WCC NEWS: WCC visit to Jamaica will focus on empowering faith communities

A WCC staff visit will take 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. Kingston, Jamaica, International Ecumenical Peace Convocation, choir of the Global Network of Religions for Children in Jamaica, May 2011, Photo: Peter Williams/WCC 9 January 2024 Workshops organized in partnership with churches in Jamaica will capitalize on collaboration of faith actors for specialized advocacy in relation to gender, racial, and climate justice. The workshops will also enhance capacity and relationship-strengthening with young theologians at the United Theological College of the West Indies, faith-based human rights practitioners, and the Jamaica Council of Churches. Congregations already involved in transformative masculinities will be sharing best practices. There will also be a special component on climate justice in collaboration with the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, and the Caribbean and North America Council for Mission. Partners in New Zealand will share on their work related to climate justice. Jamaica will go through its 4th Universal Periodic Review by the UN Human Rights Council in November 2025. Participants will discuss progress and ongoing challenges to the full realisation of human rights in their country and share their experiences, concerns, and recommendations to be taken to the UN this year. There is also a special interest in exploring developments in the reparations agenda in the Caribbean region by having focused discussions with the Churches’ Reparations Action Forum – Jamaica, which gave birth to the Churches’ Reparations Action Forum for the Caribbean region. Jamaica’s “Freedom Villages”—ongoing de-colonial expressions of mission and the Christian faith—will share their experiences, which touch on land reform as well. The WCC will share resources including anti-racist Bible studies and an anti-bias toolkit. The workshop will seek to engage member churches and theological students on the impact of applying a racial justice lens, as it intersects with a gender justice and human rights lens, in assessing the experiences of Jamaicans, both within the country and also in global spaces.   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