 Focus on Africa . p.144 Impact of war and efforts for peace . p.145 Accompanying peace processes in Sudan . p.150 Economic justice . p.153 Strengthening spirituality and ethical values . p.153 Enabling and empowering the ecumenical movement in Africa . p.155 An integrated effort . p.157 Communicating the Ecumenical Story . p.158 Enhancing communication strategies, skills and networks . p.160 Raising the voice of the churches through the media . p.161 Working together to communicate “fellowship” . p.162 Building electronic platforms for information-sharing . p.163 Providing visual images of church and ecumenical life . p.164 Telling the ecumenical story through books and other diverse media . ..