As part of the Psychosocial Support program, the Service and Relief Department - Diakonia, Beirut office, at the Middle East Council of Churches, organized 6 training sessions aiming at accompanying the most vulnerable groups in overcoming daily difficulties and stress.

A group of women participated in the sessions. Noting that they struggle with mental health issues of all types and severity due to loneliness.

Report: 1 to 15 October 2021

According to the World Bank, the Middle East is heading towards a ‘tenuous’ recovery stage as the pandemic continues to hit the region hard. It warned that if newer and deadlier variants of corona appear in the region, previous projections of growth will be scrapped. The organization also warned that political instability in the region could also deter recovery.

and the Families of the Beirut Blast Victims at LIQAA

A group of the families of the Beirut blast victims of August 4, 2020, especially the families of the 10 martyrs of the Beirut Fire Brigade, responded to the invitation of the Theological and Ecumenical Department in the Middle East Council of Churches to participate in the Trauma Healing and Spiritual Counseling program, through a meeting on 15, 16, and 17 October 2021 at the "Liqaa" Center in Rabweh - Lebanon.

Gets Over the Repercussions of War

MECC ended the restoration activities in the Private Syrian Secondary School in Aleppo, which affiliates to the Armenian Orthodox Church.

MECC in cooperation with “Churches Together” organization in Netherlands is rehabilitating religious and social establishments that were damaged by Syrian war.

In the new issue of the weekly newsletter Momentum issued by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the Middle East Council of Churches, the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” Booklet 2022 is now published and available to the whole world. Noting that the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity entrusted MECC with the task of selecting the theme of the Week of Prayer for the year 2022 and preparing drafts of its texts.

As for the weekly message of the Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, it was entitled “And The Looted Land Has Its Shepherd”.

Difficult is parting, bitter in taste, painful, leaving scars that may not heal.

For Metropolitan Paul Yazigi and Metropolitan Youhanna Ibrahim to be absent is one thing, and to acknowledge that they may not return is another thing.

There is no doubt that the decision taken by the Holy Synod of Antioch to transfer Metropolitan Paul Yazigi to the honorary post of Metropolitan the diocese of Diyarbakir, given the passage of nearly nine years since his absence, is a practical and realistic decision, but it is a decision that emerged from the depth of the suffering felt by the absence of the two shepherds whose fate was deemed unknown to all military, political, legal as well as media references.

Watch the Virtual Tour of the Pavilion of the Holy See, Where Bridges are Built, and the Culture of Peace is Spread

The Middle East and the world witnessed between October 1 and March 31, 2021, a historic 6-month event full of culture, creativity, and innovation: Expo 2020 Dubai. Organizers wanted it to be a meeting point of civilizations, cultures and heritage, and a link between all people and religions. This World Expo in Dubai carries with it a humanitarian message reflected in the richness of diversity, brotherhood, dialogue, and acceptance of others. This year, a special pavilion for the Vatican was allocated for the first time, an initiative proving the commitment of the UAE to the encyclical Fratelli Tutti and was manifested as its most prominent fruits.

With the end of the Season of Creation 2021, the Middle East Council of Churches concluded the first season of the television program “Days of the Season of Creation” with a final episode broadcasted on Sunday, October 10, at 8:30 pm Beirut time and 5:30 GMT. The program was in cooperation between Télé Lumière, Noursat and the Middle East Council of Churches, and was broadcasted in parallel with the global celebrations of this Christian environmental season throughout the month of September. It was prepared by the Council's Communication and Public Relations Department.

MECC launched a WASH campaign within its Cash for Work Program aiming at providing a temporary employment opportunities in Msefra and Kherbet Ghazaleh towns in Rural Dara’a.

160 workers participated in garbage removal and transportation. In addition, 75 women, who received health awareness sessions on COVID-19 and the importance of correct hygiene, implemented home visits in both towns to disseminate the learned information to local community and spread the knowledge to the biggest possible number of population.

As part of the "Season of Creation" 2021 activities, the MECC Communication and Public Relations Department and the Council’s Ecojustice Adhoc Committee release a video about the importance of cultivating peace among generations, as well as the difference between the peace of people and the free peace of Jesus Christ.

Report: 13 October 2021

All Middle East countries with the exception of Turkey, reported a decrease in daily COVID rates. This is due to continuous rollout of vaccines and preventive measures.

The Service and Relief Department – Diakonia, Beirut office at the Middle East Council of Churches organized 6 psychosocial support sessions for a group of children aiming at enhancing their abilities and developing their skills.

The Psychosocial sessions for children play a valuable role in promoting the well-being and resilience of children.