WCC NEWS: Online consultation will explore intersection of food and debt crises—and possible solutions

The World Council of Churches (WCC) will cohost an online consultation on 12 April to address the pressing issue of the converging food and debt crises. The event invites churches, ecumenical partners, and civil society allies to come together to examine the intersections and roots of these crises, and to seek collective guidance on possible joint responses. 7 March 2018, Arusha, Tanzania: Elhadi prepares the field to grow onions, in Usa River. The Usa River 2 project is supported by the Meru Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania's Sustainable Livelihood programme, designed to support sustainable agriculture through biogas production and diverse practices, so as to keep the soil in good shape through many decades of work on the land. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 06 April 2023 The consultation will offer a platform for participants to share their global and regional perspectives, engage in plenary discussions, and reflect on the situation from different perspectives. The online event will be divided into three sections: discernment of the present situation, analysis of the crisis, and exploring actions that the faithful could take. The primary aim of this consultation is to develop a clear understanding of the key interlinked developments of food insecurity, debt, and bank collapse, and to understand how faith communities can continue to be informed and strengthened in the face of these challenges. The event will be conducted in English, with simultaneous interpretation into French and Spanish. In addition to the WCC, the consultation is being hosted by the All Africa Conference of Churches, Council for World Mission, FIAN International, Lutheran World Federation, Organisation of African Instituted Churches, World Communion of Reformed Churches, and World Methodist Council. Register to the Online consultation HERE 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 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. 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