Invitation to the General Assembly 2024
Warszawa, Poland 2 – 6 October 2024
Dear Members and Friends of Oikosnet Europe,
The Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in the Republic of Poland is inviting Oikosnet Europe to hold the Oikosnet General Assembly 2024 in Warszawa, Poland. Therefore, on behalf of the Board of Oikosnet Europe and on behalf of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession it is our pleasure to invite all Oikosnet Europe members and invited guests to the next General Assembly (GA)
Churches and the Challenges of Civil Society: Right wing extremisk, migration, antisemitism and the situation of war in different parts of the world
Under the main theme “Churches and the Challenges of Civil Society” we will explore, especially during the Study Day but also through the discussion on the future of Oikosnet, the impact of right wing extremism, migration, antisemitism and the situation of war in different parts of the world on the work of the church. We will meet four month after the elections to the European Parliament. There are some reasons to fear that the anti-democratic, anti-liberal and anti-European forces will grow stronger in the New Parliament. As Churches we have to face this situation and to discuss how to work against the old and new threats.
We will hear and learn from the situation in Poland and draw conclusions for our common work.
As a novum, this year’s GA will be held be held by the invitation of a Church and not a member of Oikosnet. It is the aim of the board to extend our presence in Middle and Eastern Europe and it’s a great pleisure to us that Bishop Jerzy Samiec invited the GA to Warszawa. The preparations are strongly supported from Anna Wrzesińska, International Relations Officer and Ewa Śliwka, Director of the church cancery in the Consistory of the Church. A very warm thank you for everything to both of them.
The General Assembly (GA) is planned to begin with an Opening Worship at 18h00 on October 2, followed by dinner and a welcoming evening. The GA will end with breakfast and departures on Sunday October 6. There is an optional possibility to take part in the Sunday worship in the Trinity Church on October 6.
The Venue
The venue of the conference will be the Chrześcijańska Akademia Teologiczna w Warszawie ul. Broniewskiego 48, 01-771 Warszawa.
The accommodation, will be Hotel Ibis Warszawa Stare Miasto, ul. Muranowska 2, 00-209 Warszawa. The hotel is booked by the office and accommodation is included in the conference fee.
If you need extra accommodation in addition to the ones included in the conference fee, (Arrival October 2, departure October 6) please contact our office: office@oikosnet.eu.
Hotel: https://all.accor.com/hotel/3714/index.en.shtml; Bus and Tramway Stop Muranowska
Registration
The registration will be open until September 4. You can choose to pay by invoice or credit card as you wish. Please contact the Office of OE, office@oikosnet.eu, if you have any questions about your registration.
Conference Language
The conference language for all events will be English only. Some consecutive translation on a voluntary basis might be possible, but translation is not organized by the hosting academy.
Costs and financial support
The conference fee remains at the level of previous years: 350€ for the GA (Board, Lodging, Conference Fee, Excursion). Participants are expected to cover their own travel costs. According to our agreed policy and given the difficult financial situation of some of our members, we want to state that the lack of resources should, however, not be an obstacle for members to attend the GA. There is a limited budget for supporting members in need of financial support to attend the GA, which will be distributed, in principle, on a “first come – first served” basis. If you need financial support, please contact the president of Oikosnet Europe Walter Lüssi, walter.luessi@oikosnet.eu as early as possible. This also applies to especially invited guests.
Proxies
In case that an Oikosnet member will not be able to attend the AC 2024 we would still like to hear from you. And do not forget to transfer your voting rights to another Oikosnet member. A form sheet to nominate proxies will be available from the secretariat of Oikosnet Europe office@oikosnet.eu. For several decisions it will be crucial to have a quorum. We are very much looking forward to welcome you to the GA 2024 in Poland. In case you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. For the time being we remain With every good wish,
With every good wish
Walter Lüssi
President Oikosnet Europe
Heinz Joachim – Lohmann
Executive Secretary Oikosnet Europe
.