Prominent World Christian Leaders to Speak on WCC International Day of Prayer

On Tuesday 21st September, Churches representing over 550 million Christians world-wide are called to join together to mark the day as an International Day of Prayer for Peace. The World Council of Churches (WCC) and the United Nations General Assembly have initiated the prayer drive in the view of promoting peace in the world at war.

Worldwide Christian leaders have been showing full support for the event. More than a dozen well-known Christian leaders and peace-makers from all over the world are affirming churches' and faith communities' work for peace and justice in a series of inspiring two-minute video messages that will be made available online on Monday 20th September at 11:00 am (GMT).

Personalities joining the International Day of Prayer for Peace through video messages are:

Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa

Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople

Wolfgang Huber, chairman of the council of the Evangelical Church in Germany

Aram I, catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church (See of Cilicia) and WCC Central Committee moderator

Hanan Mikhail Ashwari, Sydney Peace Prize winner and advocate for Palestinian rights

Keith Clements, general secretary of the Conference of European Churches

Mvume Dandala, general secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches

Karen Hamilton, general secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches

Israel Batista, general secretary of the Latin American Council of Churches

Hildegard Goss Mayr, honorary president of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation

Ahn Jae Woong, general secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia

Bernice Powell Jackson, WCC president from North America

Thomas L. Hoyt, Jr. , president of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA

The WCC is fully committed to the "Decade to Overcome Violence" initiative, and the General Secretary of the WCC Samuel Kobia said, "Observing an International Day of Prayer for Peace together is one way to combine the strength and witness of churches and faith communities with the strength of the many forces in the international community who are also striving to promote peace and justice in our troubled world."

The WCC's "Decade to Overcome Violence" this year focuses on the United States, with reference to the theme "The Power and Promise of Peace" . The prominent Christian leaders are expected to address the struggle of US churches to be witness to peace and justice, both domestically and internationally as well as encouraging them.

The video messages will be transmitted to all over the world through the internet in both webcast and broadcast quality on Monday 21st September at 11:00am (GMT), please visit the website: http://www.overcomingviolence.org/peace2004.