Religions for Peace MAY 2012 Sarajevo short report

Interfaith commitment – EFECW in the Religions for Peace movement

A consultation in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Religions for Peace – a worldwide network of religions - held in May 2012 a 1 day consultation in Sarajevo/Bosnia Herzegovina to prepare their 9^th World Assembly which will take place next year in Katar.  More than 40 men and women were present. The title of the Assembly will be: “Welcoming the Other: Action for Human Dignity, Citizenship and Shared Well-being”. The consultation was connected to the board meeting of the European religious leaders. The European Women of Faith Network (EWFN) and the European Interfaith Youth Network (EIYN) were invited to give their advices for the draft program of the World Assembly. Another item during the consultation was the launch of the campaign “Restoring Dignity - End Violence Against Women’ which had been set up by the Global Women of Faith Network and will be disseminated in all continents. It can soon be found on the EWFN website. 

Religions for Peace started in 1970 and is the world’s largest and most representative multi-religious coalition advocating for peace. Currently more than 90 countries and 15 religions and denominations are represented. In 2008 the European Women of Faith network was launched following women of faith networks of  the other continents. EFECW is a part of this European interfaith network and represents the Christian women.

During the consultation the women’s group pointed out that all sub-themes of the Assembly should  be gendered.  Peacemaking and conflict resolution have different aspects and impacts for men and for women. Being in Sarajevo we were made aware how women can be used by men as a weapon in war situations. During the launch of the campaign “Restoring Dignity - End Violence Against Women’ Djermana Seta from NAHLA, a centre of education and research for women, talked about violence against women 15 to 20 years ago, when more than 40.000 women had been raped in Bosnia & Herzegovina during the war. In spite of a good legal framework like the UN Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security – EFECW has held her National Coordinators Conference in Sigtuna/Sweden 2009 about it – or the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) the reality of women and girls is still bad. Statistics show that in general up to 6 out of 10 women experience physical and/or sexual violence. In Bosnia & Herzegovina  it is every 5^th woman. Due to cultural and traditional understandings the number of registered cases is decreasing. Women are ashamed and they fear social exclusion. There are 11 shelters for women in Bosnia & Herzegovina  which is not enough. There is no systematic and coordinated support.  Measures don’t really work. Most organizations which are advocating against violence against women are not religious. It is urgently needed that religions speak out against this violence. Their speaking would have more authority. “Imams against violence”, a project of Nahla, is a good example.  More information is to be found under: www.nahla.ba

Having worldwide relevance it was firmly advised that the Restoring Dignity Campaign should be on the agenda of the upcoming World Assembly. It was stressed that interreligious dialogue should be reinvented and should include not only talking but also leading to social action and intergenerational solidarity. For the youth unemployment and economic inequality are burning items which have to be tackled on a global scale. Furthermore, they mentioned ‘atheisation’ which is the pressure to stay invisible as a young believer. In many youth cultures the slogan is: if you want to be cool, you cannot be religious. 

The combat of Violence Against Women belongs also to the priorities of EFECW. In the near future we will work out more ways of cooperation on this field. It is planned to launch the Restoring Dignity Campaign in Brussels in November of this year. Hopefully more common projects will follow.

Martina Heinrichs, EFECW Co President and  RfP-EWFN linking person  

13/5/2012

Links:

Religions for Peace www.religionsforpeace.org

RfP –European Council of Religious Leaders ECRL www.rfp-europe.eu

RfP - European Women of Faith Network EWFN www.rfpwomenoffaith.eu

Time to make plans for the National Coordinators meeting 2012, hosted by the Britain and Ireland Forum Group, with the following theme:

 

Forward Christian Women

Three generations – with energy and vision

19-23^rd September 2012

Elim Conference Centre, Malvern, England

The 2012 meeting is the celebration of thirty years of the life of the Forum.  We are bringing together women from ‘three generations’ to explore ways forward for Europe in our time: overcoming divisions, building community and development for a sustainable future. We recognise that there are new divisions, and new challenges for all European countries, East and West, in the face of economic instability and questions of national identity.  Among our topics will be: Sustainable Development, Minority Groups and National Identity, and Gender and Human Rights.  Speakers are Loretta Minghela, Chief Executive of Christian Aid, Jana Jeruma-Grinberga, Bishop of the Lutheran Church in Great Britain, and Elizabeta Kitanovic, Church & Society Commission, European Conference of Churches.  The celebration will include the launch of a book exploring the history of the Forum. 

The Elim Conference Centre, opened in 2009, stands in its own beautiful grounds in the Malvern Hills. Nearest airport is Birmingham. You can have a look at:   www.elimconferencecentre.com  [not for registration]

 More information: invitation letter, programmes and travel instructions will come very soon. The register form will be at the web site, and it will open very soon too. Please prepare for your participation.

Click here for Registration Form

Press release
From 13th to 20th of November 2011 a group of 18 youngsters from Moldova spent a week of training and exposure in the Netherlands. EFECW National Moldovan coordinator Asea Raylean and co-president Martina Heinrichs organised this seminar. The aim was to learn how to make a businessplan and how to implement it in Moldova, one of the poorest countries of Europe with very low future perspectives for young people. By creating job opportunities like a Home Bakery, a Xerox Centre, an Apple Orchard, a Consultancy Agency for Young Entrepreneurs, a Greenhouse for Vegetables or Flowers, an Advertising Company, a Social Canteen - these are only some of the business ideas which the youngsters brought up - the group hopes to contribute to a better future in their own country.
The seminar was held in the Dominican Monastery of Huissen, the Netherlands, which is the working place of Martina. The youngsters worked on their businessplan and visited several small enterprises in Nijmegen, Arnhem and Amsterdam to pick up ideas for their business. This week was subsidised by funds from some Dutch congregations of religious sisters and brothers.
It is possible to organise this programme for young people from other Eastern- and Central European countries. If you are interested, please, contact: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

"Women are breaking the walls of exclusion"
National Coordinators Meeting of EFECW
Druskininkai (Lithuania), 21-25 september 2011
The issue of trafficking in human beings is a vast problem with a great number of perspectives and solutions. Many countries of Europe are facing it not only as an academic topic, but, more or less, as an everyday difficulty. In answer to the CEC campaign Against Trafficking in Women which was launched in 1999 EFECW, years ago, responded on European and on National level, to the struggle of those people being trafficked as well as the possible ways of working it out, especially as far as the women's matters are concerned.
To read the whole message:

Presentation of Julia Staskauske, Ministry of Interior of Lithuania:

Presentation Julia Staskauske

EDUCATION FOR DEMOCRATIC CITIZENSHIP: A ROLE FOR THE CHURCHES?
Conference held in Strasbourg, 5-7 October 2011
The Conference on Education for Democratic Citizenship – a role for the churches? took place from October 5-7 in Strasbourg. Organized by the Church and Society Commission (CSC) of the Conference of European Churches (CEC), the conference brought together members of churches and church organizations, clergy, lay, NGOs and academics, to discuss and debate the role Churches should play in the field of education for democratic citizenship. It was attended by 27 people coming from 13 countries.
To read the whole message:

Democratic Citizenship

Consultation of Church & Society Staff of European Churches
CEC Europe Secretaries, Strasbourg, 11 – 13 October 2011
“The implementation of Religious Freedom in Europe and in other parts of the World“
This consultation is a reality check of key issues relating to the C&S agenda. It is held for the 8^th time and takes place every year, except 2010 due to financial problems. About 30 men and women from 20 countries are present, representing their national church or a European network. Among them there was also staff of C&S from Brussels and Strasbourg as well as some members of the C&S executive committee.
To read the whole message:

CECEC - Church & Society

The Ecology Summer School of EFECW at the Kirchentag in Dresden
The German branch of EFECW had been invited by the women’s centre of the Kirchentag to offer a workshop “With our heart near creation – women from east and west stand up for climate protection”.
Report of the Ecology Summer School:

Kirchentag Summerschool

Message from the EFECW seminar “Creation and Ecology”,
4-8 May 2011, St.Petersburg (Russian Federation)
The Ecumenical Forum of European Christian Women (EFECW) is an ecumenical body where women from 29 European countries come together, sharing experiences and ideas, develop new ways of thinking, aiming to establish a church of justice and of shared responsibility between women and men, young and old. The Forum brings together women from East and West, North and South, from Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant denominations, enabling them to gain confidence and raise their voice in the churches and in the world. Despite theological and cultural differences, there is a strong commitment to build bridges of mutual understanding between women in different parts of Europe.
To read the whole message:

JACQUELINE STUYT PROJECTS 2011
In 2009 we received a legacy of over € 220.000,- from former CC-member Jacqueline Stuyt.
The legacy is earmarked for special projects of National Forums in Europe for the duration of 10 years.
Applications awarded for 2011:

1. Croatia:  Capacity Building in a project to open a care center for elderly people.
2. European Project for Interreligious Learning: module III of an educational project for Christian and Muslim Women.
3. Romamia: Capacity training of young women in Romania from different cultural and denominational backgrounds.
4. Cyprus: Training of young women to work with children and teenagers in church.
5. Greece: Capacity building for migrant women in Greece.
6. Germany: Workshop on the Kirchentag in Dresden.

More about the awarded projects for 2011: