The World Council of Churches (WCC) was nominated as a top non-governmental organization and received a 4th place in the Geneva Engage Award on 29 January. The honor recognizes the actors in International Geneva for their social media outreach and online engagement.
The award encourages convergences around development, human rights, digital and other policy issues between communities worldwide and International Geneva, host of many international negotiations with an impact across countries and continents.
In its communications, the WCC envisions itself as a catalyst for change for a world with unity, justice and peace at its heart, said WCC communication director Marianne Ejdersten. “The WCC strives to inspire and invite its member churches to work together, actively lending weight to the churches’ common voice,” she said. “The member churches are the heart of the council.”
WCC’s communicators also strive to be inclusive; the core of their work involves participation and, most of all, hope. “Our task is to ignite hope for a better world where human dignity prevails,” said Ejdersten. “Human dignity and equality must permeate all communications.”
“Telling the truth – even when it is inconvenient or unwelcome – is a powerful way of amplifying voices that have been previously silenced, ignored, powerless or marginalized,” Ejdersten added.
The Lutheran World Federation was also among the ten winners and received a 7th place.
WCC, oikoumene.org