The World Methodist Council’s Peace Prize goes to the Italian Methodists

Rome (NEV), December 28, 2017 – The important “World Methodist Peace Award” this year goes to the Italian Methodists – represented by the Italian Methodist Churches’ Work Organization (OPCEMI) – for their constant and deep engagement with and for migrants and refugees, an activity that dates back to 1989.

“A work carried out by OPCEMI for decades, without ever making differences between migrants of Protestant, Catholic or Muslim faith”, World Methodist Council (WMC) stated in its motivations for the Prize.

In particular, the WMC cites the involvement of the Methodist Church of Scicli (Ragusa, Sicily) in supporting the work carried out by the “House of Cultures” – which is part of the Mediterranean Hope Programme of the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy (FCEI) -, a reception centre for particularly vulnerable migrants and refugees, which hosts both people coming from the sea and families arrived with the ecumenical “humanitarian corridors’s project”.

Through the funds of the eight per thousand of the income taxes’s revenue – the WMC informs –  Methodists and Waldensian also financially support the ecumenical project of the “humanitarian corridors” which – thanks to the partnership between FCEI, Waldensian Board and the Community of Sant’Egidio – has brought to Italy 1000 refugees, especially Syrians, in a  safe and legal way.
Two are the winners of the 2017 WMC Peace Prize: together with OPCEMI, the Nasser family of Bethlehem (Palestine) promoter of the “The Tent of Nations” initiative, was also awarded. This project, through interreligious dialogue and activities for children and women, intends to build bridges between populations in that strip of tortured land.
The 2017 Peace Prize will be delivered at the WMC Council meeting in Seoul (South Korea) from 12 to 15 July 2018.

There are about 5000 Methodists in Italy. They have been integrated since 1975 with the Waldensian churches into a single Synod.