wfn.org | WCC AGENDA: Upcoming events March 2005

["WCC Media" <Media@wcc-coe.org>]

World Council of Churches - Agenda
Contact: + 41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org
For immediate release - 28/02/2005

MARCH 2005

> WCC general secretary visits Scandinavian countries
> Inter-orthodox preparatory meeting for World Mission Conference
> Ecumenical event for the 2nd Alternative World Water Forum
> WCC general secretary to visit Asian countries
> Decade to Overcome Violence Asia focus launch

> WCC general secretary visits Scandinavian countries
> 26 February - 7 March
> Sweden, Norway, Denmark

WCC general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia visits WCC member churches in
Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Meetings with WCC members and partners, church
leaders and government representatives are scheduled for all three
countries.

In Sweden (26 February - 1 March), Kobia preaches at an eucharist service
in Uppsala Cathedral, and holds a lecture at the Theological Institute at
the University of Uppsala.

Highlights of the visit to Norway (1-4 March) are a meeting with Crown
Prince Haakon, a lecture at the Norwegian School of Theology, and a
meeting with the Sami Council of the Church of Norway.

The visit to Denmark (4-7 March) will include meetings with Lutheran and
Baptist member churches as well as with church organizations like
DanChurchAid and the Danish Missionary Council.

> Inter-orthodox preparatory meeting for World Mission Conference
> 3-9 March
> Athens, Greece

The inter-orthodox pre-event for the Conference on World Mission and
Evangelism (CWME) aims at enabling participants to the mission conference
from Orthodox churches, Eastern and Oriental, to share and study together
reflections and experiences on the conference theme from the specific
perspective of the Orthodox tradition. Participants come mainly from
Orthodox churches, but also include missiologists and mission practitioners from other churches. The CWME will be held in Athens, Greece, from 9-16
May 2005 under the theme "Come, Holy Spirit, heal and reconcile!"

For further information, please visit the CWME website at:
http://www.mission2005.org

> Ecumenical event in connection with the 2nd Alternative World Water
Forum
> 21 March 2005
> Geneva, Switzerland

The WCC is preparing an ecumenical event on water on 21 March in the
Ecumenical Center, Geneva. Water is central to life, and presentations at
this event will promote the call to provide access to clean drinking water
for every human being. The ecumenical event is to take place just after
the 17-20 March 2005 2nd Alternative World Water Forum in Geneva. The
Forum goal is to develop public policy that will finally provide access to
clean water for everyone and ensure that water is managed in a democratic
and sustainable way.

> WCC general secretary to visit Asian countries
> 25-31 March
> Bangladesh and Thailand

Rev Dr Samuel Kobia will visit WCC member churches in Bangladesh and
Thailand.

Besides meetings with Bangladesh church leaders and government representatives (26-29 March), he is expected to speak at an ecumenical seminar in
Dhaka on "Ecumenism in the 21st century".

The visit to Thailand (29-31 March) includes Kobia's participation in the
12th general assembly of the Christian Conference of Asia in Chiang Mai,
where he will deliver the keynote speech on the assembly's theme:
"Building Communities of Peace for All". Meetings with Buddhist leaders
and Thailand's minister responsible for mitigating the effects of the
Tsunami disaster are also scheduled.

> Decade to Overcome Violence Asia focus launch
> 31 March - 6 April
> Chiang Mai, Thailand

"Building Communities of Peace for All" is the theme of the WCC Decade to
Overcome Violence 2005 focus on Asia. The annual focus will be launched at
the 12th general assembly of the Christian Conference of Asia (31 March -
6 April). Facing various forms of violence, the question of reconciliation
and peace is a crucial one in the vast and plural continent of Asia. The
DOV mid-term focus will celebrate peace-building efforts undertaken in
Asia, but also focus on the churches' contribution to violence. An
ecumenical women's forum is scheduled before the assembly.

> Major WCC events coming up:

Conference on World Mission and Evangelism
9-16 May 2005
Athens, Greece

International interreligious conference hosted by WCC
6-10 June, 2005
Geneva, Switzerland

International Day of Prayer for Peace
21 September
worldwide

WCC 9th Assembly (2006)
14-23 February 2006
Porto Alegre, Brazil

For further information, visit the WCC media calendar at:
http://www2.wcc-coe.org/wcccalendar.nsf

Unless noted otherwise, events are by invitation only and not open to the
press or general public. The information above may change without
notice.

Additional information: Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363
media@wcc-coe.org

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The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches, now 342, in
more than 120 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian
traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works
cooperatively with the WCC. The highest governing body is the assembly,
which meets approximately every seven years. The WCC was formally
inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Its staff is headed by
general secretary Samuel Kobia from the Methodist church in Kenya.