WCC's Ecumenical Voice to be Presented at World Social Forum

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is going to participant in the 5th World Social Forum taking place on 26-31 January in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The WCC delegates together with a global ecumenical coalition, they will be there to represent a voice for the ecumenical movement in the world.

The global ecumenical coalition includes the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Caritas International, International Cooperation for Development and Solidarity (CIDSE), the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), the World Christian Student Federation (WCSF), National Children's Alliance (NCA), Ecumenical Forum in Brazil, the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (EAA), the Association of World Council of Churches-related Development Organisations in Europe (APRODEV) and other world-wide ecumenical organisations.

The WCC delegates’ mission statement to the World Social Forum is "Affirming life in dignity: enhancing justice and rights in a globalised world". They will be in charge of preparing a series of seminars that affirm the dignity of life in a world suffering from the consequences of economic globalisation.

A TV documentary on illegitimate debt is now prepared by WCC, LWF and Norwegian Church Aid, along with a seminar on the same issue and a panel discussing the role of different religions in current conflicts.

A panel on women's spirituality and dignity and their key role in resistance, a seminar dealing with peace and reconciliation, and a panel on ecological debt are some other examples of the WCC’s programmes.

Dr Rogate Mshana, head of the WCC programmes on economic justice explained the importance of the presence of ecumenical voice in this World Social Forum, "Ecumenism has much that it can bring to the World Social Forum, including faith and cultural perspectives on the struggle for alternatives and the building of just societies."

The ecumenical presence is "a way to show the common witness of Christians in the world that does not claim to be better, but to be an authentic alternative voice", according to Dr Mshana.

WCC has cooperated with the YMCA, YWCA and WCSF to hold an ecumenical youth pre-event on 23-26 January. Around 80 young people from all over the world will gather for Bible studies and exposure visits. Most importantly there will be sessions introducing and discussing the World Social Forum's main issues in order to gather more opinions from ecumenical worldwide.

In addition, a World Forum of Theology and Liberation on 21-25 January organised by ecumenical partners in Latin America will reflect on "Theology for another possible world".