International Ecumenical Peace Convocation

The World Council of Churches International Ecumenical Peace Convocation took place in Kingston, Jamaica a few weeks ago, 17 - 25 May 2011.  I flagged this meeting up back in January.

Here's some background material:

The World Council of Churches' 9th Assembly (Porto Alegre, Brazil, February 2006) decided that "the conclusion of Decade to Overcome Violence be marked by an International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC)". The Assembly also called for "a process of wide consultation to be undertaken toward developing an ecumenical declaration on "just peace". This consultative process leading up to the IEPC allows for broad participation with many entry points, and covers a wide spectrum of thematic and methodological approaches.

The IEPC will bring together a wide spectrum of people witnessing to the peace of God as a gift and responsibility of the entire human family. It seeks to strengthen the church's position on peace, provide opportunities for networking and deepening our common commitment to the processes of reconciliation and just peace.

So, how did it go?  Steve Hucklesby from the British Methodist Connexional Team was present and reported the 'The Convocation took place at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica with an ancient conduit dating back to the time of sugar plantations when the site would have been populated by captured slaves. The conference was addressed by Canon Paul Oestreicher and a lot was learnt during the workshops on abuse of women and people facing challenging situations around the world. Prof John Hull, Barbara Glasson and Ruth Hilton were facilitators at the workshops.'  You can read more from Steve on his blog.

The Convocation has published a closing message, which is more than a text:

The IEPC message captures only part of a truly historic event, said the Rev. Dr Walter Altmann, moderator of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Central Committee, as he received the IEPC message on behalf of the WCC.   “You take with you much more than a text; you take with you a profound ecumenical experience,” he said. “The complexity of the issues we have addressed will certainly require further work, reflection and action.”