Echos members stress meaningful engagement of youth in the churches
Source: http://www.oikoumene.org/en/news/news-management/eng/a/article/1634/echos-members-stress-mean.html
Echos members visiting the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia headquarters in Antelias
Reflections on the recent “Arab spring” and young people’s involvement in the challenges of a changing ecumenical landscape were the focus of discussions in a recent meeting of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Echos – Commission on youth in the ecumenical movement.
Gathered to evaluate the contribution of young people in the life of the WCC and to express solidarity with churches in the Middle East, 18 members of Echos met in Beirut, Lebanon last week.
Echos was called by the WCC 9th Assembly in Brazil in 2006 to enable young people to develop their visions of the ecumenical movement and strengthen their role in the decision-making mechanisms of the Council.
The meeting took place in Adma at the Maronite monastery of Notre Dame du Mont in Beirut from 24-31 October and was hosted by the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) Middle East. This was the last meeting in a series, before Echos members move on to prepare for the WCC 10th Assembly in Busan, South Korea in 2013.
In a presentation, Elsy Wakil, regional secretary of the WSCF-Middle East, stressed the need for youth to work for peaceful relations and dialogue with other faiths.
“It is necessary to work further for a peaceful coexistence among Muslims, Jews and Christians in the region, which is not possible without finding a solution to the Israeli-Arab conflict which is used by many as a reason for crimes,” Wakil said.
Members were also able to trace young people’s potential for a more meaningful engagement with the churches. Echos member Nikos Kosmidis said, “We were able to hear how the unprecedented revolutionary movements for democratic changes- in which young people are actively involved - have changed lives in the region. We need to use this potential among churches around the world.”
“This is a unique space of dialogue and cooperation, with members representing the voices of global partner youth organizations, including Roman Catholic and Pentecostal youth,” said WCC programme executive for youth Faautu Talapusi. “This promotes the idea of expanding the ecumenical landscape an answer to the changing current framework.”
On an invitation from Catholicos Aram I of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the commission attended Sunday Liturgy at the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia headquarters in Antelias. The participants were introduced to the history of Armenian community by visiting the museum of the Catholicosate where experiences were shared regarding the Armenian Genocide following the World War I.
The Echos members also launched a new book Echos for Peace, featuring essays from youth addressing the issues related to global peace, justice and nonviolence, as well as sharing ways of responding to challenges like segregation, discrimination and violence around the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment