WCC NEWS: Walk and reflect on the Easter journey for justice in Palestine and Israel

The road from Jericho to Jerusalem. Bethany. The Mount of Olives. The Holy Sepulchre. The World Council of Churches Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (WCC-EAPPI) is exploring the current realities of life under military occupation in four holy sites. 30 March 2021 Following the “footsteps of Jesus,” the WCC-EAPPI Easter Initiative is a new collection of resource materials that includes a set of Bible studies – one on each location – proposals for concrete advocacy efforts to be made by individuals and communities around the globe, and photos, stories and videos that give witness to current realities today. People living under occupation have shared their stories of injustice as well as their hopes for the future.  WCC member churches and partners around the world are invited to engage with these compelling narratives around Easter, together with their local communities, and within their own families. “This is truly an ecumenical initiative, beginning with Holy Week for Christians in the Western tradition, and running all the way through the Easter celebrations of our sisters and brothers in the Eastern traditions,” explains WCC acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca. “In all our efforts, we want to provide opportunities for churches and partners around the globe to join hands in fostering hope and bringing peace.” The WCC aims to promote stronger engagement in the search for a just peace among Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy Land. The initiative forms one in a range of efforts by the WCC and its partners to encourage and sustain nonviolent efforts for just peace for all people in Palestine and Israel. Learn more at: WCC-EAPPI Easter Initiative 2021 See more

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, today the WCC brings together 350 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland