In his message, Pillay, who is currently attending the WCC executive committee meeting in Bogota, Colombia, expressed joy about the Green Village being the new home of the WCC and other international organizations. The Green Village property developer Implenia also made a presentation at the event, which drew representatives from missions, embassies, and international organizations.
“The Green Village isn’t just another property development: it’s a way of life that enables residents and users to live in harmony with the natural environment,” Pillay wrote. “This new international hub offers a unique setting, close to the United Nations.”
Every building in the Green Village symbolically bears the name of cities that have hosted international conferences on the environment: Kyoto, Montreal, Rio, Lima, Durban, and Stockholm.
“The WCC has a long history working on climate justice or care of creation, since 1972,” noted Pillay. “The WCC has worked together with Implenia on the Green Village, discussing values of sustainability which are now finding expression in this project.”
Pillay reflected that, amid the crises facing the world, the WCC raises a prophetic voice, promotes advocacy, offers accompaniment, and enters into dialogue with people of faith as well as governments and decision-makers.
“The WCC is the landlord of the Ecumenical Centre – a hub for 80 different organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and companies,” Pillay said. “It was designed by Geneva architects the Honegger Brothers and Henri Lesemann, between 1961 and 1967, and was inaugurated as the headquarters of the World Council of Churches with consecration of the ecumenical chapel on 11 July 1965.”
Pillay also described how WCC participates in the life of Geneva and the wider world. “The Ecumenical Centre is a resource for local people for worship, for cultural experiences, and for celebration,” he wrote. “From the Ecumenical Centre, the WCC ensures that Geneva’s international prophetic voice shines out in the global community for unity, justice, and peace!” Mr Naja Chidiac, WCC real estate project manager and Mr Grégoire de Fombelle, coordinator of the WCC communication business team represented the WCC at the event.