International Affairs - Peacebuilding&disarmament

International affairs, peace
and human security

History

Nuclear non-proliferation

Small arms & light weapons

Decade to Overcome Violence

PEACEBUILDING AND DISARMAMENT

The WCC Peacebuilding and Disarmament Programme, developed and implemented in the context of the Decade to Overcome Violence, seeks to help churches, societies and the international community to manage and resolve conflicts, and become more skilled in transforming them through non-violent action.

It has promoted creative approaches to conflict management, and transformation through developing and/or highlighting innovative community approaches to overcome violence.

Special emphasis is placed on situations of armed conflicts and violence, as well as advocacy for the effective control and reduction of conventional weapons, the elimination of nuclear weapons and non-military approaches to peace and security.

Our goals:

to encourage and support initiatives aiming at overcoming violence.

to reformulate the concept of global security, focussing on the safety and wellbeing of persons (human security) based on justice.

to develop national and regional ecumenical networks as part of the global campaign against small arms and light weapons.

to advocate for the elimination of nuclear weapons.

to explore and deepen relationships and forge new alliances between the formal and non-formal sectors; traditional and new partners; social scientists; theologians and other civil society actors.

June 24 2001, nearly 100,000 guns were
destroyed in Rio de Janeiro at a gun destruction
ceremony organized by the Rio de Janeiro state
government in cooperation with Viva Rio, a
partner in the WCC Peace to the City network
active from 1998-2002

WCC delegation at critical nuclear treaty review this week
SEE 16 May 2005 PRESS RELEASE