WCC News: WCC, Right Livelihood meet to deepen collaborative work toward a better world

The leadership of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Right Livelihood met on 22 May to deepen collaboration and extend their work on the innovative ways in which people and organizations can take responsibility for making the world a more livable place.  WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay meets with the Right Livelihood laureate Tony Rinaudo and the Right Livelihood executive director Ole von Uexkuell, 22 May 2024. Photo: Mikaela Fredrikson/Right Livelihood 22 May 2024 Right Livelihood annually bestows awards to individuals or organizations to recognize the actions of visionaries who build impactful connections around the world. The WCC and Right Livelihood discussed joint initiatives to help churches and faith-based groups respond more effectively to the challenges facing children and youth, particularly related to health and the climate emergency. WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay expressed joy at the collaboration and synergy between the WCC and Right Livelihood.  “I want to call the global fellowship’s attention to a new landing page the WCC has launched as a resource from our collaboration with special focus on faith and natural regeneration,” Pillay said. The page houses some of the fruits of a daylong seminar, “Caring for the Earth, Transforming Lives: Linking Faith & Natural Regeneration” convened jointly by the WCC and Right Livelihood in May 2023 to harvest ideas on re-greening our planet.  “Now we are taking our collaboration with Right Livelihood even further, with a book project for youth as well as new projects,” said Pillay. “We are inspired and grateful to work together to make the world a better place for us all, for our planet, and for our next generations. This is where the seeds of hope are planted.”  Athena Peralta, director of the Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development “It is important to have a dedicated space to share and learn about FMNR and other concrete practices from our churches and congregations of hope and action and transformation for a more greener, life-sustaining and sustainable planet.” Participants of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Right Livelihood meeting at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland on 22 May 2024. Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WCC Right Livelihood executive director Ole von Uexkuell said he sees enormous potential in working with the World Council of Churches.  “The WCC has set caring for the Earth as one of its strategic objectives for this decade, and many Right Livelihood laureates work in this direction,” he said. “We are very happy to see how the WCC network is aligned with the efforts of Right Livelihood laureate Tony Rinaudo for massive re-greening of the world through farmer-managed natural regeneration."  Rinaudo, an Australian agronomist who discovered a simple method to grow trees in dry and degraded lands, also attended the meeting.  Rinaudo is well-known for his saying: “If you work with nature, miracles are possible.”  After living and working in African countries for several decades, he discovered and put into practice a solution to the extreme deforestation and desertification of the Sahel region. With a simple set of management practices, farmers can regenerate and protect existing local vegetation, which has helped to improve the livelihoods of millions. Faith and natural regeneration webpage WCC meets with Right Livelihood to plan joint climate justice work (WCC news story, 01 November 2023) Photos from the WCC and Right Livelihood meeting 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