WCC NEWS: Conference calls on churches to listen, speak the truth and advocate for human rights

A conference held in Wuppertal, Germany, and online on 9-12 April published a message calling on churches across the world to not only listen more closely to the victims of human rights violations, but to act in stronger solidarity with them. A refugee family from Ukraine arrives at the Vama Siret border crossing in Romania. Following the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, more than 4,5 million refugees have left Ukraine fleeing the war, including more than 700,000 refugees crossing the border into Romania. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 13 April 2022 The conference, “Christian Perspectives on Human Dignity and Human Rights”, was organized jointly by the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (CCIA), United Evangelical Mission, and Evangelical Church in Germany. The message calls on churches to “rediscover the rich biblical narratives that affirm human dignity, justice and the rule of law,” and urges “further theological reflection and discernment for responsible action.” This means speaking the truth and advocating for the victims by bringing their reports and testimonies to the attention of national authorities and international mechanisms. Underscoring the message is the affirmation of the “enduring relevance of the Bible” as a dynamic resource for churches in their ongoing advocacy for the respect for human rights. The message also urges churches to “engage with the differences in perspective and approach within the ecumenical movement in order to work towards common conclusions and recommendations for churches to reclaim the language of human rights, and to advocate for human rights and rule of law as an integral part of churches’ life and witness.” Forty-seven conference participants from 22 countries acknowledged that advocating for universal human dignity and rights is part of striving for justice, peace and integrity of creation. They urged churches to “strengthen the capacity among church members through training and empowerment to actively engage in human rights advocacy.” The conference message, which will also be shared at the WCC 11th Assembly, calls for churches to collaborate ecumenically and to build interreligious bridges as well. The message urges churches to “expose and challenge all forms of discrimination, injustice and abuse of power that undermine human dignity and human rights” and “discern criteria in relation to culture and tradition, so that while these values are cherished and nurtured, they shall never foster hatred, injustice or the rejection of the dignity of other human beings.” Finally, the message urges churches to establish accountability structures, and to “acknowledge that human dignity is to be understood not in isolation from the integrity of the entire creation, affirming a foundational relationality of all creatures.” Message of the conference “Christian Perspectives on Human Dignity and Human Rights” Panel discussion calls churches to stand up for rights and dignity of every human being (WCC press release, 12 April 2022) Watch the public session of the conference “Christian Perspectives on Human Dignity and Human Rights Photo gallery from the conference in Wuppertal 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 349 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