Front Page

Conservatives Form Rival Group to Episcopal Church

December 4, 2008, NEW YORK – Theological conservatives upset by liberal views of U.S. Episcopalians and Canadian Anglicans formed a rival North American province Wednesday, in a long-developing rift over the Bible that erupted when Episcopalians consecrated the first openly gay bishop. The announcement represents a new challenge to the already splintering, 77-million-member world Anglican fellowship and the authority of its spiritual leader, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. The new Anglican Church in North America includes four breakaway Episcopal dioceses, dozens of individual parishes in the U.S. and Canada, and splinter groups that left the Anglican family years, or in one case, more than a century ago. Its future status in the Anglican Communion is unclear.

Patriarch Alexy II Dies: A Powerful Voice, Constructive and Critical

December 5, 2008 – With "deep sadness" the officers of the World Council of Churches (WCC), who were meeting in Geneva this week, received word of the death of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, Alexy II. Alexy II died at his residence outside Moscow today, at the age of 79. The patriarch had led the Russian Orthodox Church since 1990. The church counts the majority of Russia's 142.5 million people among its members. In a 5 December letter to the Russian Orthodox Church, the WCC officers paid tribute to "a church leader respected by many for his genuine commitment to his church and people, for his pastoral sensitivity, for his courageous stand facing the many challenges of the world."

Religious Leaders Call for Urgent U.S. Leadership for Israeli/Palestinian Peace

December 5, 2008 – Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has joined Jewish, Muslim and other Christian leaders in advocating for urgent U.S. leadership in the quest for a two-state solution in Israel/Palestine and lasting peace in the Holy Land. The National Interreligious Leadership Initiative (NILI) for Peace in the Middle East released a November statement, titled "A Window of Hope for Peace in Jerusalem," and wrote to President-elect Barack Obama December 4 calling for "engaged, urgent U.S. leadership for peace" as soon as he takes office. "The United States has a unique and indispensable role which gives our nation a special responsibility to pursue peace. Israeli-Palestinian peace must be an urgent priority for President-elect Obama from the day he takes office," the leaders' statement says.

Food Crisis, Climate Change Topics at CWS/Bread Global Poverty Forum

December 1, 2008, FARGO, ND – Church World Service will partner with Bread for the World in an event designed to equip students, congregations and other groups to organize for action against poverty, hunger and disease at a half-day forum scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 6, at the North Dakota State University (NDSU) Memorial Union in Fargo, ND. Called "Turning the Tide: Pushing Back Global Poverty," the forum will focus on progress toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a set of goals adopted by the United Nations and the international community for reducing by half the number of people living in extreme poverty and substantially improving health and education in impoverished countries by 2015.

World AIDS Day Commemorates 20 Years in the Struggle Against HIV/AIDS

November 25, 2008 – December 1, 2008, marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. Since 1988, the face and response to AIDS has greatly changed. While many of these changes are positive, this anniversary offers us an opportunity to highlight how much more still needs to be done. Leadership is the theme for World AIDS Day 2007 and 2008, promoted with the campaigning slogan, "Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise." Leadership encourages leaders at all levels to stop AIDS. Building on the 2006 theme of accountability, leadership highlights the discrepancy between the commitments that have been made to halt the spread of AIDS, and actions taken to follow them through.

Christmas Messages

2008 Christmas Message from LWF President Mark Hanson
God Fulfils the Promise of a Welcoming Home

December 4, 2008, GENEVA – Christmas brings good news that God in Jesus Christ has come to make a home in a world where the human family yearns for a place of joy, peace and hope, says Bishop Mark S. Hanson, the President of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in his 2008 Christmas message. Although universally appealing, the fulfillment of the promise of being in a place of security can be elusive in a context of the cold and harsh realities of poverty and its attendant diseases, and the infection of violent hatred at international and local gatherings, notes Hanson, presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

ELCA Presiding Bishop's 2008 Christmas Message

December 5, 2008 – When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.' – Luke 2:15 Let's go! Now! When angels came to some shepherds with a brilliant message one night long ago, the shepherds had a brilliant idea. Let's go! Let's see what God is doing! The unknown dangers of the night did not hold them back. Perhaps they knew that some of God's best work is done under the cover of darkness – the creation of all things, wrestling with Jacob, Israel's escape from slavery. Or maybe they didn't. Maybe all they needed was the announcement of what God was up to this time.

Christmas Message 2008 from the World Council of Churches General Secretary

December 2, 2008 – "And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14) "Glory" is a word, a shout, a song used to express human wonder at the majesty of God. When Jesus was born, angels ascribed "glory to God in the highest heaven" (Luke 2:14), and in the witness of Christ's life on earth "we have seen his glory ... full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). In celebrating Christmas, we recognize the coming of Jesus as the meeting-point of heaven and earth, the means of healing our broken relations with God, overcoming our hostility towards one another and re-kindling our determination to seek peace in this world.

MIDDLE EAST: Christmas Message from Jerusalem Bishop Suheil Dawani

December 2, 2008 – Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem Suheil Dawani has issued the following Christmas message for 2008. In Bethlehem, just a few miles from where I write this message, a new life that began 2000 years ago continues to inspire the world to hope, promise, and new beginnings. It was a life of humility and hardship in a land where poverty and injustice were common. Yet Jesus' words and deeds lifted people out of their troubles and showed them the great redeeming power of love, compassion, and justice. Here in the Diocese of Jerusalem in this Christmas Season of 2008, we realize that in some ways not much has changed since Jesus' time; and yet, we still find countless ways to remember His promise.

General News

Archbishop of Canterbury's World AIDS Day Video

December 1, 2008 – The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams has recorded a video message to mark the 20th annual World AIDS day on December 1st 2008. The video sees the Archbishop talk about the Church's worldwide involvement in care and education surrounding HIV and AIDS, and calls for faith leaders to ‘encourage and support' what is being done by listening to those who work on the front lines. He says "Our hope and our prayer today is that the excellent work that's done, not just in developing countries but here at home too by the Churches will continue and deepen and be strengthened by our prayer and our commitment." "Recognising that people living with HIV is us not them, whether it's leaders and congregations, congregations and ‘outsiders' – it's us. It's all of our business...Church leaders and Church congregations taking responsibility for educating the wider public."

Baha'i Conferences Circle the Globe

December 2, 2008, ANTOFAGASTA, Chile – Baha'i conferences last weekend circled the globe – from Chile to Cameroon to the Philippines. It was the fifth of 18 consecutive weekends that will see conferences in a total of 41 cities, all having been convened by the Universal House of Justice, the elected body that is the head of the Baha'i Faith. In Antofagasta, 600 people from Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, and southern Peru gathered, many of them representing indigenous groups who, as one participant put it, offered "a defiant response to prejudice and raised a flag for unity in diversity."

Fostering Dialogue Is Key to Leadership, Moderators Told
130 Middle Governing Body Leaders Gather for Fellowship, Training

December 4, 2008, LOUISVILLE – Presbytery and synod moderators from throughout the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) gathered here recently to evaluate what it means to be a leader and to discern their own personal leadership styles. Meeting under the theme "Leadership for the 21st Century," the Nov. 21-23 2008 Moderators' Conference united about 130 middle governing body moderators and vice moderators everywhere from Boston to Arkansas to South Dakota to San Francisco. "Each of you has been called by God to step up to the plate," said the Rev. Jill Hudson, coordinator of governing body relations for the Office of the General Assembly and the General Assembly Council.

Historic Peace Churches to Hold North American Gathering

December 5, 2008 ELGIN, IL – The Historic Peace Churches are planning a meeting in Philadelphia, Pa., on Jan. 13-17, 2009, titled "Heeding God's Call: A Gathering on Peace." The by-invitation meeting is a joint effort of the Church of the Brethren, the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, and the Mennonite Church USA. The event is supported in part by a grant from the Shoemaker Fund. Each sponsoring group will bring 100 delegates, with another 100 participants coming from other Christian denominations and groups including member communions of the National Council of Churches.

Churches Witness Harvest after Hosting Joint-Worship Service

November 30, 2008 – Four churches from Kaohsiung Shou-Shan presbytery agreed to hold four joint-services every year with each church leading one service. The theme for this year's joint-services is "Gospel Sunday." Chan-Kon Church, Fu-Chang Church, Fu-Ze Church, and Zheng-Zhong Church worshipped together on November 23. The theme of the service was "How Great You Are" and it was hosted by Chan-Kon Church. Pastor Lu from Chan-Kon Church named his sermon "It's So Good to Know You." He emphasized on the words "so good," "know," and "You" to explain how a person's life can become dramatically good by including God in his or her life.

Church must Reflect Changing World, Moderators Told
Wealthy, White, English-Speaking Church must Diversify, Aja Says

December 4, 2008, LOUISVILLE – Against the backdrop of a highly diverse, multicultural society, it's critical that Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) leaders for the 21st Century be adaptive and willing to build a "church that reflects creation in all of its colorful glory." That was the message brought by the Rev. Tony Aja, interim pastor at Louisville's Bardstown Road Presbyterian Church, during opening worship for the 2008 Moderators' Conference held here Nov. 21-23. The gathering brought together synod and presbytery moderators and vice-moderators from throughout the denomination for a time of learning and growing.

Communion Process Presents Challenges for Proposed Province; Dissident Anglicans must Conform to Established Guidelines for Official Recognition, Lambeth Says

December 4, 2008 – Despite claiming to have God and history on their side, proponents of a new Anglican province in North America could face a years-long process for gaining official recognition by the rest of the Anglican Communion. A statement from Lambeth Palace, the London office of Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, responded to the Common Cause Partnership's (CCP) December 3 proposal to form a new Anglican province in North America. The statement said that there are legislative procedures to follow in such instances.

INDIAN OCEAN: First Women Priests Ordained in Antsiranana Diocese

December 2, 2008, DIOCESE OF ANTSIRANANA – The Diocese of Antsiranana made history November 30 when it ordained its first three women priests during a joyful ceremony at St. Joseph's Church in Nosy Be, Madagascar. The Rev. Marie Jeanne Befeno, the Rev. Vitasolo Roline and the Rev. Nivondrazana were ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Roger Chung Jaomalaza of the Diocese of Antsiranana, part of the Anglican Province of the Indian Ocean. Three other priests and eight deacons – including three women deacons – were also ordained during the service. The three new women priests were ordained as deacons in June 2007 at the inauguration of the new Cathedral of St Matthew in Diego Suarez.

Presiding Bishop Declares Inhibited Fort Worth Bishop Has Renounced His Orders

December 5, 2008 – Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said December 5 that she had accepted Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth Bishop Jack Iker's renunciation of his orders in the Episcopal Church. The Presiding Bishop's office released a one-page notification on December 5 saying Jefferts Schori had accepted Iker's renunciation with the "advice and consent" of her advisory council. The document says that Iker made his renunciation in writing on November 24; however a spokesperson for Iker denies that such a renunciation has been made.

Episcopal Election Methods Due for Revision
Survey of Nominees and Search Participants Is Latest Part of Study Group's Work

December 5, 2008 – The way in which the Episcopal Church elects its bishops could change as the result of a survey being conducted now by the Episcopal Elections and Transitions Project. The project, sponsored by the Episcopal Church's College for Bishops, the Presiding Bishop's Office of Pastoral Development and the CREDO Institute, is attempting "to obtain insights into the existing best practices of episcopal elections and to identify possible new directions for the best-practice models of the future," according to a news release. The Episcopal Church has revised its recommended method for the election of bishops approximately every ten years.

United Methodist Mobile Campaign Tested in Pittsburgh

December 3, 2008, PITTSBURGH – The United Methodist Church is testing a new mobile advertising strategy from now until Christmas Eve in the Pittsburgh area, incorporating text messaging and outdoor advertising as a way to woo a younger audience. More than 40 billboards and transit shelter ads aimed at reaching thousands of commuters and pedestrians are going up this week, according to a Dec. 3 news release from United Methodist Communications. Other ads will be delivered to subscribers of 4INFO, an ad-supported text message information service. The ads feature messages of hope and prompt recipients to text a keyword such as "BELIEVE" to a designated number.

Prison Ministry Reaches out to Those Feeling Forgotten

December 3, 2008, NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In a maximum-security prison on the outskirts of a major city, some inmates had not had a visitor in more than a quarter century of incarceration until members of a nearby United Methodist church stepped in. A pen pal ministry and visitation are among just a few of the prison outreaches to forgotten men at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution by members of Christ United Methodist Church in Franklin, about 17 miles south of Nashville. Church members exchange letters with inmates like Joe Collins, who is six years into a 17-year sentence and coordinates the pen pal program inside Riverbend. "I talked to a guy who hadn't had a visit in over 16 years," Collins said. "Now he gets regular cards, and his pen pal and her husband come out every few months and visit him. His quality of life has gone through the roof."

Ecumenical News

Witnesses of Faith Show the Way Towards Visible Unity

December 4, 2008 – Rediscovering the testimonies of Christian faith men and women of different Christian traditions gave over the centuries was the goal that brought some eighty participants from a variety of traditions and countries to the Italian monastery of Bose this autumn. It would be "an important step toward the visible unity of the church" if different denominations were to recognize each other's "heroes of the faith" who witnessed to the truth of the gospel "throughout their lives," and found ways of commemorating them together, said participants of the symposium "A Cloud of Witnesses" in a message to their churches.

Spanish News

Culto Especial Del CIC Por El Día Mundial Del VIH-SIDA

1 diciembre 2008, LA HABANA, Cuba – El Programa Vida y Salud Comunitaria del Consejo de Iglesias de Cuba (CIC) celebró la noche del martes 27 de noviembre un Culto especial por el Día Mundial de Respuesta a la Epidemia del VIH-SIDA. La celebración, que fue convocada específicamente por el proyecto Salud Sexual y VIH-SIDA, tuvo lugar en la Iglesia Evangélica "Los Pinos Nuevos," sita en la Habana Vieja y contó con la participación de iglesias de varias denominaciones de la ciudad. La velada comenzó con la presentación de las alarmentes estadísticas de esta pandemia en la actualidad.

Fundan Comité Interreligioso Para Promover La Tolerancia Y La Paz En El País

5 diciembre 2008, MANAGUA – Líderes de diversas comunidades religiosas que representan millones de fieles, preocupados por la tensión que vive el país después de las elecciones municipales del 9 de noviembre, sesionaron de urgencia y crearon las bases de la constitución de un Comité Interreligioso con el propósito de promover valores éticos en busca de la tolerancia y la paz.

Día De Las Personas Con Discapacidad: Igualdad Y Justicia Para Todos

3 diciembre 2008, BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – En el Día Internacional de las Personas con Discapacidad, diversas organizaciones de la sociedad civil, llaman a la comunidad a superar las barreras del entorno y las actitudes que impiden una adecuada integración social. Cuando se excluye a la una persona con discapacidad, se está privando a la sociedad de una parte importante de sus potencialidades.

Mensaje Navideno De 2008 Del Obispo Presidente De La IELA

5 diciembre 2008 – Cuando los angeles se fueron al cielo, los pastores se dijeron unos a otros: ‘Vamos a Belen, a ver esto que ha pasado y que el Senor nos ha dado a conocer.' – Lucas 2:15 !Vamos! !Ya! Cuando los angeles se acercaron a unos pastores con un mensaje luminoso una noche hace ya mucho tiempo, los pastores tuvieron una idea brillante. !Vamos! !Veamos que esta haciendo Dios!

Falleció El Patriarca De La Iglesia Ortodoxa De Rusia, Alexis II

5 diciembre 2008, VIERNES – El patriarca de la Iglesia Ortodoxa de Rusia, Alexis II, murió esta mañana a los 79 años, informó la oficina de prensa del patriarcado. El anuncio del deceso fue hecho por el portavoz del Patriarcado de Moscú, Vladimir Vigilianski. Alexis II, cercano del actual primer ministro y ex presidente Vladimir Putin, dirigía la mayor Iglesia ortodoxa rusa desde 1990. Restableció, con el apoyo del Kremlin, la infuencia de su Iglesia en un país que salía de 70 años de ateísmo del régimen soviético.

Delegación "Cartas Vivas" Del CMI Visitará a Colombia

4 diciembre 2008, COLOMBIA – En el contexto del Decenio para Superar la Violencia, la Red Ecuménica de Colombia prepara la visita de solidaridad que el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias (CMI), que será llevado a cabo desde el 6 hasta el 12 de diciembre próximos, en el marco del programa "Cartas Vivas," consistente en equipos de mujeres y hombres que buscan poner de manifiesto la unidad por la que se esfuerzan las iglesias. "Están invitados por las iglesias a fortalecer las relaciones, a aprender unos de otros y a expresar la mutua solidaridad," señaló en un comunicado la Red Ecuménica.

Visita a Colombia De Un Equipo Ecuménico Internacional

4 diciembre 2008 – Un equipo de representantes de iglesias de todo el mundo hará una visita de solidaridad a iglesias, organizaciones ecuménicas y movimientos de la sociedad civil de Colombia, del 6 al 12 de diciembre. Colombia, que es uno de los países más violentos del mundo, se halla desde la década de 1960 en medio de un conflicto entre el ejército, dos grupos de rebeldes de izquierda y los paramilitares de derecha. El crimen relacionado con la droga agrava aún más una situación que las Naciones Unidas han descrito como una de las peores crisis humanitarias del mundo.

El Vaticano No Firmará La Convención De Derechos De Personas Con Discapacidad

3 diciembre 2008, EL VATICANO – La Santa Sede confirmó ayer que no suscribirá la Convención sobre los Derechos de las Personas con Discapacidad por no incluir una prohibición explícita del aborto, según publican los medios italianos y reproducen agencias internacionales. Fuentes vaticanas han ratificado su negativa a firmar la Convención, aprobada por la Asamblea General en 2006, a pesar de que miembros de la Santa Sede participaron activamente en su elaboración durante cinco años. Según explicó el observador permanente de la Santa Sede ante la ONU, monseñor Celestino Migliore, el problema reside en los artículos 23 y 25.

Testigos De La Fe Muestran El Camino Hacia La Unidad

4 diciembre 2008 – El redescubrimiento del testimonio de la fe cristiana, que han dado durante siglos hombres y mujeres de diferentes tradiciones cristianas, fue el objetivo de la reunión de unos ochenta participantes procedentes de diversas tradiciones y países, que se celebró este otoño en el monasterio italiano de Bose.

Human Rights News

Migrants, Too, Have Human Rights

December 1, 2008 – The myth according to which host countries are "victims" of migration needs to be challenged, as in fact their economies benefit from the exploitation of migrant's work. This was one of the points made at a meeting convened mid-November by the World Council of Churches (WCC) in New York City, in which speakers condemned the trend to treat migrants as commodities and stressed that migrants are human beings, created in the image of God. Migration was the primary theme of the WCC's 16-21 November United Nations Advocacy Week, during which some 120 representatives of churches, ecumenical organizations and networks from all over the world discussed priorities and strategies for church advocacy at the UN and in their own countries.

New York Metro News

New York's St. John the Divine Cathedral Shines at Rededication

December 1, 2008, NEW YORK – The world's largest Gothic cathedral – St. John the Divine – staged a coming-out celebration November 30 after a $41 million restoration revealed a gigantic space full of light and color. The mother church of the Diocese of New York had been partially closed and its 8,500-pipe organ silenced after a fire on Dec. 18, 2001 destroyed the gift shop in the north transept and spread smoke damage throughout the cathedral's interior. The two-and-a-half-hour service of Holy Eucharist included greetings from both of New York's U.S. senators, Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton, who the next day was nominated to be Secretary of State by President-elect Barack Obama.

National News

Parsons Commends CIW and Subway on Agreement
Accord Sends ‘Unmistakable Message' to Ensure Human Rights, He Says

December 4, 2008, LOUISVILLE – The Rev. Gradye Parsons, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly stated clerk, has issued a statement praising the Dec. 2 agreement between the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) [www.ciw-online.org] and Subway, the third-largest fast food chain in the United States. The agreement commits Subway to take steps to increase wages and improve working conditions for the Florida farmworkers that harvest tomatoes for Subway's suppliers. Subway joins Yum! Brands – parent of Taco Bell – as well as McDonalds, Burger King and Whole Foods grocery chain in partnering with the CIW to improve the lot of Florida's farmworkers and put an end to human slavery in the fields.

LCMS Families Lose Everything in California Wildfires

December 5, 2008 – Rev. Craig Boehlke and his wife, Jennifer, were watching television at 11:30 p.m. Nov. 15, when a neighbor knocked on their sliding glass door and warned them that wildfires were approaching their mobile home community in Sylmar, Calif. The couple switched to the local news channel and watched the fire's progression. At 2:30 a.m., they received a mandatory evacuation order. "We had about 15 minutes to get photo albums, pictures off the wall, and some changes of clothing into our car," said Boehlke, pastor of Our Savior's First Lutheran Church, Granada Hills, Calif. "That was all."

Episcopal, Lutheran Leaders Call for Balanced Approach to Detroit Bailout

December 5, 2008 – Leaders of the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in the state of Michigan have issued a pastoral letter calling on the U.S. Congress to consider the parable of the Good Samaritan as it consider a financial bailout of the Michigan-based auto industry. Executives of Chrysler, Ford and General Motors were on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on December 4 for the second time in a month, attempting to convince Congress to give them $34 billion to stem their slide towards bankruptcy. Noting that the state's 9.5 percent unemployment rate is the highest in the U.S., the church leaders told Congress that "now is not the time for our country to continue walking on the other side of the road, ignoring the plight of our economically-battered workers."

International News

PCT Calls for Calm and Reason to Solve Crisis in Taiwan

November 30, 2008 – Taiwanese society has become increasingly tense lately with the new government compromising national sovereignty through China leaning policies, judicial investigations targeting opposition party members while overlooking members from the ruling party, the use of violence by police to suppress citizens, and biased reports by the media that do not reflect the whole truth behind events. Due to the worsening situation, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) called a press conference on November 20th, urging all Taiwanese to face the current national crisis with reason and calmness.

Nigerian Brethren Call for Prayer Following Violence in Central Nigeria

December 3, 2008 – Nigerian Brethren have requested prayer following an outbreak of sectarian violence sparked by a disputed political election in the town of Jos, in central Nigeria. Hundreds of people have been killed, and many buildings including churches and mosques have been burned. News reports have quoted Red Cross statements that as many as 25,000 people have fled their homes to shelter in makeshift camps, government buildings, army barracks, churches, and mosques. "We have received multiple reports from Nigeria. We are very concerned," said Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger.

Church of Christ in Thailand Requests Prayers; Political Violence Adds to Crisis

December 4, 2008, LOUISVILLE – As a worsening political crisis in Thailand drifts toward anarchy, the leader of the Church of Christ in Thailand (CCT) – the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s partner church there – has urged Christians around the world to pray for his country. The PC(USA) has 10 mission workers serving in Thailand. "Please pray for the situation throughout our country for wisdom and humility on the part of decision makers and for a swift, just and peaceful solution to hostilities," wrote the Rev. Sayam Muangsak, general secretary of the CCT in an email that was received by David Hudson, the PC(USA)'s area coordinator for Asia/Pacific.

Bus Crash Doesn't Deter Quito-Bound Travelers

November 27, 2008, QUITO, Ecuador – The series of 41 conferences being held in cities around the world continues to be historic for the Baha'i Faith, not only for the number of participants (over 12,000 and counting) but also for people's determination to overcome obstacles to get to the gatherings. The first conferences, which were in Africa, brought stories of people traveling a hundred kilometers or more on foot – a reflection of their eagerness to accept an invitation from the Universal House of Justice and meet with representatives of the supreme elected body of their religion.

UK Foreign Policy Centre Challenges Iran on Human Rights

November 30, 2008, LONDON – The Foreign Policy Centre, a leading foreign affairs think tank in Britain, has published a new report on Iran titled "A Revolution Without Rights: Women, Kurds and Baha'is Searching for Equality in Iran." The report concludes that, although the world is focusing on Iran's nuclear issue, the rights of women and minorities must not be overlooked. Published as a pamphlet, the report was presented at a public program at the Houses of Parliament on 25 November, coinciding with United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

International Ecumenical Team to Visit Colombia

December 4, 2008 – A team of church representatives from around the world will pay a solidarity visit to churches, ecumenical organizations and civil society movements in Colombia from 6 to 12 December. One of the most violent countries in the world, Colombia has been in midst of a conflict between the army, two groups of left-wing rebels and right-wing paramilitaries since the 1960s. Drug-related crime adds to a situation that the United Nations has described as one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

WCC Salutes Signing of Cluster Munitions Convention

December 3, 2008 – The Convention on Cluster Munitions has been welcomed as a "humane and historic victory" by the World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia. Commenting on the signing of the convention in Oslo, Norway today, Kobia congratulated the more than 100 signatory countries and reiterated the need for states that have not yet done so – including the United States, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and Zimbabwe – to "sign and support this timely arms control and humanitarian initiative."

Spending Vouchers Fuel Debate among Taiwan Organizations and People

November 30, 2008 – In order to boost the Taiwanese economy, the Executive Yuan announced on November 24 that it had passed a bill authorizing the distribution of spending vouchers for every citizen. How spending vouchers should be distributed has been hotly debated among political parties since the inception of the idea. Now, citizens and charities are discussing whether donating the vouchers to charities should be encouraged and tax-deductible.