WCC NEWS: Webinar presents Nordic reflections on nuclear disarmament

A webinar, “Nuclear disarmament in times of increased militarization - the experience from Nordic countries,” held 30 June, offered a history and reflections of the nuclear disarmament movement and how churches are called to respond.  From the top left: Lani Anaya, Fredrika Gårdfeldt, Peter Prove, Dr Minna Hietamäki, Dr Tytti Erästö and Peter Weiderud. Image: WCC 01 July 2026 Drawing on the experiences of Sweden and Finland, the session explored what a principled ecumenical response to increased militarization in Europe looks like today. Peter Prove, director of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, opened the webinar with a brief historical overview of the WCC’s involvement in advocating for a world free from nuclear weapons.  “The WCC has been engaged in the struggle against nuclear weapons since the earliest  days of the nuclear age,” he said.  Peter Weiderud, a Swedish politician and journalist who has been the director of the Swedish Institute in Alexandria since 2015, offered an overview of why Nordic countries are not isolated from the growing, worrying developments related to nuclear weapons.  Dr Tytti Erästö, a senior researcher with the Weapons of Mass Destruction Programme at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, reflected on how nuclear weapons are being normalized instead of being viewed as weapons of mass destruction. She also noted that dispersal plans are actually increasing the nuclear risk and making us less safe. Lani Anaya Jiménez, a peace and sustainable development professional, moderated the discussion, and reflected that we can collectively learn from the history being presented.  “We should have an intergenerational dialogue where all these generations can listen to each other and learn form each other,” she said. “We can learn the history and engage more in this topic.” Dr Minna Hietamäki, theological advisor to the archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, noted how the arrival of the atomic age brought a new existential threat to all humanity. “A nuclear disaster is democratic by its nature in that it is nearly impossible to shield oneself from its destructive force,” she said.  Priest Fredrika Gårdfeldt, from the Church of Sweden and Swedish Priests and Pastors against Nuclear Weapons, talked about what the ecumenical movement can do.  “I am certain that, regardless of where we’re coming from, most people in the world aim for and dream of the same thing: peace and welfare for all,” she said. “As Christians, we have a special calling, a unique perspective in this world because when we seek peace it is based on the teaching of Jesus.” The webinar was the first of a WCC series entitled "Regional trends with global impact: Perspectives from the ecumenical movement."  Discussions from this five-part series will feed into the Joint Biennial Conference of the WCC commissions and reference groups for Life, Justice, and Peace, to be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, from 4-10 October. WCC CCIA webinar series: Europe: Nuclear disarmament in times of increased militarization 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 356 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 Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland