In US state of Vermont, religious leaders ask state to remember enslaved
Burlington, Vermont, USAP Some Vermont religious leaders are asking the state to confront its role as a location where Black people were once held as slaves and remember those individuals. Rabbi Amy Small of Burlington’s Ohavi Zedek Synagogue says the common myth is that there were no enslaved individuals in Vermont. But the historical record […]
Essay: Black religious leaders are up front and central in US protests – as they have been for the last 200 years
In an article first published on The Conversation, LAWRENCE BURNLEY, ordained minister and historian, looks at the role religious leaders have – and are – playing in the struggle for liberation and racial justice for black Americans…
UN chief urges faith leaders to challenge harmful messages
New York, USAP UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged religious leaders on Tuesday to challenge “inaccurate and harmful messages” that are fueling rising ethno-nationalism, stigma, hate speech and conflict as the coronavirus pandemic circles the globe. The UN chief warned a video meeting on the role of faith leaders in addressing the challenges of COVID-19 that […]
Fear remains a barrier for minority participation in US census, say faith leaders
Washington DC, USRNS As the once-a-decade count of Americans nears, US Census Bureau officials brought faith leaders together to talk about their role in getting congregants across the country to participate. “You are your community’s most trusted voice,” Steven Dillingham, director of the US Census Bureau, told about 100 leaders gathered on Tuesday for the […]
Religions can be part of the solution for peace, not the problem, faith leaders say
Vatcian CityRNS When John Lennon wrote his hit song Imagine, eliminating religions and the divisions they entail was in his view a necessary condition for “living life in peace.” A meeting of religious representatives in Rome this week made the case for shifting that paradigm. The Abrahamic Faiths Initiative group united 25 religious leaders representing […]
Mexican pastor shot dead outside church, reports CSW
A pastor was fatally shot following a service at his church in south-west Mexico on Sunday. Alfrery Líctor Cruz Canseco was reportedly waiting in his car outside the Fraternidad Cristiana church following the service when he was shot. The shooter attempted to escape but was detained by congregation members and handed over to authorities. The pastor was […]
South Sudan religious leaders raise alarm over escalating conflict
As the implementation of the Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan gains ground, Christian and Muslim leaders have united to draw to attention to a growing conflict in Yei River state, which is displacing thousands while igniting a severe humanitarian challenge. Kiir’s government and a number of rebel factions signed […]
Religious groups, leaders respond to new US immigration policies
RNS Religious organisations and leaders in the US were swift to react to new Trump administration policies that will widely expand deportations of undocumented immigrants. “These policies are destructive to families,” said Bishop Dwayne Royster, political director of the PICO National Network, an interfaith organisation that provides services to immigrants. “The president, with malicious intent, […]
Christian leaders encouraged to get tested for HIV in bid to end stigma
Christians are among religious leaders being encouraged to get tested for HIV in an effort to encourage others to do so, under a campaign launched by the World Council of Churches on 1st December – World AIDS Day. The ‘Leading by Example: Religious Leaders and HIV Testing’ campaign, which is being launched at thw WCC’s […]
Christians among religious leaders appealing for peace in Myanmar following new outbreaks of violence
Religious leaders in Myanmar, including Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Yangon, have issued a statement appealing for peace in the nation amid reports of fresh clashes between ethnic minority armed groups and the Myanmar’s security forces. Fresh outbreaks of fighting have been recently reported in Kachin and Karen states as well […]