The Oikosnet board met for two days in the wonderful city of Prague where our next Annual Conference will be held on invitation of the Ecumenical Academy of Prague. A huge amount of work was waiting for the six members of the board Jaap van der Sar, (President), Marielisa von Thadden (Vice-president), Nicola Murray, (Treasurer), Kostas Zorbas, Kirsten Beuth, Sören Lenz. They were assisted by Rüdiger Noll, our executive secretary and Hermann Düringer as meeting secretary. Jiri Silny from the Ecumenical Academy and Alf Linderman from the Sigtuna Foundation, where our secretariat is based, assisted the meetings temporarily.
The Annual Conference in Prague, 7-11 Sept 2016 “Transition or Mission Impossible”
Jiri Silny, director of the Ecumenical Academy Prague, presented the plans for the study day and the excursions which are planned for the AC of Oikosnet. After the fall of the Berlin wall and the disappearing of a communist state system the transition in the former Eastern bloc states has not only produced winners. How did the transformation to a neoliberal economical system happen and what is the outcome? What are the social constraints and what about social cohesion? Are there political consequences?
These are the questions we want to discuss during the study day which is always a central element of the annual meeting of OE. Furthermore, excursions are intended like meeting with a Roma social work project, a visit in the glass industry and an alternative city tour.
Gender and Justice Network. Preconference in Prague, 5-7 September 2017
“Escape, Migration, Gender”
Like it is already a tradition the Gender and Justice Network will hold its preconference focalizing on Gender and Justice in the field of migration and refugees. Renowned experts like Vigdis Vevstad from Norway or Ulrich Körtner (to be confirmed) will contribute as keynote speakers on the political and ethical problematic of the refugee crisis. The meeting will pay a special attention on discussion and exchange with a final Pool of ideas to share experiences and ideas for projects with refugees.
The legal entity of OE – From Germany to Sweden
The upcoming AC in Prague has to discuss and to prepare the transition of OE from a German legal entity to Swedish legal entity at full length which includes as well a modification of our constitution in adapted to Swedish law. According to the decision in Corrymeela the board has prepared the following steps:
- Founding of a new association OE under Swedish Law, with a secretariat at the Sigtuna Foundation
- Dissolution of the association under German law
The whole process of founding the new OE and the dissolution of the German association will be explained in detail and the modified constitution according to Swedish law send out to the members before the meeting in Prague. The board invite all members to send us their commentaries and suggestions before the meeting in Prague which will help us to have a constructive debate at the AC.
Our new treasurer Nicola Murray from Corrymeela
The the responsibility for financial operations were handed over to the secretariat in Sigtuna and to our new treasurer, Nicola Murray. The Board thanked Jaap for the accurate and careful job he did the last years.
By Sören Lenz, Liebfrauenberg