More than a dozen well-known Christian leaders and peace-makers from all over the world are affirming churches' and faith communities' work for peace and justice in a series of inspiring two-minute video messages.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, and the head of the Evangelical Church in Germany, Bishop Wolfgang Huber are among those supporting an International Day of Prayer for Peace called for by the World Council of Churches (WCC) within its Decade to Overcome Violence. The date set for observance is 21 September.

More than a dozen well-known Christian leaders and peace-makers from all over the world are affirming churches' and faith communities' work for peace and justice in a series of inspiring two-minute video messages that will be made available at www.overcomingviolence.org/peace2004 on Monday 20 September 12.00am Geneva time.

This year, the WCC's Decade to Overcome Violence is focusing on the United States, under the theme "The power and promise of peace". The video messages thus also recognize and encourage the struggle of US churches to witness to peace and justice, both domestically and internationally.

Personalities joining the International Day of Prayer for Peace through video messages are:

The Most Revd Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town, South Africa Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Wolfgang Huber, chairman of the council of the Evangelical Church in Germany Aram I, catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church (See of Cilicia) and WCC Central Committee moderator Hanan Mikhail Ashwari, Sydney Peace Prize winner and advocate for Palestinian rights Keith Clements, general secretary of the Conference of European Churches Mvume Dandala, general secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches Karen Hamilton, general secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches Israel Batista, general secretary of the Latin American Council of Churches Hildegard Goss Mayr, honorary president of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation Ahn Jae Woong, general secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia Bernice Powell Jackson, WCC president from North America Thomas L Hoyt, Jr, president of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA

Within the framework of its Decade to Overcome Violence, the WCC has called on its member churches - which represent a membership estimated at about 550 million Christians world-wide - to pray for peace on 21 September or on the Sundays preceding or following that day.

This WCC initiative links to the International Day of Peace declared by the United Nations General Assembly, a world-wide effort intended as a day of global cease-fire and non-violence, and as an opportunity for education and raising public awareness.

The video messages in both webcast and broadcast quality will be available as of Monday 20 (12:00 a.m. Geneva time) at www.overcomingviolence.org/peace2004

Liturgical resources for the International Day of Prayer for Peace are already available at the same website.

Additional information: Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org

The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches, now 342, in more than 120 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works cooperatively with the WCC. The highest governing body is the assembly, which meets approximately every seven years. The WCC was formally inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Its staff is headed by general secretary Samuel Kobia from the Methodist church in Kenya.

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