It's a concept that's hard for Canadians to fathom, but in Malawi, where up to half the country's 12 million people don't have enough to eat, having the right to food enshrined in the constitution would be a major step forward.

The Presbyterian Church welcomed a federal announcement in late November to establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which will be guided by principles established by a 1998-99 working group that explored the issue, and a financial package that will give $10,000 to every former student of Indian residential schools and an additional $3,000 for each year of attendance after the first. The deal was part of a series of initiatives to address the need for compensation and resolution in a comprehensive, fair and just manner.

The World Alliance of Reformed Churches has restructured itself in hopes of avoiding financial difficulties and increasing access to church members throughout the world.

The issue of how to set professors' salaries was back on the front burner at November's Assembly Council meeting.

(ENI) – Bishop Munib Younan, a Palestinian Lutheran bishop for the Holy Land, issued a plea after four members of the pacifist group Christian Peacemaker Teams were abducted by an Iraqi insurgent group calling itself the Swords of Righteousness brigades. He urged the kidnappers to show mercy, saying they belong to a group working for peace and to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in areas under Israeli occupation.

An Ontario judge has dismissed two charges of sex crimes against Rev. Robert Fourney, senior minister at Glenview Presbyterian Church, Toronto. Fourney was charged with sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a male teenager last January – an allegation dating back to 1990 when he was minister at St. Andrew's, Windsor.

Rev. Duncan Cameron, Rev. Bill Klempa and Rev. Stuart Coles sing one of Mr. Coles' hymns at the 50th anniversary celebration of the Declaration of Faith Concerning Church and Nation. Mr. Coles served on the committee that drafted the historic document.

The Catholic Church is out of step with women's rights in today's world and as a result women are being denied social justice and their rights to full and equal participation in the Catholic Church, said the Catholic Network for Women's Equality.

An ecumenical group gathered in Winnipeg to discuss the challenges of bullying and how the church can help stop it. As an initiative of the Presbyterian Church's Child and Youth Advisory Committee, formed in 2002, the Canadian Ecumenical Anti-Bullying Initiative created steps it could take to raise awareness of the problem.

In 1985, the Presbyterian Church had no partners in mission in Central America and no missionary presence. So the church sent Rev. Joe Reed to determine what might be done. Twenty years later, Reed is preparing to return to Canada, leaving behind three full-time missionaries in a more peaceful region where churches are involved in ministry in different contexts with new challenges, including poverty and economic development.

The UN's commission on Human Rights met in March where a statement was made by the chairman that was highly critical of the situation in Colombia. The statement is what John Lewis, KAIROS' international human rights specialist for Latin America, calls a victory for grassroots initiatives working towards peace. "There is a vibrant civil society in Colombia and it needs as much support as the international community can give it," he said. "They're the ones who will bring people together and defend human rights." KAIROS stands for Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, which supports peace-building programs in Colombia.

Victoria Neuta's dark, warm eyes look to the floor before she speaks. She is thinking of the conflict in her country and the perils that fighting for peace can bring. As coordinator of women's affairs for the National Indigenous Organization in Colombia (ONIC), Neuta helps indigenous Colombians negotiate land disputes with the government, and supports the work of women within their communities. She has watched as indigenous men and women are pushed off their land, are wrongfully arrested and raped, have their freedoms restricted, disappear and are even killed. She knows her work is dangerous. "When we go out, we know something could happen," said Neuta, speaking through a translator during a recent visit to Toronto. "But I don't think about it. We just continue with our work."

An Ipsos-Reid survey for the Centre for Faith and the Media has found that Canadians are tired of fluff on TV and in our newspapers. Apparently, we're craving something a bit more meaty…

Professor Ying Fuk Tsang, a divinity professor in Hong Kong, believes "the upsurge of Christianity is really a potential destabilising factor in the eyes of the Chinese Communist Party," which is concerned that the concept of democracy might be spread by the Protestant church, impacting on the social situation of the state.

Knox College, Toronto, and The Presbyterian College, Montreal, have agreed to formally discuss the desirability of a merger between the two schools. A joint committee has been appointed to explore future directions for both institutions. An agreement would require the approval of the Committee on Theological Education and the General Assembly.

Evangel Hall, a Toronto inner-city mission of the Presbyterian Church, is getting ready to open its brand new $13-million facility by the end of this year. Its 84 low-income housing units should be ready for tenants in January. Construction began in June 2004. "It's been a long dream, with lots of hurdles to overcome," said Joseph Taylor, executive director.

Marcel Ginchereau hasn't always been in such good spirits. At 43, he has lived a life of homelessness, drug addiction and alcohol dependency. A battle with schizophrenia that is now controlled with medication was a source of many ills. Now clean and sober for four years, he credits Evangel Hall and a strong devotion to God for turning his life around. "I was a real mess when I came here. You wouldn't recognize me," said Ginchereau, during an interview at Evangel Hall. "If God was not around, I'd be dead. He kept me alive for some purpose. I don't know what it is yet, but one day I will."

The heads of seven church groupings from around the world are seeking to meet United Nations' Secretary General Kofi Annan to discuss continued UN action to cut the rate of global poverty.

Dorothy Henderson, associate secretary for Christian education shares some of her favourite books for youth leaders, teachers and parents.

The Supreme Court of Canada recently overturned a B.C. Court of Appeal ruling saying that the United Church is partially responsible for abuse incurred by students at its Port Alberni Indian Residential School. The unanimous decision found that the church is 25 per cent liable for damages, along with the federal government which assumes 75 per cent responsibility.