Athena Peralta, director of the WCC Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development, emphasized the significance of this initiative: “Faith communities have a unique and powerful role in advocating for an Economy of Life—one that prioritizes people and the planet over profit. The GEM School offers a critical space for deepening our understanding and strategies to transform the current global economic order.”
Participants will engage in a series of lectures, panel discussions, and group exercises to explore alternative economic models, global capitalism’s impacts, and faith’s role in promoting economic justice. Key topics include ecological economics, feminist economics, debt and tax justice, and the theological foundations for an Economy of Life.
Ashey Zhou from Zimbabwe expressed her hope for the program: “My expectation is to be empowered so that I can empower my people back home.”
Pastor Stephanie Joy Mayores from the Philippines shared, “I expect GEM School to be a space to develop and harness my skills to find creative ways to challenge churches to advocate for social and economic justice.”
The GEM School’s curriculum also includes practical sessions on project development and advocacy, during which participants collaborate to design strategic initiatives that can be implemented in their respective regions.
