Alf Linderman
Head of the Oikosnet Europe Office
Executive Director of the Sigtuna Foundation

office@oikosnet.eu

We shall see us in Sigtuna! In October. We will gather there for this year's General Assembly. I am convinced of it. You will find more information in this newsletter and also how to register. Please do not hesitate. We shall see us in Sigtuna - and if it is still not possible then, we will inform again.

And before that, there are opportunities to meet us in different places and on important issues and debates. This newsletter also informs about such virtual opportunities and thus invites us not to lose sight of the bigger picture, what must occupy us in Europe and what we can only bear together in terms of responsibility in our time.

We will certainly see each other in Sigtuna. Until then, weeks and months will pass. In some places, hard work is called for, it is also necessary to fight against despair, impatience and existential fears. Perhaps there will still be a little time for other, very personal things, and hopefully always for a change of perspective, as the Swiss theologian and writer Jacqueline Keune has captured in a poem:

Cancelled
Haydn, Mozart and Schubert
conducted by Marek Janowski
Not canceled
the cello on the 3rd floor
the song of the blackbird

Cancelled
the reading of the literary man
Not canceled
the reading
of the evening poem
story for children

Cancelled
the meeting for the 40th anniversary
of the assassination of Bishop Oscar Romero
Not canceled
the memory
the resistance

Cancelled
the dream of the Maldives
Not canceled
the dreaming of
the new earth
the new heaven

Cancelled
the worship
Not canceled
the whispering
with God

Cancelled
the bouquet of flowers
on the kitchen table
Not canceled
the blossoming and bursting
the germination and budding

Canceled
the wedding
Not canceled
the love

Cancelled
abdication
Not canceled
Resurrection

Once again: Please, don’t forget: We shall see us in Sigtuna!

Best wishes,

Rev. Walter Lüssi, President of Oikosnet Europe

The Sigtuna Foundation, Sigtuna, Sweden 6 – 10 October 2021

Dear Members and Friends of Oikosnet Europe,
The Sigtuna Foundation, one of the founding members of Oikosnet Europe, is inviting Oikosnet Europe to hold the Oikosnet General Assembly 2021 in Sigtuna, Sweden. Therefore, on behalf of the Board of Oikosnet Europe and on behalf of the Sigtuna Foundation, it is our pleasure to invite all Oikosnet Europe members to the next General Assembly. The General Assembly (GA) is planned to begin with an Opening Worship at 17h30 on October 6, followed by dinner and a welcoming evening. The GA will end with breakfast and departures on Sunday October 10. The registration will open May 10.

The theme of this year’s conference will be Digitalization. We will however primarily deal with digitalization as a humanistic and existential issue – not so much a technical one. Digital communication has altered the social context in which human beings develop their understanding of themselves. It has altered the context for the development of identity and the structures for human interaction. Digital “places” and “groups” become significant “spaces and arenas” where human life today is lived, and this has various implications on all social levels. What does all this mean for us as individuals, and what does it mean for our academies and the work that we engage in? Such broad questions will be the focus of the Study Day.

On 10 March, the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Council of Europe signed a Joint Declaration on the parameters for the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE), which is to be launched on Europe Day in Strasbourg (9 May).

What sounds like yet another conference, is indeed a one year process, in which the citizens and the people of Europe are to have their say on issues such as health, climate change, an economy for the people, social fairness, intergenerational solidarity, digitalization, European rights and values, migration, security, the EU in the world, strengthening democracy. These are just the topics selected by the European Institutions, on which they want the opinion of the people and of civil society. Other topics can be added.

“Today marks a new start for the European Union and for all European citizens”, the President of the European Union, David Sassoli, said, when the Joint Declaration was signed. “The Conference on the Future of Europe will be unique opportunity for all European citizens and our civil society to shape Europe’s future, a common project for a functioning European democracy.” Now, whether the CoFoE will be indeed such a participatory process and such a genuine voice of the people, and whether it will finally impact European policy, remains to be seen. It depends on how people can be activated and motivated to participate and on which methodologies are used. In any case, until spring 2022 many countries and regions will see a multitude of events, which are to contribute from a people’s perspective as to how the European Union is to be shaped in the future. What are the priority issues and how are they to be addressed?

Oikosnet Europe has a long-standing  commitment to observe Europe as its framework for reflection and action and to contribute to a vivid civil society and making the people’s voice heard in church and society. Just recently, Oikosnet Europe selected three priority issues for the near future: the “Green Deal”, digitalisation and education. The EU Conference on the Future of Europe is certainly one vehicle of making our voice heard to network with other civil society organisations. Therefore, Oikosnet Europe and its members should participate very actively in the process.

It will be the task of the Oikosnet Board and its General Assembly to inform its members on the different stages of the development and to pave the way for an easy access for Oikosnet members. There are many possibilities for members to get involved, e.g. to participate in national, regional and local events, to organize own events, to put resources together in order organize transnational events, to offer truly participatory methodologies …

The Oikosnet Board will have the CoFoE on the agenda of its next meeting in June. It  will inform members and friends afterwards about the next steps. In the meantime, we would appreciate any information on national and regional events and about the involvement of Oikosnet members in the process. Please send your information to the Oikosnet Executive Secretary:  rudiger@rudigernoll.eu.

Further information about the CoFoE you will find on the respective EU websites. The Conference of European Churches, of which Oikosnet Europe is an organization in partnership, has also launched its own process. As start, it has issued a fact sheet, which can be found here.

Frankfurt am Main May 13 -16

The motto „schaut hin“ (take a look) (Mark 6:38) is at the centre of the 3rd Ecumenical Kirchentag. In terms of content, it is the common thread running through the programme of the major digital event in Frankfurt am Main.

The 3rd Ecumenical Kirchentag will be digital and decentralised. The programme will thus be focussed, but as usual a colourful mix of topics, culture and spiritual content. The Ecumenical Kirchentag offers some events with English subtitles or in English for the international friends. See: https://www.oekt.de/en/

ECEN 31 May – 1 June

By Rüdiger Noll, Executive Secretary Oikosnet Europe

The European Christian Environmental Network (ECEN) is an independent network of churches, church-related organization and individuals which works in close relationship with the Conference of European Churches (CEC). It aims at promoting sharing, cooperation, action and theological reflection across different countries and traditions in caring for creation.

ECEN will hold its 2021 Assembly under the theme: “Reconciled with Creation: A Call for urgent Action on Climate and Biodiversity” from 31 May to 1 June. On the agenda will be presentations, panels and discussions on issues such as European Green Deal, climate justice, theological reflections and reflections on the role of the churches. The Assembly, which due to the Corona Pandemic will take the form of a digital webinar, is also an excellent opportunity to network with other like-minded church and non-church organisations.

Invited to participate in the Assembl y are members of ECEN and friends. The full programme as well as the registration form can be found on the ECEN website: ecen.org.

Issues discussed at the ECEN Assembly correspond very much with one of the Oikosnet priorities: the European Green Deal. It would, therefore be most welcome, if many Oikosnet members would participate in the ECEN Assembly.

By Rüdiger Noll, Executive Secretary Oikosnet Europe

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.