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News from the WCC

	WCC-EAPPI volunteers encourage EU to address Palestine and Israel Volunteers for the WCC Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel have urged the European Union to take more effective actions against the illegal settlements, demolitions and forced displacement in the occupied territory controlled by the Israeli authorities.
	WCC Executive Committee releases statement on Jerusalem and Status Quo The WCC Executive Committee has issued a statement expressing concern over the ways in which church institutions and properties in Jerusalem are threatened as a result of contracts of disputed legality, the efforts of radical settler groups, and policies of the government of Israel.
	Muslim scholar from Iran grateful for interfaith experience For Dr Vahid Sohrabifar from Iran’s city of Qom, attending the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Interreligious Studies at the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey was inspiring due to the diversity he encountered on the course.
	Holy Land tourism goes beyond traditional paths For decades, the tourist industry in the Holy Land has been dominated by Israeli tour operators who rely mostly on Israeli hotel owners and land arrangement providers. Visiting Palestinian territories is seldom prioritized and excursions rarely take Palestinian perspectives into account. Most visitors are thus not provided opportunities to familiarize themselves with everyday life of the Palestinian people.
	Guided by faith, hope and endurance In spite of a seemingly bleak outlook for a solution to the conflict in Palestine and Israel, religious leaders all over the world persist in their advocacy for justice and peace in the Holy Land. That became evident at the WCC peace consultations in Beit Sahour this summer, where 60 leaders and representatives from Christian churches and faith-based organizations around the world gathered to manifest their support for a peaceful end to the occupation of Palestinian territories.
	Churches call for urgent action for Cremisan Valley As the statements calling for justice in Cremisan Valley fail to work, churches urged the international community at the 36th Session of UN Human Rights Council for action regarding the occupied territories between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
	World Week of Peace highlights “culture of love and resilience” From Geneva to Bethlehem and across the world, the World Council of Churches (WCC) World Week of Peace in Israel and Palestine inspired gatherings for prayer, reflection and action last week. Among the commemorations, a group gathered on 22 September at the Wi’am: The Palestinian Conflict Transformation Center in Bethlehem to pray for peace.
	Many ready to observe World Week of Peace in Palestine and Israel From a photo “exhibition of hope,” to worship resources, to an opportunity for people and churches to share their personal expressions of hope, the World Council of Churches (WCC) is offering an invitation and accompanying resources to celebrate the World Week of Peace in Palestine and Israel on 17-24 September.
	Exhibition of hope for the Holy Land opens in Geneva On Monday, 18 September at 10:30, an exhibition of hope for justice and peace will open at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva amid a global ecumenical gathering of 45 representatives from all over the world.
	Jerusalem church leaders: leave status quo intact In a statement released the first week of September, the patriarchs and local heads of churches in Jerusalem condemned further encroachments on the status quo related to the city's holy sites. The text is the second statement of concern in three months about the status quo, with a prior one issued in July.
	Muslims and Christians pray together for just peace in Al Aqsa Mosque Muslims and Christians were gathered together in Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem on 27th July. Side-by-side for just peace in the Holy Land. After almost two weeks of tension, violence and killings in Jerusalem. Meetings between church leaders and the Islamic leadership inside the mosque plaza were cheered by the community even amid wafts of tear gas and the rumble of explosives from time to time. Catholic Patriarch Emeritus Michel Sabbah, who was supposed to be heading the Christian delegation, was denied entry through Lions’ Gate and, instead, sent his message.
	Bishop Younan receives Niwano Peace Prize for non-violent, faith-based approach towards just peace in the Holy Land On 27 July, Bishop Munib Younan of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land received the Niwano Peace Prize for his work towards interreligious dialogue among Christians, Muslims, and Jews in Jerusalem and worldwide.
	United Nations Secretary-General launches first action plan for religious leaders to prevent incitement to violence The first ever action plan specifically designed to enable religious leaders to prevent incitement to violence - the Plan of Action for Religious Leaders and Actors to Prevent Incitement to Violence that Could Lead to Atrocity Crimes - was launched on 14 July by Secretary-General António Guterres at a meeting at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
	As Humanitarian Corridors effort grows, France welcomes first group of refugees On 5 July, the first Syrian and Iraqi refugees arrived legally in France from Lebanon in what marks an expansion of the Humanitarian Corridors project founded by by the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy (FCEI), the Sant’Egidio religious community and the Italian government.
	Bossey students speak as one on fostering peace As young people earned an interreligious studies certificate at the World Council of Churches Bossey Institute, they completed their three-week course with unified thoughts on promoting peace. In a communique issued on 13 July, they identified themselves as Jews, Christians and Muslims - children of Abraham - with a unique openness.
	WCC students study what makes a peace communicator Last week, young Jewish, Muslim and Christian students learned about communication and peacebuilding during a workshop at the Ecumenical Centre, all with the hope of serving as peacemakers in their own contexts. The session was led by Marianne Ejdersten, director of WCC Communication.
	WCC reiterates plea for dialogue and open access to worship at Holy Sites The World Council of Churches (WCC) is calling for global prayers tomorrow for just peace in the Holy Land, and for all barriers to places of worship to be removed.
	WCC joins Jerusalem church leaders' plea for continuous free access to worship at Holy Sites For the sake of peace, church leaders in Jerusalem are calling to maintain the historical status quo on the historical designation allowing access to al-Aqsa Mosque and its courtyard, as well as other Holy Sites in the city.
	WCC urges commitment to security for all in Mosul and the Nineveh Plain In the wake of official announcement of Mosul’s liberation from the so-called ‘Islamic State’ (IS) group, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit called for a commitment to restoring the social and religious diversity of the city and region.
	A voice for peace from Down Under As a retired person in his late 60s, Frederick “Fred” Rainger often asks himself: ”what can I stop doing?” His days are filled with engagements in community activities and it hasn’t gotten any less busy since he became more involved in the Palestine Israel Ecumenical Network (PIEN), a network of Australian Christians seeking lasting peace for the people of Palestine and Israel.

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