diakonia & solidarity team
europe
desk & eastern europe office
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European
Regional Partnership Group Meeting SUMMARY OF RESULTS & DECISIONS Representatives of over 25 churches, ecumenical organizations and agencies involved in diaconal and development programmes in Central and Eastern Europe met in the framework of the WCC European Regional Partnership Group in Nitra, Slovakia, 2-6 April, 2003. |
The meeting involved the Europe desk officers of several ecumenical agencies, and church-related national diaconal partners working in the region, especially those organizations relating to the WCC Round Table programmes. Representatives of organizations came from almost all sub-regions of Central and Eastern Europe, including the Balkans, Central Europe, the Caucasus and the CIS. The local host of the meeting was the Round Table Office of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in the Slovak Republic (ECC SR). The city of Nitra is traditionally associated with the presence of Saints Cyrill and Methodius, Apostles of the Slavs, and Slovakia is one of the countries which is expected to join the European Union in 2004.
The main purpose of the WCC ERPG meeting was to provide a space for information-sharing, coordination and policy development among ecumenical diaconal partners working in Central and Eastern Europe. A part of the WCC Diakonia & Solidarity Team, the Europe Desk and Eastern Europe Office (Poland) have a mandate to promote ecumenical development cooperation and the capacity of ecumenical diakonia in the region of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The 28 countries of CEE region has experienced profound upheaval in the past decade of economic, political and social transition, and the churches have sought new ways to manifest their social witness and service in the face of these challenges. Together with churches and agencies, the WCC is involved in over ten national ecumenical Round Table programmes in the region, and supports a range of other initiatives in response to human need.
The meeting gave particular attention to the social and economic consequences of European integration, as well as to the underlying values and vision of ecumenical diakonia in the region. Participants heard presentations from Mr Pavel Demes, Director for CEE of the German Marshall Fund USA, and former Minister of International Relations of the Slovak Republic; and Ms Francesca Vencato, Coordinator for Central and Eastern Europe of Aprodev, the association of WCC-related Development Agencies in Europe. Bishop Julius Filo, President of the ECC SR and General Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Slovakia discussed the challenges of ecumenical diakonia in the context of church renewal and changes in the region.
The programme included a presentation and discussion of the WCC programme and emerging strategy in the Central and Eastern European region. Workshops were organized on the vision, values, and mission for diaconal work; a review of the Round Table programmes in Eastern Europe; Capacity Building; Confronting HIV / AIDS in CEE ; and experience of working with women and children at risk.
A number of priorities and initiatives were agreed in support of church-related diaconal work in the region. These include the need to strengthen and share theological and conceptual work about diakonia, and new efforts in the area of analysis and information-sharing. A WCC capacity building initiative to strengthen organizations in Russian-speaking countries will be developed in close cooperation with Aprodev. A survey and review of the ecumenical Round Tables in CEE will be carried out. The ERPG participants also discussed the possibility to strengthen and define the ERPG network as a platform of ecumenical diaconal organizations in Central and Eastern Europe. A six-person Steering Group was appointed and asked to ensure follow-up on the decisions. The next meeting of the WCC ERPG network is provisionally planned for the Spring of 2004 in Albania.
Summary of WCC ERPG decisions 2003:
| Subject 1. Partner Survey 2003 |
Action Finalize and publish a survey of ecumenical partners (print and www) |
Responsible organization WCC, Steering Group (SG) with MCIC |
| 2. WCC National Partner & RT Survey & Information | Research and print (simple) information publication Include country context and partner profiles Share personal experience and stories from context, shared best practice and examples |
WCC, SG with Armenia RT Office |
| 3. RT Europe assessment/standards | Discuss and analyze viability, coherence of RTs in CEE Include rights and responsibilities of RT partners (eg transparency of bilateral partnerships) Develop framework for RT PME standards and common practice |
WCC, SG with UPCN, RT partners |
| 4. Capacity Building | Inventory of CEE ecumenical ‘supply’ and ‘demand’ for CB Develop discussion of common concept Capacity Building (CB) (NB Sweden MC document) Develop common CB workplan, division of labour WCC, Aprodev, SEEEP etc. Strengthen use of WCC/MDF Ecumenical Project Management Manual Include dimensions of voluntarism |
WCC, SG, HIA, MCIC, DCA, ICCO (NB SEEEP, WCC EEO) |
| 5.
Health & Healing HIV/AIDS |
Inventory of ecumenical HIV/AIDS needs, actions, projects Convene focused HIV/AIDS meeting/training of CEE actors to discuss and develop policy, strategy, interventions including GF in 2003 CIS sisterhood/brotherhood initiative to strengthen networking |
WCC with NCA, ROC / CIDC WCC with NCA, ROC / CIDC WCC EEO with CIDC, ROC and EHO |
| 6. Trafficking | Clear position of the churches of their role in combating and preventing trafficking Need to map and inventory actions and projects of churches and partners Encourage analysis, coherence and coordination of initiatives, both church and NGO |
CEC, CCME / CAT |
| 7. Values | Strengthen discussion/exchange on theological, conceptual dimensions of work, including development and diakonia | WCC, SG to consider ways of organizing thematic networks All ERPG partners Eurodiakonia / Diaconal Forum follow-up |
| 8. Impact of transition & enlargement | Strengthen analysis, articulation, visibility of the socio-economic impact of transition in CEE and of enlargement in EE/CIS (non-accession) NB Link with Charta Oecumenica Share information, data |
CEC, Eurodiakonia, WCC, SG |
| 9. Strengthen capacity ERPG | Explore proposal to strengthen identity, effectiveness, ownership (eg formal membership, staff capacity) Broaden, consolidate and strengthen network (eg Baltic sub-region etc, new partners, link with Caritas) Increase/regularise information flow, consistency follow-up (eg newsletter) Join resources for common action |
WCC, SG to discuss |
