Rev. Nathan Day Wilson, associate vice president for strategic development at the National Benevolent Association of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the US and a former WCC liaison for specialized ministries, is co-organizing the seminar, which will be held at the WCC Ecumenical Institute at Bossey. “The seminar is designed as a shared journey that moves from understanding our realities, to collaboration, to reflection on power, and ultimately to discernment about what is ours to do, both together and individually,” he said. “As well, we were motivated by the belief that ecumenical and humanitarian histories can make a difference today.” Wilson noted that many challenges we face around fragmentation, collaboration, leadership, justice, and power are not entirely new. “Others have wrestled with similar questions before us and that their experiences can help illuminate our own,” he said. “Our greatest shared priority is responding to today’s greatest shared challenge: To see the world as one whole, and not just its parts.” Whole includes all of humanity, other animals, and the environment, noted Wilson. “We know we are living in a period marked by polarization, fragmentation, and increasing complexity,” he said. “As well, we know the challenges we face – whether related to justice, peace, humanitarian response, development, migration, climate, or social cohesion – are larger than any one organization can address alone.” The seminar will culminate with reflection on responsibility, agency, and the question, "What is ours to do now?" “This year's seminar creates space for conversations about localization, representation, funding, whose voices are heard, and who sets priorities,” said Wilson. “When people from different churches, traditions, sectors, cultures, and professional backgrounds trust each other and share their experiences openly, we discover that we have similar questions and similar hopes, even when we use different languages to describe them.” The church is called to be a diverse community grounded in truth, he noted. “In terms of potential for collaboration, I would point to the intersection of relationship and shared purpose.” Finding common ground Corrie van der Ven, program officer for Kerk in Actie (Protestant Church in the Netherlands), is also co-organizing the seminar. “The specialized ministries within the ecumenical movement are in a good position to engage with secular agencies, churches, and other local faith communities,” said van der Ven. “In this fragmented world, with weakening international solidarity, it is even more important to start with what has happen already for ages in the local churches and faith communities, and listen to what they need from externals.” This may be strengthening diakonal capacity, so that church service goes beyond charity and enhances justice, van der Ven noted. “It may also be aid at a bigger or higher scale, like humanitarian aid when there is a disaster, or advocacy in the international community,” said van der Ven. “As development agencies and intergovernmental bodies are more and more open to faith actors today for various reasons, there is a need to explain to them how religion plays a role in development.” This means explaining religion to secular actors in an objective way, so that secular and faith actors find common ground for collaboration, beyond mistrust, arrogance, or ignorance, van der Ven said. “International players have more power than local communities and find it hard to relinquish power,” said van der Ven. “The current crises, however, seem to create more space for strengthening the power of local agencies.” Western donors are getting weaker, so the discourse of localization and decolonization get more chance, and this connects with already existing local diakonial work, van der Ven said. “If the Ecumenical Formation Seminar can contribute to insights in effective ways of collaboration and awareness of new opportunities for collaboration, then our ministry will have more impact,” said van der Ven. | 
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