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The campaign will begin with an ecumenical faith festival to be held 13-15 September.
The campaign includes a recalling of past messages from WCC assemblies that relate to climate justice and peacemaking.
“Today the themes of justice, of peace, of integrity of creation have never been more urgent and indeed are matters of life and death,” said WCC general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay. “Therefore, as churches, congregations, and Christians, we must serve as a living hope for the earth.”
He urged an amplifying and deepening of collaborative global efforts. “With this message, I invite you to join with us, and to walk and work together as a fellowship of churches and as a community of faith,” he said.
Pastor Anne Freudenberg, from Referat Theologie und Nachhaltigkeit Zentrum für Mission und Ökumene-Nordkirche weltweit, said the campaign hinges around questions such as: What gives you hope? What story of hope gives you courage in your personal life, but also in politics and society?
“We are looking for answers to the pressing questions of our time,” she said. “We want to encourage people through concrete projects and initiatives.”
She invited people to come to Dresden from 13-15 September. “There you will meet like-minded people who, like you, want to do something concrete for justice, peace, creation, and climate justice,” she said, adding that a broad network of churches, regional organizations, initiatives, and individuals have come together under the auspices of the Working Group of Christian Churches in Germany.
“In 1983, the World Council of Churches called for the Conciliar Process for Justice, Peace, and the Integrity of Creation at its 6th Assembly in Vancouver, Canada,” Freudenberg noted. “Many churches and initiatives around the world joined this global movement.”
