This seminary responds to the concern of growing tensions and polarization during the last years which characterizes relationships in various countries and had influenced organizations at different levels. Frequently, collective failure to resolve conflicts gives birth to new threats that mostly disturb relationships and break trust apart. Fear is one element leading to risky divisions and demagogue practices pay their role.

Member churches are equipped with current theological understanding regarding conflict management, reconciliation, and peace building and count with resource persons for transformation in church and society.

This program seeks to better understand the theological aspects of conflict and reconciliation. Moreover, it aims to equip member churches with skilled leaders in conflict prevention and management tools. Participants will, at the same time, become part of a network of resource Persons for mediation and peace building.

To mobilize the voices of religious leaders for the protection and promotion of civil society space

The overarching goal of this workshop is to harness the prophetic voice of the Church for the promotion and defence of an enabling civil society space at all levels – nationally, regionally and internationally. Specific objectives are:

1. To discuss the theological foundations pertinent to religious leaders’ role in public space and their relations with the State and other stakeholders.
2. To identify principles for best practices and enabling factors for an effective religious leaders’ engagement on promoting civil society space.
3. To contemplate on the most restricted human rights themes or issues and the role that religious institutions can play to mitigate those restrictions.
4. To discuss partnership with relevant stakeholders (national, regional and international) to defend and promote civil society space.

Language: English

Department: Department for Theology and Public Witness

The workshop will introduce participants to LWF’s local to global (L2G) Rights-based Approach (RBA) programme more generally and human rights mechanisms of Human Rights Council (HRC), and Universal Periodic Review (UPR) more specifically. It will also explain how to engage with the UPR to bring priority human rights issues from the perspective of CSOs in Angola to bear to effect positive social change through advocacy.

The workshop will equally train participants on methodology regarding how to form a coalition of CSOs on the UPR, and organize into cluster groups that will embark on data collection in each of their thematic human rights area of expertise.

The data collected will be compiled into a report that will be submitted to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) as a CSOs shadow report documenting priority

Language: English

Department: Department for Theology and Public Witness

A delegation from The Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria and partner civil society organizations working on human rights and peacebuilding will participate in the pre-session of the UPR for Nigeria. During the pre-session the delegation will be meeting with different Diplomatic Missions in Geneva to advocate for redress of issues related to violent attacks against farmers by nomadic Fulani herdsmen in Numan Federation in Nigeria.

The delegation will lobby Missions to make recommendations to the Government of Nigeria on how to end the conflict, ensure justice, accountability and reparations for lives lost and properties damaged, and how to protect the rights of the indigenous communities in this region to life, peace and security, and the rights of the child.

These issues and their recommendations are documented in a report which the civil society coalition for the UPR has submitted to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Language: English

Department: Department for Theology and Public Witness

LUCCEA member churches Capacity building workshop

This is a Training of Trainers (TOT) workshop that seeks to realize increased capacity among church diaconal actors to initiate and implement inclusive community resilience (ICR) projects by communities utilizing innovative skills.

The main challenge to be addressed is ensuring that advocacy engagements become more collaborative and well networked to ensure sustainability. In view of improving specific skills for diaconal engagement the training shall focus on specific and selected topics: “Building ICR”, “Embracing Diversity in ICR”, “Promoting Learning and Innovation” and “Characteristics of Resilience”.  ICR link to Sustainable Development Goals and the Framework on Overcoming Poverty shall be demonstrated and the revised program implementation strategy rolled out.

Language: English and French

Department: Department for Mission and Development

Churches and sustainable development

How a local-to-global advocacy approach contributes to the quest for lasting peace and realization of human rights in South Sudan

South Sudan has been engaging with the UPR process since November 2016, five years after the country became independent. The government has accepted the bulk of UPR recommendations, and presently includes civil society representatives on its Inter-Ministerial Committee on Human Rights.

The side event is a platform for high-level representatives from the government, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, faith-based and civil society actors to provide an update on the opportunities and challenges of implementing the UPR recommendations. Panelists will share lessons learned and best practices from the multi-stakeholder collaboration. The role of human rights in undergirding different peacebuilding processes in South Sudan will be examined, as well as synergies that make human rights and peacebuilding initiatives work better together for lasting peace.

Organized by the LWF and co-sponsored by the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, the Republic of South Sudan; and the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.

International Affairs and Human Rights

Relating the work of churches to the UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development

Churches have been working on areas related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) long before the United Nations even existed. However, very often, churches are not aware of how their work links to the work of the United Nations and its Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.

As part of the ‘Waking the Giant’ initiative, LWF has developed a tool that easily allows churches and related actors to make the connection between their ongoing activities and specific SDGs.

This tool, available online and as a paper version, will be officially launched during the LWF Council, in the presence of the Council members, UN and government representatives. Subsequently, it will be publicly available on the LWF website.

INVITATION ONLY

Waking the Giant

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LWF News

Germany: “17 Weeks, 17 Goals” online campaign on the UN Sustainable Development Goals 17 January 2022 NEUENDETTELSAU, Germany/GENEVA New SDGs training manual for faith-based actors 24 August 2021 GENEVA, Switzerland Churches are key partners for UN’s 2030 Agenda 7 July 2021 GENEVA, Switzerland Peacebuilding a priority for post-pandemic world 21 September 2020 GENEVA, Switzerland

The Web of Life: Biodiversity

The ecumenical Season of Creation lasts from 1 September (Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation) until 4 October (Feast day of St. Francis), is an invitation to engage in a month of prayer, symbolic acts and campaigns to give thanks for creation and renew your human vocation to care for it.

The theme for 2019 is the Web of Life, and this year’s resource equips us to encounter the biodiversity of our local ecology, and promote ways in which we can protect it. The land, animals, plants, minerals and all of creation are good, and necessary to sustain life. The Covenant that God made for Noah was established between God and all of creation. This year’s resource equips you to renew that covenant, and reclaim your place in the web of life. It offers an ecumenical prayer service that you can host in your parish or congregation, background information on the importance of biodiversity, and links to more information about campaigns and practices to protect the land as local habitats to nurture the local diversity of plants and animals.

The Season of Creation will end with an online, international, ecumenical prayer service on 4 October, hosted by the LWF and our Season of Creation partners.

Languages: English, French, Spanish and Portuguese

Location: Online event

Find the Season of Creation Celebration Guide

Read more 2019 Season of Creation guide now available (LWI) - The...

Celebrating creation’s ‘Web of Life’

Pursuing Peace through Interfaith Relations in Asia

Around 150-200 participants from the 55 member churches as well as mission partners in the Asia region will be provided with updates on the steps undertaken in response to the decisions of the 12th Assembly, and on the new LWF Strategy 2019 – 2024. Furthermore, the participants will be introduced to the challenges and opportunities related to some key issues such as mission, theological education, Lutheran identity, interfaith relations, women and youth.

Expected outcomes from the ACLC would be a clear definition of thematic priorities for the Asia region, more clarity on the needs of the 3 sub-regions and their member churches, an enhanced collaboration between sub-regions and among member churches as well as an increased ownership of the LWF processes in Asia.

Language: English and Bahasa Indonesia

Latin America and the Caribbean and North America Training of Facilitators

The activity seeks to promote the DPC model for facilitators in the LAC and North America regions that will offer church – church support. Facilitators will be involved in forms of accompaniment, when needed, in cases of mediation.

Two goals:

1. Participants understand the nature of conflict; enhance skills to use tools to navigate through conflict seeking change through the principles of dialogue and mediative action.
2. The regions count with a HUB support for mediation that is linked to the Sustainability Institute (InS/EST) to develop curricula and engage in trainings.

Language: English with translation into Spanish and Portuguese