News

Hebrew 11.1

Dear members of Oikosnet Europe, dear friends!

A few weeks ago, as President of Plusbildung, I was invited to a conference in Paris. During a visit to the “Institut Protestant de Théologie” I discovered a cartoon by Bernard Stehr (“Theology of hope”). It accompanies me through this Advent. People long for liberation. Also in Europe. In a way undreamed of until recently. What gives them the strength to build on their skills and resources? What makes them trust in their resilience? What encourages them to exercise patience with great confidence?

The path to freedom can only be found together

In recent years, Escape Rooms or Escape Games have become well-known and popular. A team of players searches for clues and solves tricky tasks in order to be able to leave a room in which they are locked in. The challenge is to share knowledge and imagination, experience and intuition, expertise and daring to experiment by all, to combine approaches and agree on a common course of action. The more complex the puzzles and questions to be solved, the more the joint effort and the contribution of all resources is required. Finally, patience and confidence are needed, hope that together we will succeed in what is too much for me as an individual. The path to freedom can only be found together … and yet remains unavailable.

Education contributes to liberation

When I take up the idea of “Escape Rooms”, it seems to me that many aspects come up that I associate with what I understand as good educational work.

Education finds ways out. Education contributes to liberation. Education is a collaborative enterprise. Education encourages collective action, leads to concrete deeds. Education does not deny complexity. But church-based education also reckons with the unavailable, with that which cannot be calculated. It therefore remains patient and at the same time alert for the kairos, the right moment.

I wish that in this way we will remain committed together in Oikosnet Europe and beyond. We feel the responsibility. We feel the necessities of our time. We know the obligation of solidarity. Let us not give up the faith that together and with God’s help we can make a difference for a better Europe and for the many people who live in fear and need.

With the best wishes for a Merry Christmas,

Rev. Walter Lüssi, President of Oikosnet Europe

A Corrymeela summer school 15 – 22 July

Rooted in the Northern Irish reconciliation experience of Corrymeela since 1965, four Corrymeela members have developed an extensive and practical reflective learning resource, “Nurturing Hope”.   In July you have the possibility to take part of their summer school.

Each day participants will work in groups exploring the different approaches and themes within the new Nurturing Hope Materials. Developed from 50 years plus reconciliation practice in Northern Ireland, Korea and North America Summer School participants will explore how:

Together, a ‘more reasoned public voice’ might be built through offering people opportunities to reflect on the reasons they have for acting in various ways and support them reassert their choices or make new ones together. Participants will enhance their facilitation skills in developing group and organisational programmes of encounter that Nurture Hope.

Keynote Contributions:

In addition to the presence of the four authors of Nurturing Hope and some learning partners/ practitioners from the USA and Korea we have as speakers:

Professor Josefina Alvarez, of the Kroc Institute and a lead monitor on the Columbian Peace Process

Baroness May Blood, a cross bench peer in the House of Lords, the Chair of the Integrated Education Fund and a founder member of the NI Women’s Coalition.

Professor Monica McWilliams, a former Human Rights Commissioner, a signatory to the Good Friday Agreement 1998, and a founder member of the Women’s Coalition.

Ade Solanke, a leading British Nigerian Playwright and former Fulbright scholar at Columbia who is now preparing a play on Phylis Wheatley for Boston. Phillis Wheatley was the first African American and second woman (after Anne Bradstreet) to publish a book of poems.

JC Clapsaddle, is a retired United States Air Force Colonel. He served in various positions including a post at the US Embassy in Iraq as a liaison to the Iraqi Government. He was a National Defense Fellow to the US Senate advising on nuclear and defence policy.

More about Nurturing Hope

It is with great sadness that we had to say goodbye to our former President, Treasurer and Board Member Jaap van der Sar who passed away after long illness on March 11 at home in Wageningen/The Netherlands. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Tineke and his family and friends.

Jaap was not only an inspirator and driving force of our association, he was for many years the heart and center of it, leading, supporting, enabling our work, enveloping us in his friendship, challenging us when necessary, even preparing us very carefully personally and the association structurally for his passing away. Especially the “Dialogue for a Peaceful Change” was close to his heart. Together with others he developed the project and brought together thousands of participants and trainers from all over the world for trainings in non-violent conflict management.  

We lost  a great friend and a great enabler. RIP.

Kjell Riise, representing the Norweigian Church Academies, was elected as a new member of the board at the General Assembly of Oikosnet Europe. Kjell is a parish priest in the cathedral of Tromsø in Norway and also a board member of the Norwegian Church Academies. 

Education emerged as one of the three priority issues for Oikosnet Europe after a poll among Oikosnet members. As a start of a longer process, Oikosnet Europe organized a first Zoomconference  on 24 March 2021. About 40 participants from many European, from Armenia to Spain, from Norway to Greece discussed different understandings of education. We are grateful for partners such as the Comeniusinstitute in Münster/Germany and the Strasbourg office of the Conference of European Churches (CEC), who stimulated the discussion through their presentations. The meeting also learnt about CONTOC (contoc.org) a research project on digital practices in the Protestant and Catholic churches in Germany, Switzerland, further European countries during Corona times.

The results of the meeting listing different understandings of education as well as different challenges for Christian Academies will be issued soon for further discussion in the Oikosnet Board and its General Assembly.

The Zoomconference in May was meant as a starting point for further discussion among Oikosnet members and friends about which sectors of education need further promotion and support on a European level and what understanding of education helps Christian Academies to even improve their efforts.