Living Letters solidarity visit to South Africa

An international ecumenical "Living Letters" delegation sent by the World Council of Churches (WCC) visited South Africa from 5 - 12 November 2008.

This visit was significant because of the role the country's churches and their national council have played in overcoming the violence of the apartheid ideology and system. Since the first free and democratic elections in 1994, the churches have continued to work for peace, justice and reconciliation.

It was South Africa that inspired the WCC programme which gave birth to the Decade to Overcome Violence. The names of the places in the provinces of Gauteng (Soweto, Alexandra Township) and Kwazulu Natal (Durban and Pretoria) which the Living Letters team will visit bring to mind this historic struggle for a just and peaceful society. 

The ecumenical visitors met with church leaders and communities working on justice and peace, such as the organization "Love in Action" in Mabopane, Pretoria - a centre that reaches out to people "discarded" by society, and provides education to street kids and prisoners. Read more...