The Board of Oikosnet Europe is looking forward to welcoming you to the GA on 10 and 11 September. We are very much aware, that a virtual GA cannot replace an in-person GA, but paying tribute to the present circumstances, a virtual GA seemed to be the only reasonable possibility. It also opens possibilities: more OE members will be represented and many more staff people from Academies can take part.
The a virtual zoom conference is divided in two parts on 10 and 11 September 2020, from 14h00 to 17h00 on both days. On 10 September the GA will take the form of a study day under the theme: “Climate Change and the European Green Deal – The Role of Oikosnet Europe”. Program
The second part on September 11 will be the Business session. It is only one person per Academy/member organization tha can vote at the few occasions, where votes are constitutionally necessary. All participants, however, must be registered for the GA. Link for registration
In this sense, we are
looking forward to an inspiring General Assembly with a broad participation of
Oikosnet members.
With every good wish, Walter Lüssi, president of Oikosnet Europe an Rudiger Noll Executive Secretary
Ruslan Yarotski , Head of the Leyan Theological Collegium, St. Leonty
Many people around the world question themselves: “What is happening in Belarus?” Our quiet and previously peaceful country has become the object of attention of journalists from all over the world. The reason is the results of the presidential elections held on 9 August 2020 in our country. It is difficult, if not impossible, to call them democratic. Many democratic candidates were imprisoned by trumped-up charges even before the official date of elections. President Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled over the country for 26 years, has announced his complete victory, allegedly gaining 80,1% of the votes in his support. However, most people in our country did not believe it. It is obvious a very small group of people, if no one at all, voted for him, so how could he get over 80% of the votes? Obviously, people rushed to the streets peacefully protesting against the fraud elections in all major cities and villages of the country.
From August 9 till August 12 the internet service was
largely shut down in Belarus to
keep people ignorant and quiet. Nevertheless, Belarussians
used an encrypted connection
via VPN services to access internet privately and learned about the
election results. Riot police was instructed to brutally suppress any
protests. No one expected such cruelty! In few days, over 7000 people were
detained, severely beaten, intimidated, some of them got shot while
peaceful demonstrations, some died of their injuries, others simply
disappeared. In prisons, people were tortured and humiliated. In response to
this unheard-of brutality and lawlessness, hundreds of thousands of people
gathered in peaceful demonstrations. The authorities were forced to release
most of the detainees, however, many of them are still in hospitals until
today.
Relying on the weaponed forces and
the police, Alexander Lukashenko has kept his power. Now propagandists from
Russian mass-media have arrived to try implementing an information war against
the truth in our country sponsored by our authorities. They do their best to
shape and impose public opinion that there was no torturing or beating of the
civilians in order to convince the world the protesters are a minority
consisted of drug addicts, prostitutes and people who have been paid to
protest.
All the events took place before our
eyes in our native city of Grodno. People were beaten right at the parking lots
near to our temples. The civilians were looking for refuge, hiding from the
police in the church. The steering board of our Theological institute condemns
cruel violence against civilians, torture in prisons, as well as any sort of
manifestation of violence from any side. The bishop of Grodno openly
condemned the violence against civilians in his sermon, for which he has been
severely criticized by the authorities, as well as priests who support the
regime of Alexander Lukashenko. Most part of the leadership and priests of the
Russian Orthodox Church try not to speak publicly about the events in Belarus.
Owing to social media propaganda,
the authorities try to hide facts and make people forget what happened
pretending nothing has happened. It seems many Christians believed this more
than their own eyes and that’s very horrible and frustrating.
We are in desperate need of
world-wide prayer support for healing, unity and peace for our nation from the
Lord. We, as employees of the Theological Collegium, stand for peace to bring
awareness of what’s just happened on the streets of our cities. Our position is
clearly not politically related. We declare the position of the Holy Scriptures
that encourages us not to call evil good and good evil. Isaiah 5:20-21
Ruslan Yarotski , Head of the Leyan Theological Collegium, St. Leonty
Head of the Leyan Theological Collegium, St. Leonty
Walter Lüssi, president of Oikosnet Europe As the Corona Pandemic affects us all in running our Academies and in reflecting on our role in our societies, the Board of Oikosnet Europe invited its members to a virtual Zoom Conference on the Effects of the Corona Pandemic and the role of Academies. This conference took place on June 18, 2020. After one session on general sharing the participants discussed in a session with three parallel thematic workshops:
Workshop 1: Practical issues and experiences with virtual formats: The group stated that in the particular moment of the pandemic it was not quite a choice working with digital resources. As the possibility to meet in person was not given, we need to face digital possibilities as a replacement, but a replacement it remains. The alternative would be do nothing. Starting from this perspective the group analysed how we can use digital possibilities without loosing to much of the spirit our member academies stand for.
Workshop 2: The role of Christian Academies in our societies during and after Corona: Stating that the core foundation of the members of Oikosnet Europe will remain the physical gathering of people once again the group pointed out that Oikosnet offers the opportunity to organize projects and events and to find ways to support them financially. But Oikosnet is what its members are. Only a joint effort will help us to conduct an open, transparent and regular dialogue, as members of the civil society in political, ecclesiastical level etc.
Workshop 3 The new normal for Europe and the role for Oikosnet Europe: The group held a discussion on topics such as Europe and Corona or Education, Culture, system relevance and the Public and discussed concrete issues. One of the main tasks identified was that Oikosnet Europe must first clarify its own definition of education and culture and needs to rethink its definition of academies – to be able to integrate the diversity of educational institutions throughout Europe.
Already the general sharing at the beginning of the Zoom Conference made clear, that the situation is different from country to country and that our members are affected differently by the current situation. The General Assembly will give us the opportunity to discuss this in more detail and reflect on the results and recommendations of the videoconference.
by Dr Kostas Zormpas, General Director of the Orthodox Academy of Crete
One could write a
lot about the Mediterranean! Culture, music, gastronomy, deities… Every summer
we wet our feet in the sea and the water sings -softly- back to us, in order to
overcome the traumatic stresses of the winter. The blue of the Mediterranean
covers our bodies and the sun warms our thoughts and our dreams. On the
contrary, at the same time, the same sea becomes a “grave” for the thousands of
refugees who are lost together with their dreams. The body of the Mediterranean
is plowed by its boats and a new tragedy is ready to come: modern ships are preparing
to rape the Mediterranean, by taking from deep insider the sea, its precious
commodity: the energy!
We have been
living in a geopolitical instability in this region for a long time, which is
slowly becoming more and more dangerous. Turkey’s expansionist tendencies are
disrupting the social cohesion of the region. This tension creates serious problems
for the peaceful coexistence, which concerns the whole Mediterranean, causing
issues to the European and global status quo. This situation is directly
involved with the fossil fuels, and it increases the risk of a major oil spill at
the Mediterranean!
Unfortunately, oil
spills and fossil fuel accidents do happen in a regular basis worldwide and the
consequences to ecosystems and economies can be felt for decades. It was 10
years ago, on April 20, 2010, when an explosion occurred on a drilling platform
in the Gulf of Mexico. According to the Smithsonian Institute, a record
estimate of 3.19 million barrels of oil were spewed into the ocean, before the
leak was capped 87 days after the blowout occurred. That is equivalent to the
volume of over 200 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Imagine if this is a case in the
Mediterranean’s future…
For many years
now, His Beatitude the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios I. has been taking
important initiatives and action for the protection of the natural environment.
The regions around the Mediterranean, vulnerable to climate change and human
activities, desperately need sustainable and organized political thought.
Prompt solutions and decisions are necessary, in a spirit of reconciliation and
justice. This constitutes a basic element of the work of all Academies, for the
protection of life and the integrity of Creation that is constantly endangered.
Taking into consideration that the word oikos does not only represent a
natural, but also a spiritual reality, it is our duty to protect our right to
live in the OIKOS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN,
learning at the same time to respect the wholeness as well as the holiness of
the world.
Acknowledging the
spiritual and cultural heritage of the Mediterranean and the need for Oikosnet
Europe to raise its voice and to develop common action for the protection of
the region, we propose that Oikosnet Europe adopt a Project for the
Mediterranean, aiming at:
1. The development
of an environmental consciousness, with communicational networking,
organization of seminars, conferences, pedagogical programmes and printed
educational material.
2. The application
of environmental educational programmes and projects to raise awareness in the
religious communities, in schools and NGOs in the respective countries around
the Mediterranean.
3. The development
of an inter-scientific approach regarding the introduction of environmental
education in the official educational system as well as other educational
activities.
4. The promotion
of the dialogue and co-operation between the monotheistic Religions in the
field of the environment.
5. The creation of
a network between the different environmental initiatives and Foundations in
the Mediterranean region.
We hope that will
be an action!
Dr Kostas Zormpas, is the General Director of the Orthodox Academy of Crete
[1] «They call it Mediterranean and naked they
play dark eyed children, bitter statues
it gave birth to the gods, Christ himself summer is not afraid of weather
there, in the Mediterranean…» (George Moustaki).
The Board of Oikosnet
Europe met in two virtual meetings on 25 and 26 May and came to the decision
not to hold the Annual Conference (AC) of Oikosnet Europe in the usual form.
This is a novum in the longstanding history of Oikosnet Europe and a decision,
which was hard to take, but the present circumstances forced the Board to take
such decision.
The Academy of Bad Boll would have still be ready to receive us, but only under severe protection measures, which would have made an AC as we know it with close contacts among the participants almost impossible. In addition, we do not know what the situation in different countries of Oikosnet members and travel conditions will be in September.
Therefore, the Board decided to hold the Annual Conference 2020 as a virtual conference in two parts:
on 10 September from 14.00 to 17.00 designed as a study and discussion day and on on 11 September from 14.00 to 17.00 with important items on the business agenda, such as elections and the future of Oikosnet Europe, its accounts and budgets.
Please save the date and register to the virtual conference of 2020. Documents and links to get access to the meeting will be sent out to you in due time. Do not hesitate to contact the secretariat if you have any questions. office@sigtunastiftelsen.se
As the Corona Pandemic affects us all in running our Academies and in reflecting on our role in our societies, the Board of Oikosnet Europe invites its members to a virtual Zoom conference the 18th of June on how Christian Academies in Europe cope with the Corona Pandemic. The session will have two parts. One session on general sharing and a session with three parallel thematic workshops. Please get in touch with our secretariat and you will recieve an invitation with access coordinates. office@oikosnet.eu
Videoconference on Corona: June 18, 9.00 – 10.30 AM Session with general sharing of experiences
Workshop 1: June 18, 11.00 – 12:30AM Practical issues and experiences with virtual Conference
Workshop 2: June 18, 11.00 – 12:30 AM The role of Christian Academies in our societies during and after Corona
Workshop 3: June, 18 11.00 – 12:-30 The “new normal” for Europe and the role for Oikosnet Europe
Although the situation
is different from country to country, we believe it will profit all to learn
from each other as far as very practical issues are concerned, but also with
regard to our visions and possibilities for the future. Results and recommendations
of this video conference will be taken-up at
the Annual Conference in September.
In any case, we are
looking forward to first hearing from you and later on to seeing you, at least
virtually. Our Executive Secretary is in the process of contacting each of our
members in order to get informed about your situation and in order to evaluate
in which way Oikosnet Europa can be of support.
Agape Italy 11 to 15 September 2019 On behalf of the Board of Oikosnet Europe and on behalf of Agape Centro Ecemenico in Italy, it is our pleasure to invite you to the next Annual Conference (AC) of Oikosnet Europe (OE). The AC is scheduled to take place from 11 – 15 September 2019 in the beautiful settings of Torino in Northern Italy. “We are looking forward to an exciting Annual Conference,” Walter Lüssi, President of Oikosnet Europe states. “Agape is an exciting learning space. People, especially young people, hardly come back from there unchanged and with new ecumenical inspiration. In 2019, as Oikosnet Europe, we also want to be inspired by the special flair of the place and by the experience of the Agape Center in community building.”
Identities on moving landscapes: an historical view from the Alps The theme of the 2019 Annual Conference has be chosen accordingly. It deals with identities in a changing world, characterised by migration. The Directors and staff of the Agape Center send their cordial invitation and write: “Waldensian communities are migrating communities – by means of survival, by force and, after civil rights were granted to religious minorities in 1848, by choice. Moving slowly from a clandestine movement, to a Church in a ghetto and ultimately to freedom has brought a change from a closed community to a Church open to everyone. How can identities forged by forced migration change with freedom? Is a crisis needed to form new identities? In the recent migration movements we can see similar processes of forming and changing identities. We will analyse these processes in the light of accessibility and community back then and today, we will give an insight to the political contexts in Italy and it’s position in Europe and we will discover what answers Protestant Churches in Italy and the Italian Civil Society have found to the identitarian challenges of today. ”
Registration and how to get there Agape lies within the Waldensian Valley in the north of Italy. The closest airport is Turino. And from there it takes some time to drive. For the Oikosnet Annual Conference, Turino will be the starting point of shuttles to Agape. Participants should arrive well before 18h00 on 11 September. More detailed information will be provided to registered participants. For more information on the Agape Center check: https://agapecentroecumenico.org/en The registration for the conference is open until August 21. We look forward to see you all there!
Oikosnet Europe welcomed a new member at the Annual Conference in Chania, Crete. The new member is The Reformed Conference Centre of Monoszlo, a property of the Reformed (HB) Congregation of Monoszlo, a parish of the Reformed Church of Hungary.
The centre is commited to the education of the new generations in the spirit of mutual tolerance and understanding among all Abrahamic confessions and beyond, through sincere and open minded discussion. With an interdenominational approach it works on deepening social responsibility towards the values of the created world, with a special focus on environmental questions. In its activity it strives for overcoming obstacles laid down by political divisions.
Oikosnet Europe has today 35 member organizations from different parts of Europe. Please get in contact with the secretariat if you are interested to know more about how to become a member. office@oikosnet.eu
Our Annual Conference took place in the Orthodoxe Academy of Crete which was founded fifty years ago. It was the right place to deal with our theme of the study day: “Europe with different eyes: The case of Greece for example”. Here Oikosnet Europe started to engage with Europe and its current problems in a new way. When I’m writing about this I’m very aware that we shall have to learn a lot in the next years. The social and political developments challenge us to make clear statements. But far beyond this: Given the fact that populism has become a new normal in Europe, we have to link our right to exist as a learning community with the question of whether we are able to find common positions based on our expertise and if we can make our voice heard.
Fifty years ago the Orthodox Academy of Crete played a pioneering role and stood from the very beginning for peace and reconciliation among churches and among people of different denominations and cultures. As a gift for the anniversary I was able to present the director of the Academy a special painting. It is a picture which says with colours and forms and with a few words only: Rethink! Rethink Europe. Help us to rethink Europe together – unlimited, making dreams true for us and for strangers. And let us create, as much as we can according to our faith, let us create not new walls, not a “Fortress Europe”, but a real community for all.
Crete was an important step towards a greater commitment which will not be one-dimensional but a joint European effort to develop a common democratic vision of our continent and to contribute to a Europe which needs again to become more human. Warmest thanks to all who has helped to make this step possible. We express our thanks to our host, the director and his staff of the Academy, to the invited experts, to the staff of Oikosnet Europe and to all participants.
Next year the Annual Conference will be held from September 11 till September 15 in the Agape Centro Ecumenico, Italy. We will have to deal again with “Europe with different eyes”, with the European civil societies and with the European dimension of other important issues like the increasing digitization of all areas of life or the field of artificial intelligence. Welcome to the two new Members of the Board of Okiosnet Europe, Kristin Gunleiksrud Raaum, Norway, as Vice President, and Karolína Silná, Czech Republic, as Treasurer. The renewed Board will involve the members active in the subject area and continue developing and strengthening the network of Oikosnet Europe.
The Annual Conference of Oikosnet Europe was this year hosted by the Orthodox Academy of Crete, an academy that also celebrated it´s 50 year anniversary. As always, it was a wonderful mix of new acquaintances and reunion with old friends.
During the business meeting, two new members were elected to the board. Kristin Gunleiksrud Raaum from the Church Academies in Norway, replaced Sören Lenz from Liebfrauenberg, France as new vice President, and Karolina Silna from the Ekumenická Akademie Praha in The Czech Republic, replaced Nicola Murray from Corrymeela UK.
Two auditors, were also elected, Sara Marta Rostagno from Agape, Italy and Birgit Weinbrenner from the Evangelische Akademie Villigst. Metropolitan Ioannes Sakellariou from Greece was elected as new memeber of the Nominations Comittee and he will share this responsibility with Aleksei Bodrov, from St Andrews Theological Institute, Russia.
A variety of perspectives during the study day Learning more about the culture and society are for many one the most appreciated parts of the Annual Conferences of Oikosnet Europe. The theme this year was Europe with different eyes – The case of Greece for example, a theme that was exemplified by lectures and presentations with different aspects on the situation in Crete and Greece. Dr Kostas Filis, Director of Research at the Institute of International Relations of Panteion University ( Athens), gave a presentation on the topic “Challenges and opportunities for the EU and the role of Greece”, followed up by a presentation by Dr Kostas Melas, Professor of Economics at Panteion University in Athens, on the concept of “creative destruction”.
A concrete example on how deep crisis could be transformed in to opportunity was presented by Despoina Mathioudaki and Tini Damianaki, two entrepreneurs who succesfully had managed to rediscover old recepies of the traditional Crete cuisine and turn them into good business. Another project that came out of the economical crisis, was presented by Thanos Paraschos, Vasillios Kottas, Sarantis Kyritsis and Heinz Kabutz, students of science at University of Crete, As a learning process in high technology they are trying to send the first Crete astronaut to space. (Not a real one, one might have to add…)
Last but not least, Heinz Kabutz, PhD in computer science, shared his story about starting up a conference business on an island like Crete in the time of crisis. His idea of having conferences without agenda was something that appealed to some of the auditors. So who knows, maybe it will tried out and explored in some upcoming event of Oikosnet Europe.
27 participants, representing 16 member organisations, took part of the conference this year, a most enjoyable stay thanks to the beautiful location and the generous hospitality of director Konstantinor Zormpas and Katerina Karkala Zormpa, head of the Conference Organisations of the OAC. We look forward to meet upp again at the Annual Conference 2019 that will be hosted by the Academy of Agape. More information will be sent out in the newsletters to come.
