(The Ethiopian News Agency)
Addis Ababa, June 11, 2010 (Addis Ababa) - The United Nations Country Team, UNICEF, UNDP, and UNOCHA, donated ICT facilities worth some 1.2 million Birr to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOC) on Friday.

UN Country Representative, Samuel Nyambi handed over the ICT facilities to EOC Patriarch, Abune Paulos at the ceremony held at the Office of the Patriarchate.

Receiving the donation, Abune Paulos said the donated facilities will enable the Church transfer its ancient wisdom, knowledge, and history from generation to generation while respecting the tradition of the church.

His Holiness Abune Paulos, who is also President of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Honorary President of the World Religions for Peace, the ICT equipment will help the Church scale up its advocacy and social mobilization activities in the years ahead.

“Our church strongly believes that it needs to upgrade its structure by adding modern technology, thus the application of ICT,” the patriarch said, “no institution can be competitive in any field or standard unless it updates and adjusts itself with the demand of the time”.

The patriarch said such facilities will enable the Church share the century-accumulated treasures of knowledge and traditions locally and internationally.

EOC is the oldest Christian churches on earth and founding member of the WCC , it was noted.