wfn.org | WCC NEWS: Pacific is focus of world churches anti-violence initiative

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World Council of Churches - News Release

Contact: +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org

>For immediate release - 25/06/2008 15:11:16

WORLD CHURCHES' INITIATIVE AGAINST VIOLENCE FOCUSES ON THE PACIFIC

Churches around the world will pray for the peoples of the Pacific as an  international church initiative against violence focuses attention on the  region this year. Pacific churches themselves will pray and reflect  together on how best to promote peace in their communities.

This year, the international church initiative, called Decade to Overcome  Violence, will highlight ways to overcome cultural and ethnic violence, as  cultural practices are often used to justify certain types of violence,  like that based on gender. It will also promote human rights in communities , workplaces, schools or homes.

Inspired by the theme "Witnessing to the peace of God in Oceania", a  number of activities and events are to take place during the year.

In the context of a youth campaign to promote peace and nonviolence, youth  from the region will gather to share stories of peace and set up informatio n booths during the Congregational Christian Church of American Samoa  (CCCAS) Fono Tele (General Assembly) and the 10th Festival of Pacific Arts  in American Samoa (20 July - 2 August 2008).

The International Day of Prayer for Peace on 21 September 2008 will be an  opportunity for churches, congregations and individuals to pray for the  Pacific region. Prayer resources for this will soon be available on  internet (http://overcomingviolence.org/?id=1487)

A "Pacific stories of peace art competition" encourages young people to  define peace in the Pacific through artwork. The best works will be  featured in a 2009 Overcoming Violence Calendar. The deadline for  submissions is 31 October 2008. (See additional information at http://overc omingviolence.org/fileadmin/dov/images/dov_photos/ArtsComp.pdf)

On 9-15 July, church representatives from all over the world will meet in  Fiji to plan an International Ecumenical Peace Convocation to take place  in Jamaica in 2011. Simultaneously, the World Council of Churches general  secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia will visit churches in Tahiti, Fiji, Tonga  and Samoa.

The Decade to Overcome Violence (2001-2010): Churches seeking reconciliatio n and peaceis an initiative of the World Council of Churches. It calls  churches, ecumenical organizations and all people of goodwill to work  together for peace, justice and reconciliation.

2008 Pacific focus of the Decade to Overcome Violence http://overcomingviolence.org/en/about-dov/annual-focus/2008-pacific.html

International Day of Prayer for Peace

http://overcomingviolence.org/en/about-dov/international-day-of-prayer-for- peace.html

>10th Festival of Pacific Arts
>http://pacartsas.com

WCC member churches in the Pacific

http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/pacific.html

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

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 349 Protestant,  Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560 million  Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman  Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, from  the Methodist Church in Kenya. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.