WCC FEATURE: WCC visit to Jamaica focused on empowering faith communities

A World Council of Churches (WCC) staff visit took place from 12-21 January, aimed at empowering faith communities in Jamaica to take action on sexual and gender-based violence, racism, reparations, and climate justice. Monument located at Downtown, Kingston, erected by the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation in memory of children who died violently in Jamaica. The monument has the names, date of deaths and ages of the children, Photo: WCC  23 January 2025 A major aspect of the visit involved listening to the people – ministers, church leaders, young theologians, lecturers, and members of the laity. “We learned that the Caribbean church continues to address the scourge of sexual and gender-based violence,” said Rev. Nicole Ashwood, WCC programme executive for Just Community of Women and Men. The United Theological College of the West Indies president’s address, offered during the college’s “Teaching Week,” spoke to recognizing and responding to child sexual abuse, and other forms of violence against children and minority persons. He offered practical steps for all church workers, including ending the practice of survivor re-victimization enabled by perpetrator support. During discussions with church workers at Voices for Change and at the United Theological College of the West Indies, males challenged the WCC through the Just Community of Women and Men programme to ensure that steps are taken to curb violence against men.  Participants cited real examples, noting that male harassment, abuse, and exploitation often goes unreported or underreported, due to stigmatization. At the same time, regional ecumenical partners, Caribbean partners, and Caribbean and North America Council for Mission offered hope, said Ashwood.  “They have successfully rolled out a male transformative masculinities training of trainers,” she said. “This is a step in a very positive direction; there is a cohort of male trainers, and best practices from which to learn.” Workshops and meetings also included WCC vice moderator Rev. Merlyn Hyde-Riley, the leadership of the Jamaica Council of Churches, preaching moments with WCC member churches, and other engagements that resulted in identifying collaborative possibilities and strengthening communication.  “We look forward to continued mission,” said Ashwood. Advancing human rights The WCC visit also carried out workshops and conversations with church, academic, and other civil society partners regarding the upcoming review of Jamaica by the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review process in November 2025, seeking to ensure that their comments, concerns, and recommendations are included in this process.   Ahead of the last review of Jamaica in 2020, the WCC supported churches in consulting with children (ages 7-17) about their rights. “The children had outlined particular concerns regarding violence—in their homes, at school, on the streets, and amongst themselves—and several recommendations were made to the Government of Jamaica to address such concerns,” said Jennifer Philpot-Nissen, WCC programme executive for Human Rights and Disarmament. “The 2025 visit aimed to provide a follow up to the earlier engagement, and learn about progress and continuing challenges.”  Ongoing concerns about violence—including sexual violence against children—were repeatedly expressed throughout the visit.  “Other concerns which churches and other partners raised included the environment and the climate crisis, concerns about racial justice, the rights of people with disabilities, and the situation of Haitian refugees in Jamaica,” added Philpot-Nissen. Addressing climate change  The impacts of climate change are increasing each year, impacting the environment and human lives and livelihoods. “Rising global temperatures are changing weather patterns, including by increasing the length of hurricane seasons, and the severity of such events are contributing to the erosion of the coastline,” said Philpot-Nissen. “Coastal mangroves which help protect the coastline against such storms have been removed in many places to make way for development projects, such as hotels.” The WCC delegation also found that beaches are disappearing at an alarming rate and marshlands are being removed.  “Spillage of industrial waste into the rivers and sea is causing widespread pollution, which is impacting the lives of the poorest and most vulnerable – the fisherfolk and farmers,” said Philpot-Nissen. “Plastic pollution is a concern throughout Jamaica.” Visiting the first free village The WCC delegation also visited the first free village, Sligoville, accompanied by Rev. Marvia Lawes, pastor of the Sligoville Baptist Church.  The land was bought by Baptist minister Rev. James Mursell Phillippo. Following a declaration of emancipation, the free village was first settled in 1835 and it has since grown as a settlement.  “In the same area, we were privileged to visit what remains of a pre-free village settlement with several graves still visible,” described Dr Masiiwa Ragies Gunda, WCC programme executive for programmatic responses on overcoming racism. “The concept of the free village, open to all formerly enslaved people was, in that era, a revolutionary de-colonial move from the church, however, the land that was availed was mountainous and rocky such that plantation owners might have thought it would frustrate formerly enslaved persons to go back to the plantations,” he said. “Sligoville survives and is thriving because of the perseverance of the original settlers.” Gunda noted that the free village is an important model for sustainable decolonization and reparations. The WCC delegation also met with principal members of the Churches’ Reparations Action Forum – Jamaica, including Rev. Dr Collins Cowan, Rev. Dr Gordon Cowans, and Dr Hilary Robertson-Hickling.  “We learnt of how churches responded to developments in civil society where economic interrogations of enslavement were exposing the profits that were realised by plantation owners and their investors, while enslaved people were not paid for their labour, which was not freely given,” he said.  While the Churches’ Reparations Action Forum started in Jamaica, it is expanding into the Caribbean region with the hope that national chapters will develop.  “Overall, the encounters with the senior leadership of the Jamaica Council of Churches, Caribbean and North America Council for Mission, faculty at the University of the West Indies, and faculty and students at the United Theological College of the West Indies proved critically important in shedding light on potential intersections across multiple disciplines and themes,” said Gunda.   Jamaica Council of Churches Just Community of Women and Men Learn more about the WCC work on "Human dignity and rights" WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs Learn more about the WCC work on overcoming Racism, Discrimination and Xenophobia WCC offers new anti-racist and anti-bias material for churches and communities WCC work for "Care for creation and climate justice" Thursdays in Black See more

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 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland