Ecology, Spirituality and Ethics on the agenda of the III World Forum of Theology and Liberation

Theologians from all corners of the globe will meet at the III WFTL in Belém (State of Pará, Brazil) from the 21st to the 25th of January 2009. Their discussions will focus on guidelines and sustainable ethical alternatives in the context of current ecological challenges.

The theme of the third edition of the World Forum of Theology and Liberation is “Water, Land, and Theology—towards a different world”. Approximately four hundred participants—theologians, researchers of religion, educationalists, and community leaders from all over the world—will aim to elaborate guidelines and sustainable ethical alternatives in the context of current ecological challenges.

The relation between Water and Land is a defining characteristic of the geography of the Amazon area and leads us to a holistic view of life. The prophetic significance of life is an essential part of our engagement with the current ecological crisis. In this context the III WFTL will be an opportunity to have a critical as well as a pluralistic theological and ecological reflection. This reflection will aim to establish new connections between the various kinds of knowledge, new methodologies and forms of dialogue, all with a view to contributing to the public debate on the future of life.

The agenda of the Forum will include a range of activities: the main theme will be progressed in conferences, plenary sessions and panel discussions. These activities will be led by invited speakers, some of whose names we mention here:

Leonardo Boff (Brasil), Mary E. Hunt (USA), Steve DeGruchy (South Africa), Emilie Townes (USA), Michael Dubois (France), Felix Wilfred (India), Mercy Oduyoye (Ghana), Guillermo Kerber Mas (Uruguay). Workshops and contributions from participants will also be part of the programme. In the light of the experience in Nairobi there will be opportunities to visit some localities where initiatives have been taken to combat poverty and social vulnerability.

The WFTL aims to progress “an interdisciplinary and pluralistic debate” in the context of a world wide ecumenical network of contextual theologies. Its origins can be traced to the idealism of groups of ecumenical associations of theology, religion and education at the early editions of the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre. The I WFTL was held in Porto Alegre in 2005 and had as its principal theme: “Theology for a different World”. The II WFTL was held in Nairobi (Kenya) in 2007 and has as its principal theme: “Spirituality for a different World”.

The III WFTL hopes to bring together a wide spectrum of participants—academics, pastoralists, people from a modest and/or poor background, all of whom subscribe to the proposal and the principles of the WFTL. The outline of the proposal and principles can be found in the Letter of Principles of the WFTL on the site www.wftl.org.

We encourage organizations, institutions and social movements to send delegations to the Forum where they will have an opportunity to organize workshops and share the experience they have acquired in relation to the various themes and sub-themes. For further information you can check the website www.wftl.org.

Information and Contacts:

Permanent Secretariat (Porto Alegre)

permanentsecretariatwftl.org

+55 (51) 3320.3940

Local Committee (Belém)

colfmtlgmail.com

+55 (91) 4006.9060

REFERENCE:

Joe Marçal G. dos Santos

Secretaria Permanente do FMTL

permanentsecretariatwftl.org

PUCRS/FATEO - Projeto Teologia e Sociedade

Secretaria Permanente do FMTL

Tel/fax +55 (51) 3320-3940