The churches contributed to the peaceful revolution in central and eastern Europe as well as to the ending of the apartheid regime in southern Africa, says Konrad Raider. Now the ecumenical movement has accepted the challenge to overcome violence as its special vocation.

A team of Christian representatives from Portugal, Switzerland and Brazil is paying a solidarity visit to churches and civil society groups in Angola and Mozambique this month.

Dispelling the myth of "a little peaceful country", an international ecumenical Living Letters team visited Uruguay and discovered how violence manifests itself at the levels of family life, the state and youth, and how the churches in this South American country seek to overcome it, says Juan Michel.

Religious and value-based organizations from five continents have agreed to form a coalition for the UN Decade for Inter-religious and Intercultural Dialogue, Understanding, and Cooperation for Peace.

Peace-building and housing and education issues will be highlighted as a world-wide ecumenical team visits churches, faith organizations and civil society movements in Israel and Palestine from 14-21 March 2009.

The Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV) sponsored by the World Council of Churches (WCC) has launched its 2009 focus on the Caribbean region with the theme: "One Love: Building a Peaceful Caribbean".

An international ecumenical team representing the World Council of Churches has left the USA encouraged by the signs of hope and commitment after meeting with American Christians struggling with issues of gun control, war and a culture of violence.

Church leaders and communities facing situations of violence in New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC and New Orleans will share their experiences with an international team from different churches, who will visit the United States next week.

St Francis of Assisi's prayer, 'Make me a channel of your peace', was the theme for a celebration of common commitment to overcome violence at a gathering of Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican and Protestant church representatives on 17 February 2007 in Wittenberg, Germany.