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International affairs, peace
and human security

CHURCHES SPEAKING THE TRUTH TO POWER

The Churches Commission on International affairs (CCIA) comprises thirty people nominated by churches and regional ecumenical organizations to advise the WCC in international affairs. The staff of the WCC International Affairs, Peace and Human Security team – experienced professionals from around the world – engage with and support churches and ecumenical bodies on these urgent priorities:

peace-making and peaceful resolution of conflicts

militarism, disarmament and arms control

human security and the root causes of terrorism

human rights, religious liberty and intolerance

impunity, justice and reconciliation

international law and global governance

The ecumenical movement is vital to the new social context of an emerging global civil society. The International Affairs, Peace and Human Security staff help focus the concerns of churches and advocate on their behalf for peace and justice in the international arena.

The WCC speaks the truth to power and reminds it that human decisions and actions must always be based on ethical principles founded on justice and human dignity for all.

"Spiritual discernment gives us strength, conviction, and the courage to withstand the harsh realities of violence and power. Being in touch with the word of God and with the Spirit of God who is within each of us, makes us able to withstand the day-to-day rigors of working for peace and justice at a time when the forces of violence, war and oppression are ascendant."

- Message from WCC general secretary Samuel Kobiaon the International Day of Prayer for Peace, 2004
(See full message)

Geneva office:
Commission of the Churches on International Affairs
World Council of Churches
PO Box 2100
CH-1211 Geneva 2
Tel.: +41 22 791 6111
Fax: +41 22 791 0361

New York office:
Commission of the Churches on International Affairs
UN Headquarters Liaison Office
777 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017
USA
Tel.: +1 212 8675890
Fax: +1 212 8677462



(Above, left) Activists climbing Israel's Separation Wall during an August 2004 protest march; (top right) WCC and UN general secretaries discuss international affairs at a May 2004 meeting in New York (above right) Nelson Mandela at the WCC's 1998 assembly in Zimbabwe

New York UN liaison office

...serving as a link between the UN and the work and constituency of the WCC and furthering ecumenical priorities in the UN


Above left: NYC, entrance to Church Centre for the United Nations, 777 UN Plaza. Above right: Parvina Nadjibulla of the United Methodist Church speaking at the WCC International Affairs and Advocacy Week in New York (November 2003)