Kategorie: News

News

EU elections in June – Churches take a stand

In the run-up of the elections for the European Parliament taking place on 6-9th June 2024, Churches in Europe have seized the initiative to take a stand. The three major Church networks on European level have published statements calling to participate in the elections and thus shape the future of Europe. As a European organisation itself, CoGREE welcomes the initiatives of the Churches to take part in the democratic possibilities to shape the European Union of today and tomorrow.

Read the statements on the corresponding platforms:

An interview with the new president of the CEEC, Paul Meany

Hi Paul, congratulations on your new position. How are you feeling? Are you happy, anxious, confident? What is your state of mind? 

I am honoured to have been elected as President of the CEEC for the next four years, and I look forward to working with my CEEC colleagues, as well as with the leaders of our partner organisations, to further the project of Catholic education in an increasingly secularised Europe.

Can you tell us more about your background and experience in Catholic education?

Educated in Dublin by the Marist Brothers, I became a teacher in 1973 in Marian College after I finished my Science degree. I became the first lay-Principal of the school in 1988 and soon became actively involved the Association of Management of Catholic Secondary Schools (AMCSS) becoming President from 2004 to 2006. At that time, I became the Irish representative on the CEEC, joining the Executive Board and for the last eight years I have been Treasurer of the CEEC. In Ireland, I am currently the Chairperson of the Association of Patrons and Trustees of Catholic Schools (APTCS), a Director of the Catholic Education Partnership (CEP) and a Director of the Le Chéile Education Trust.

In your opinion, what are the most important challenges that Catholic education is facing at the present time? 

In my view, Catholic education occupies a vital position in the Europe of today. Our emphasis on the search for meaning, and our position between the family, the State and the market, means that the education provided in our schools will never be simply to further the ends of the State, nor sim ply to meet the needs of the market, but will continue to be an informed examination of the place of the individual within his or her community and society. We face the challenge of maintaining our Catholic identity whilst being open and welcoming to people of all faiths and none. To achieve this, we rely on our teachers and one of our greatest challenges is to identify future teachers and leaders who are committed to the message of the Gospel.

As President of CEEC, how will your position and/or the Association help to address these challenges?

During my Presidency, CEEC will continue to explain the value, rationale and legal basis for Catholic education, support our member organisations in their relationships with their Governments, and form an active collaborative network sharing the best of Catholic education.

Thank you for your time. I wish you every success in your new position.

Exchange of European education networks with CPCE

At the beginning of December, eight European networks dealing with religion and education in formal and non-formal settings met in Vienna. In addition to the representatives of CoGREE member organisations (see article ‘Future of CoGREE in the centre of annual conference’), Walter Lüssi for OIKOSNET Europe and Heike Witzel for EAEE were also present. It was the second meeting of this group, which also includes other interested networks. Following the kick-off in December 2022 in Münster, Germany, the aim in Vienna was to further explore the form and potential of this collaboration. All participants emphasised the importance of this networking across education sectors and the will to continue working together under the provisional title ‘EDU network’.

Apart from these general debates, the meeting in wintry Vienna focussed on exchanges with the Protestant Churches in Europe. The group met with Pastor Dr Mario Fischer, General Secretary of the Communion of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE), which represents 95 churches that signed the Leuenberg Agreement (1973).

The intensive exchange of opinions and information brought both sides closer together and it was agreed that representatives of the EDU network would be welcomed as observers at the 2024 General Assembly of CPCE in Sibiu (Romania). It was also agreed to work more closely together on issues of religious education in the future. In addition, the issue of representation of interests and participation in the work of the Council of Europe was also a key topic. The CPCE had successfully applied for the status as an international NGO there this year.

Future of CoGREE in the centre of annual conference

On 1 and 2 December 2023, the CoGREE team met in Vienna. CoGREE brings together associations, organisations and networks that deal with issues of religion in education. Representatives of the member organisations (CEEC, EFTRE, EUFRES, ICCS, IV, PILGRIM) included: Piet Jansen (CoGREE moderator), Michael Jacobs, Werner Haussmann, Bianca Kappelhoff, Margaretha Hackermeier, Michael Holzwieser, Sonja Danner and Louis-Marie Piron. 

In addition to various reports and items on the agenda, the group exchanged about their current self-understanding more than 15 years after the founding statement of 2007 and discussed future prospects for CoGREE (e.g. successor format Klingenthal)

Thanks were expressed at the end of the conference to Michael Holzwieser for organising the meeting and to Margaretha Hackermeier for her many years of involvement, as she will be retiring from her position next year.

Antisemitismus und Schule

IV news:

Bei der IV-Tagung in Cieszyn entstand auch die Idee, Praxisbeispiele und Konzepte zur Bekämpfung von Antisemitismus in Schulen aus dem Kreis der Mitgliedsverbände und befreundeter Organisationen zu sammeln und diese Beiträge zusammen mit den Vorträgen von Prof. Danner und Prof. Schwendemann in einem Buch zu veröffentlichen. Alle Schulen stehen aktuell vor der Herausforderung, den verschiedenen Formen des Antisemitismus, die im Zuge des Krieges in Israel neu virulent geworden sind, zu begegnen. Da kann es hilfreich sein, von Beispielen anderer Schulen zu erfahren und von ihnen zu lernen. Der Vorstand möchte diese Idee aufgreifen und – ggf. mit finanzieller Hilfe der Barbara-Schadeberg-Stiftung – einesolche Publikation ermöglichen. Er wird sich noch in geeigneter Form an die IV-Mitglieder und die anderen europäischen Vereinigungen wenden, aber Ideen und Anregungen sind auch jetzt schon willkommen!

Digitalisation at Protestant schools – International conference in Ghana

From November 5th to November 10th, 2023, GPENreformation and the Presbyterian Church of Ghana invited around 60 members and ambassadors of the network from a total of 15 countries as well as 40 teachers and education officials from Ghana to Koforidua, Ghana. Together they discussed digitalisation in Protestant schools worldwide. The theme of the conference was “Seeds of Hope in complex Times – Protestant Education in the digital Era”.

Digital education opens up new educational opportunities. However, pupils need more than just technical education: They also need social skills to use digital tools and methods appropriately. The school of the future must therefore utilise digital educational materials, tools and access points where they add value and always reflect on the ethical responsibility that goes hand in hand with the technical development. In addition, the globally differing possibilities of stable internet access and the supply of hardware and software can cause new global injustices. For these reasons, GPENreformation will work politically to ensure that state funding for digital equipment in schools is also available to non-profit Protestant schools. The conference was an important step in this direction.

The programme of the event consisted of lectures, impulses and reports, workshops, excursions, church services, an ambassador meeting and diverse cultural performances.

For further informations click here:
https://www.gpenreformation.net/networkactivities/conferences/conference-in-ghana-2023/ 

This article was written by Dr Hendrik Niether.

CEEC Newsletter October 2023

CoGREE’s member organisation CEEC, the European Committee for Catholic Education, has published its latest newsletter issue.

In this Newsletter, you will find news from some of the CEEC members and a review of their recent meeting in Madrid. You will also find a report on the OIEC Congress in Marseille in December 2022, including a link to the texts of the contributions.

English version: 2023October_Newsletter14EN

French version: 2023Octobre_Newsletter14FR

Save the date: Europäische Fortbildung 2024 zu religiöser Bildung und Nachhaltigkeit

Bei dieser Fortbildung geht es um die Frage, wie religiöse Bildung und Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung zusammenwirken, um Schüler:innen so besonders wirksames Lernen zu ermöglichen. Vom 20. bis 22. März 2024 lädt CoGREE Schulpädagog:innen aus ganz Europa nach Brüssel ein. Anhand von konkreten Best-Practice-Beispielen werden die Teilnehmenden neue Ideen für den Religionsunterricht oder die Gestaltung ihrer (religiösen) Schulgemeinschaft entwickeln. Diese Fortbildung richtet sich an Schulpädagog:innen, die sich für den Religionsunterricht interessieren, an Koordinatoren, Fortbildner:innen, Schulleitende sowie an Lehrkräfte.

In Folgeveranstaltungen (on- und offline) im Herbst 2024 und im Frühjahr 2025 werden die Teilnehmenden die Möglichkeit haben, sich mit Wissenschaftler:innen auf diesem Gebiet auszutauschen und gemeinsam innovative Ansätze im Bereich der religiösen Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung zu entwickeln.

Bitte beachten Sie, dass diese Veranstaltungen nur dann stattfinden, wenn ein erfolgreicher Antrag auf Finanzierung durch das EU-Programm Erasmus+ vorliegt.

Save the date: European training on religious education and sustainability in 2024

This training asks how religious education and education for sustainable development can act together and achieve a special impact in students’ learning today. From 20-22 March 2024 CoGREE invites school educators from around Europe to Brussels. Based on concrete best practice examples, participants will develop new ideas for teaching religious education or shaping their (religious) school community. This training is designed for school educators interested in religious education, coordinators, teacher trainers and school directors as well as teachers.

In follow-up events (both on- and offline) in fall 2024 and spring 2025, participants will have the chance get into exchange with researchers in the field and to take action together to create innovative approaches in the field of religious education for sustainable development.

Please note that these events will only take place provided a successful application for funding by the EU Erasmus+ programme.

Discussions about gender issues at CEEC – a summary

« If we wish to take an approach to the question of gender theory that is based on the path of dialogue, it is vital to bear in mind the distinction between the ideology of gender on the one hand, and the whole field of research on gender that the human sciences have undertaken, on the other. While the ideologies of gender claim to respond, as Pope Francis has indicated, “to what are at times understandable aspirations”, they also seek “to assert themselves as absolute and unquestionable, even dictating how children should be raised”, and thus preclude dialogue. However, other work on gender has been carried out which tries instead to achieve a deeper understanding of the ways in which sexual difference between men and women is lived out in a variety of cultures. It is in relation to this type of research than we should be open to listen, to reason and to propose.”

Source: “‘Male and Female he created them’: Towards a path of dialogue on the question of gender theory in Education” – Congregation for Catholic Education – 2 February 2019

Some pupils, sometimes very young, express their dismay over what they feel is a disjunction between their body and their “gender identity”. These issues have a particular resonance in schools, which are obviously not “above ground”. Schools are also affected by certain ideological struggles on these issues, which have a far-reaching impact.

Alongside the family, the school, as a place where knowledge is passed on, has an essential role to play in terms of human and spiritual awakening and self-appropriation, in its uniqueness. The conception of the human person based on the Gospel and the conviction of the importance of educating the whole person, body, soul and spirit, commit Catholic Education to addressing questions related to gender identity with the greatest respect for individuals, while ensuring that they are raised within the educational community and form part of an integral educational project.

Bearing in mind its educational responsibility, the Catholic school is fundamentally concerned about the dignity of each person it welcomes and vigilant in the way it considers the full development of the person (body, mind and soul) and the search for the common good as the unified aims of education.

The members of the European Committee for Catholic Education cannot avoid reflecting and sharing on this question. The CEEC assembly in Vilnius at the end of April 2023 was an opportunity to launch work that will have to continue in the years to come.

Diskussion zu Genderfragen bei CEEC – eine Zusammenfassung

“Wenn hinsichtlich der Gender-Frage in der Bildung der Weg desDialogs eingeschlagen werden soll, darf nicht der Unterschied übersehenwerden zwischen der Gender-Ideologie und den verschiedenen Studien zumThema Gender, die von den Humanwissenschaften vorgelegt werden.Während die Ideologie vorgibt, wie Papst Franziskus feststellt, „gewissenund manchmal verständlichen Wünschen zu entsprechen“, sucht siedoch „sich als einzige Denkweise durchzusetzen und sogar die Erziehung der Kinder zu bestimmen“ und verhindert damit den Austausch;es gibt aber auch Untersuchungen zur Gender-Thematik, die angemessenzu vertiefen versuchen, wie in den verschiedenen Kulturen der sexuelleUnterschied zwischen Mann und Frau gelebt wird. Und in Bezug aufdiese Untersuchungen ist es möglich, sich für das Hinhören und Nachdenken zu öffnen und Vorschläge zu machen.

Quelle: “Als Mann und Frau schuf er sie“: Für einen Weg des Dialogs zur Gender-Frage im Bildungswesen – Kongregation für das Katholische Bildungswesen – 2. Februar 2019

Einige, teils noch sehr junge Schüler:innen äußern ihre Betroffenheit über die gefühlte Diskrepanz zwischen ihrem Körper und ihrer “Geschlechtsidentität”. Diese Themen finden in Schulen, die sich natürlich nicht in einem luftleeren Raum bewegen, besondere Resonanz. Die Schulen sind auch von bestimmten ideologischen Kämpfen zu diesen Themen betroffen, die weitreichende Auswirkungen haben.

Neben der Familie kommt der Schule als Ort der Wissensvermittlung in ihrer Einzigartigkeit eine wesentliche Rolle im Hinblick auf die menschliche und geistige Entwicklung und Selbstaneignung zu. Das auf dem Evangelium basierende Menschenbild und die Überzeugung, dass es wichtig ist, den ganzen Menschen mit Leib, Seele und Geist zu erziehen, verpflichten das katholische Bildungswesen dazu, Fragen der Geschlechteridentität mit größtem Respekt vor dem Einzelnen anzugehen und gleichzeitig dafür zu sorgen, dass sie in der Erziehungsgemeinschaft aufgegriffen werden und Teil eines ganzheitlichen Bildungsprojekts sind.

Im Bewusstsein ihrer erzieherischen Verantwortung ist die katholische Schule grundsätzlich besorgt um die Würde eines jeden Menschen, den sie aufnimmt, und wachsam in der Art und Weise, wie sie die volle Entfaltung der Person (Körper, Geist und Seele) und das Streben nach dem Gemeinwohl als einheitliche Ziele der Erziehung betrachtet.

Die Mitglieder des Europäischen Komitees für das Katholische Bildungswesen (CEEC) kommen nicht umhin, über diese Frage nachzudenken und sich auszutauschen. Die Vollversammlung des CEEC in Vilnius Ende April 2023 war eine Gelegenheit, die Arbeit aufzunehmen, die in den kommenden Jahren fortgesetzt werden muss.

EREnews 1/2023 published

In this issue you will find a press review on the following topics:

  • reception of Ukrainian refugees
  • dealing with violations of secularism in French schools
  • the situation of religious education in Spanish schools after the new school law came into force
  • Islamic education in Germany and in Switzerland

In the “monographic section” the editors have decided to elaborate a precise and in-depth reflection on the “alternative class” (“ora di alternativa”) to the teaching of Catholic religion through a multi-voiced debate between different protagonists.

Enjoy reading!

Download the issue 1 in 2023 here: EREnewsXIX_3_2023

You can subscribe to the EREnews at the bottom of the new website: https://erenews.uniroma3.it .

How the Danish School-Church Service works

ICCS news:

In 1992 the first School-church service group formed in Denmark. The intention was to build a service for schools which was equivalent to the one offered to schools in most Danish museums, Zoos and other culture institutions where guided tours and teaching resources for qualitative learning is available.

The Danish church now have school-church service groups all over the country in around 42 different units with approximately 70 people employed. The staff consists of both teachers and theologists who write the teaching materials and often also visit schools as guest teachers.

Every local school-church service develops new teaching projects every year which are offered to the schools free of charge in individual catalogues within their area or council district. The projects are extremely popular and are acknowledged for their thorough quality. Often there is a cultural event, a workshop with an artist, a guest teacher or a visit to the local church included in the project. 

The school-church collaboration in Denmark is an educational collaboration between local churches and schools.

Each school-church unit is financed by local parishes around Denmark, mostly organized based on deaneries or dioceses. The main purpose is the preparation of educational projects for use in Danish primary and secondary comprehensive schools.

The teaching takes place during school hours and must always be on the school´s terms and follow The Education Act (curriculum) and in the end it is the teacher who is responsible for the teaching– precisely as when the school collaborates with any other external organisation or institution.

The collaboration between school and church is one of the ways that the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark takes on responsibility for sharing knowledge of the fundamental values of Danish and European culture to coming generations. Values that are built upon the Christian understanding of the human being – trust, community, charity, care, and forgiveness. The collaboration is based on neither the religion nor the personal belief of any single student. All pupils – regardless of ethnic, cultural or religious background – can attend educational projects offered by The School-Church Service of the Danish National Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark.

School and church have since 1975 been legally independent institutions in Denmark. In that way the school-church collaboration is purely curriculum based Religious Education. Most of the local school-church collaborations work together in a national network, The School-Church Service of the Danish National Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark https://www.folkekirkensskoletjeneste.dk .

Every second year this National Network for the School-Church Service work together developing a large national teaching project which is available to all Danish schools via their local school-church Service. These projects are well known and popular with teachers. Around 30,000 children are usually taught using these projects across Denmark. The projects are free of charge for the teachers to acquire if they have a school-church service within their area and other schools can also access them for a small payment.

The Danish school system includes both primary and secondary school within the same building and leadership, and with ages ranging from 5 to 16 years old. The national projects therefore variate in which age group they are aimed for: youngest (5-9 years old), middle group (10-13 years old) and oldest ( 14 to 16 years old).

Examples of previous national projects:

On edge with Kierkegaard in 2013 (Oldest group): A project about the Danish theologian and philosopher Søren Kirkegaard. A cartoon strip was produced about him and the project also included works of five famous Danish artists (Peter Brandes, Maja Lisa Engelhardt, Christian Lemmerz, Cathrine Raben Davidsen and Erik A. Frandsen). They each made piece of art to themes from Kierkegaard´s philosophy. https://paakant.dk/underviserlogin
(For further information please contact Christine Holm Clayton CHHC@km.dk.)
Soundtracks – playing with biblical stories in 2015 (Youngest group): A project about music and biblical stories. A digital sound platform was developed where students could combine sound and bible stories to give the stories mood and atmosphere. www.lydspor.net
Re:formation –  thesis, faith and doubt in 2017 (Middle group): A project about Luther and the Reformation on the occasion of the 500 year anniversary of the reformation.https://re-formation.dk/
(For further information please contact Christine Holm Clayton CHHC@km.dk.)
Is everything going go to hell? (Oldest group): in 2019: A project evolving around a short story by the Danish author Kenneth Bøgh Andersen and a board game where the students are challenged to make impossible choices in a dystopic universe.  https://www.gårdetheleadhelvedetil.dk
(For further information please contact Christine Holm Clayton CHHC@km.dk.)
Monsters in action: in 2021(Youngest group): A project about monsters in myths, folklore, and Christianity. A “big book” was written about the theme including monsters from myths, folklore, and Christianity. A symphony orchestra recorded music to accompany the teacher when reading the book to the children. https://monstre.dk
(For further information please contact Christine Holm Clayton CHHC@km.dk.)

The school-church collaboration has shown to be a unique way of making pupils aware of some of the values that make up the core of “Danish and European culture”. The subjects relate to both the RE and the general goals in the Danish Educational Act. A national survey in 2016 stated the school-church collaboration is of great support to pupils, teachers, school and church.

Sørensen, Peter Green; Larsen, Irene, 2016, ”Selv om man tror på noget andet kan man godt være et sødt menneske” (“Even though you believe in something else, you can still be a nice person”). A Survey of the Collaboration between the Danish Comprehensive School and the Danish Evangelical-Lutheran Church. Center for Pastoral Education and Research.  

Read More 

11 around one table

“Why haven‘t we done this before?” This was the reaction of one of the participants at the European networking event on education, which took place in Münster (Germany) on 2nd December 2022. For the first time eleven European organisations working in the field of education came together to explore common interests. Quickly it became clear: we have a lot in common!

After having presented the organisations they are engaged in, the participants got a first glimpse of the knots that may tie them together to an even stronger net. The group of 11 investigated four areas: target groups, activities, topics and challenges. And even though some organisations work on religious education as a subject at school, others in adult education and the next with children in congregations or at Christian schools, similar interests started to appear.

The resume of this first adventure was unanimously positive and it was agreed to continue the exchange on the aspects of common interest identified together. The evening was rounded off with a cup of mulled wine at the Christmas market and a shared dinner.

Participating organisations:

CEECEuropean Committee for Catholic Education
CECConference of European Churches
EAEEEuropean Protestant and Anglican Network for life-long learning
ECCEThe European Conference on Christian Education
EFTREEuropean Forum for Teachers of Religious Education
EuFRESEuropean Forum for Religious Education in Schools
ICCSIntereuropean Commission on Church and School
IVInternational Association for Christian Education
PILGRIMInternational Education Network PILGRIM
OIKOSNETEcumenical Association of Academies and Laity Centres in Europe
EBNEuropean Bibliodrama Network

Innovative materials for teachers on the topic of peace

“We must remember even if there will always be people looking to cause division and inflict violence, many will still choose peace and compassion at any cost, even their own lives.” This strong conclusion by pupils from Hungary on combating division and violence through peace and compassion ends one of the tours that make it possible to digitally experience places of special significance for peace and conflict around the globe. The map, which can be explored online, is one of the results of the Erasmus+ project “Schools joining up for communities of Peace” (SchoolCoPe), which ended at the end of August 2022 and was led by the global network of Protestant schools GPENreformation. In this project, pupils and teachers from six countries came together to exchange ideas about peace in their respective countries and all around the world. These reflections on the issues of peace and conflict are also reflected in the digital tours that have now been completed, which include a tour of Christchurch Cathedral in Dublin, of a Maltese centre for refugees in Hungary and of a boarding school in Michelbach in Germany. The pupils of the participating Protestant schools from Ireland, Germany, Slovakia and Hungary chose these places themselves and designed the tours.

On the so-called “Edumap” thus created, other Christian schools or other groups can now engage with the topic of peace in an innovative way. Either by exploring the tours and digitally travelling to places of peace and conflict in other regions and countries of the world, or by developing such a tour themselves for a place of their choice. 

For the latter, teachers can benefit from a handbook that was jointly designed and developed by the pupils, teachers and experts involved in the project. This e-book is available as an online version and for download on the GPENreformation website. The e-book consists of a main chapter with instructions on how to create a digital tour and three supplementary content chapters on the topics of peace education, religion and worldviews, and digitalisation. Teachers can use this handbook for self-learning and training, but it also contains materials and learning activities that are suitable for direct use in the classroom. In all chapters, the topics can be explored through different media such as videos, audio input or text material. Furthermore, the manual is available in several languages (English, German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Slovak, Hungarian). Thus, this project can also be implemented in a simple way together with a partner school abroad – just like in the original project “Schools joining up for communities of Peace”. In current times of war and crisis, these encounters are more precious than ever.

20 years of PILGRIM

In the year 2002/03 the study project „Sustainability and Religion(s) – a Pilgrimage” was initiated by the Austrian Ministry of Science and Education. It was the starting point of PILGRIM, an international educational network that stresses a fourth dimension of sustainability: spirituality. Ecumenism and interreligious dialogue were main values from the beginning. On 6th June 2023, the big celebration of 20 years of PILGRIM will take place in Vienna putting its pedagogical concept and the many participating schools around Europe in the spotlight.

With a workshop held on 4th October 2022 with the director of the Vatican “Laudato si Action Platform”, John Mundell, PILGRIM already started the festivities of its 20 years. A fruitful exchange developed as the Vatican platform highlights similar goals as PILGRIM: “Sustainable Pedagogy” and “Ecological Spirituality”.

Welcome aboard Louis-Marie!

Since July 2022, the European Committee for Catholic Education (CEEC) has a new General Secretary. His name is Louis-Marie Piron and he comes from the French Catholic Education organisation (on the picture on the left next to his predecessor Guy Selderslagh). As CEEC is also one of CoGREE’s member organisations, Louis-Marie Piron also joins the CoGREE team. We invite you to get to know him a little better through this interview.

Louis-Marie, could you briefly introduce yourself?

I am originally from the west of France. I am married with 4 children, aged between 21 and 29, and a grandfather of 2 little girls. I have a legal background in public law and social law. I have been a teacher in higher education institutions as well as an educator before taking over the management of various secondary schools for 16 years. Since September 2011, I have joined the General Secretariat of the French Catholic Education to develop international relations. I have also been in charge of supporting the diocesan departments in the overseas territories. Since 2012, I have represented France on the Executive Board of the CEEC and on the Council of the OIEC (International organisation of Catholic Education) for which I was treasurer for 3 years. I am also President of the editorial board of the journal Educatio which publishes scientific articles on Christian education twice a year. The latest issue is dated May and deals with the theme: “Crisis of institutions and changes in authority in schools and education” (www.revue-educatio.eu)

As new Secretary General of the CEEC, which are the major challenges for Catholic
Education today?

The challenges of Catholic Education are probably to find ways to respond to the evolution of our societies, on the moral, educational and pedagogical level, as much for the proposals made to students as for the training of teachers, for example. These challenges are sometimes made more complicated by the social and legal contexts in which our structures evolve.

What specific issues or aspects of Catholic education in Europe would you like to work on in
your new position?

In order to respond to these challenges, we need to further develop cooperation between us, not in competition or opposition to the public system, but in the original expression of our Catholic specificities. In order to do this, it is essential to promote the freedom of education and to strengthen the vitality of our educational communities.

How important is cooperation with other education organisations for you?

Cooperation is an essential component of education. Pope Francis reminds us of this and invites us to do so through the Global Compact on Education. Cooperation is at the very core of education, starting with the pupil-teacher relationship where cooperation is essential to the pedagogical relationship. It is also vital between our organisations because it allows the exchange of ideas, methodologies, and experiences…

Which potential do you see in working together in CoGREE?

The issue of religion in education, which CoGREE is particularly concerned with, is an important topic for Catholic education in Europe. It is lived in various ways in different countries according to their history, culture, and the relationship between society and religion. Therefore it is a topic of discussion among the members of the CEEC. The collaboration with CoGREE allows us to deepen and better understand it.

To conclude, what motto or quote do you particularly value?

“For a true education aims at the formation of the human person in the pursuit of his ultimate end and of the good of the societies of which, as man, he is a member, and in whose obligations, as an adult, he will share.” (Gravissimum Educationis n°1)

The interview was lead by Géradline Vallée and Bianca Kappelhoff.

PILGRIM Newsletter November 2022

It’s time again for the latest PILGRIM newsletter!

As mentioned in the last PILGRIM newsletter, all schools are invited to present their projects at the certification ceremony on June 6th, 2023. Don’t miss the registration deadline, it has been prolonged until the end of January 2023!

In this issue there is an interesting commentary by Dr. Martin Jäggle on the topic “Democracy needs more participation” and in addition to announcements of shortly upcoming events in 2022 and 2023, there are recommendations for various Christmas-Instead-Activities and, as usual, new literature on sustainability and spirituality. Please also note that next year there will be an edition of the PILGRIM-Mit-Welt-Experte-Pass for the Upper School.

We would also like to point out, among other things, the reports on the PILGRIM kick-off workshop on the goals of Laudato Si’ and the PILGRIM certifications during the 9th International PILGRIM Conference in Poland in September, alongside the demands of the Alliance for Climate Justice, of which PILGRIM is also a member, for the COP27 climate conference, as well as information on the Laudato Si’ Action Platform (LSAP), in which all schools are invited to participate.

Enjoy reading all of this and more!

https://pilgrim.at/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/PILGRIM-Newsletter-94-November-2022.pdf

PILGRIM Newsletter September 2022

20 years of PILGRIM! This shall be motivation for the academic year 2022/2023 to update the thoughts on what religious education has to contribute in terms of sustainability and to plan further steps. A special event will then be the certification ceremony on June 6th, 2023, for which registration is already requested.

What else can you read about in the new PILGRIM newsletter?

  • Project reports for 2021/22 from two PILGRIM schools with comments on the current situation
  • Event announcements on sustainability & spirituality
  • Presentation of various PILGRIM activities
  • Information on the PILGRIM-Mit-Welt-Experte-Pass
  • Notes on other events
  • New literature on sustainability & spirituality

Enjoy reading!

https://pilgrim.at/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/PILGRIM-Newsletter-93-September-2022.pdf

PILGRIM Newsletter July 2022

Check out the latest PILGRIM newsletter announcing lots of upcoming events on sustainability & spirituality for August, September and October, as well as the course „Climate Justice – Ethical Reflection and Transformative Action“.

Find out about the activities of the PILGRIM member „Jugend Eine Welt“, which supports Ukrainian refugees in a variety of ways, e.g. through workshops and material support.
Jugend Eine Welt has now been in existence for 25 years. Congratulations!

In addition, you can read in the newsletter which institutions and schools were PILGRIM-certified in 2022 and awarded alongside the new Mit-Welt-Experts. In June, many PILGRIM activities could be carried out again, such as redeeming the PILGRIM Youth Price 2020 and a two-day pilgrimage.
Sr. Karina Beneder has something to report from Peru again. And finally, a few suggestions for further reading on the topics of sustainability & spirituality.

Enjoy reading!

https://pilgrim.at/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/PILGRIM-Newsletter-92-Juli-2022.pdf

CEEC Newsletter July 2022

CoGREE’s member organisation CEEC, the European Committee for Catholic Education, has published its latest newsletter issue. Learn more about their General Assembly, which was held on 29 and 30 April 2022 in Vienna, the live webinar from Lviv entitled “Ukrainian Catholic schools in the drama of war” and the new Secretary General of CEEC Louis-Marie Piron.

English version: 2022July_Newsletter11

French version: 2022Juillet_Newsletter11

IV General Assembly 2022 in Riga

After the General Assembly 2021 had only taken place digitally, also the symposium on “Challenges of digitalisation for religion and education in Christian schools” could not be organised as planned in Riga this spring. Corona and in addition the Russian war in Ukraine made the situation during March/April too unsafe for planning and travelling into the Baltic states.

Although there is no end of war in sight at the moment, we want to risk a new attempt to meet in Riga for the General Assembly in autumn 2022. A sign of closeness and connection with our Baltic friends and colleagues seems important right now! The board of IV discussed it in May and decided to organise the General Assembly from 4th to 6th November 2022 in Riga. But the topic of the symposium will be changed into: “Dare to hope!? – How Christian schools accompany the growing up of youngsters in times of crisis”. Theological and pedagogical questions on peace education and peace ethics, concepts of religious education and school pastoral care to strengthen students in times of crisis as well as practical experiences with war refugees in our schools will be the centre of attention during the symposium.

We really hope to succeed this time to meet in Riga for exchange and encounter! All members of IV as well as interested non-members are cordially invited! A detailed program will be published in time.

ERASMUS+ project SYSMind started

Intercultural and interreligious aspects in Education and Sustainable Development

The ERASMUS+ project “Discovering a sustainable Mindset-SYSMind” has been started with a meeting in Vienna in April 2022. It had been well organised by the “Centre of Education for Sustainable Development and Spirituality” of the Viennese university college KPH Wien/Krems, which cooperates with PILGRIM. Participants from Spain, Germany, Latvia, Austria, Turkey, North Macedonia and Ukraine were present. The university college of Agrarian and Environmental Pedagogy in Vienna, leading the project, created a homepage https://www.sustainablemindset.eu The output of this project will be teaching materials and a MOOC.

Homepage

New push for a statute for European cross-border associations and non-profit organizations in the European Parliament

On September 15, 2021, a draft report with recommendations to the Commission on a statute for European cross-border associations and non-profit organisations was presented in the European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) by German rapporteur Sergey Lagodinsky (Greens/EFA). The draft report includes a proposal for a decision on a statute for a European association and for a directive on common minimum standards for non-profit organisations in the Union (minimum standards directive). The initiative aims to simplify the work of cross-border associations and non-profit organisations with the help of a European legal basis. As there are currently different conditions in the EU for the work of non-profit organisations, a uniform standard is also to be set with regard to the level of protection and competition regulations.

In the explanatory memorandum to the draft report, it is pointed out that the Union will not regulate the status of churches, religious organisations or communities, and philosophical or non-confessional organisations under national law. This is a not a complete reference to Article 17(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) (The Union respects and does not prejudice the status under national law of churches and religious associations or communities in the Member States). At the same time, it is emphasized that this does not preclude organisations based solely on religious, philosophical or ideological inspiration, such as non-profit faith-based organisations, fall within the scope of these proposals.

European Association

In essence, the proposal for a decision on a statute for a European association sets out the conditions and procedures for the establishment, governance, registration and regulation of legal entities in the form of a European association. This is to be an independent and self-governing cross-border body established in perpetuity in the territory of the Union by voluntary agreement between natural or legal persons. A European association should be able to be granted non-profit status if various elements are cumulatively present. For example, the purpose and the actual activities of the organisation would have to pursue a non-profit objective that is for the benefit of society or a section thereof and thus conducive to the common good, including charitable purposes. Exemplary, though not exhaustive, are the following areas: Arts/Culture/Historic Heritage Protection, Environmental Protection and Climate Change, Advocacy for Equality, Social Justice, Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief, as well as Development Aid, and Protection of Vulnerable Populations (e.g., Children, Elderly, Persons with Disabilities, Homeless), Animal Welfare, Education and Training.

The direct supervision of the European association should be carried out by the respective competent authority of the member state of the headquarters of the association. In addition, an independent European association authority shall be established. In particular, it shall be responsible for the registration procedure, the keeping of the register and the receipt of complaints regarding the application of the regulation by the national competent authorities.

Minimum standards for non-profit organizations

The proposal for a Directive on common minimum standards for non-profit organizations aims to harmonize Member States’ legislation on certain aspects of the objectives and activities, registration, operations, funding and cross-border activities of non-profit organizations. Organizations with a primarily religious and non-confessional objective are to be excluded from the scope of the Directive. However, this exclusion should not apply to organizations motivated solely by religious or philosophical beliefs.

Member States are to ensure that non-profit organizations established in the Union are granted the following minimum guarantees, among others: No discrimination on the grounds of nationality, no discrimination against groups or individuals on grounds such as age, birth, etc., simplification of administrative rules, application of the principles of sound administration, right to an effective judicial remedy. Fundraising and the use of assets shall also be simplified for organisations.

At first glance, the proposals for a statute for European cross-border associations and non-profit organizations seem reasonable. The planned new regulations open up new opportunities for non-profit organizations to work in the EU member states. Especially in the exemplarily listed areas, church organizations and charities are also involved, be it in helping marginalized groups or in maintaining cultural assets. The new initiative could simplify cooperation with European partners in a low-threshold manner and reduce previous hurdles as well as additional cost factors. However, the non-profit law in the EU varies greatly from one member state to another in its legal form and especially in its tax consequences. Accordingly, the elaboration of a European non-profit law is very demanding and raises a number of questions, among others with regard to the principle of subsidiarity. An attempt by the EU Commission to establish a European foundation has already failed in the past due to resistance from the member states.

In the JURI Committee, MEP Lagodinsky’s initiative met with a positive response from the other parliamentary groups. In the new coalition agreement, the coalition partners from the SPD, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen and FDP also advocate the establishment of EU legal forms for associations and foundations. These are intended to simplify equivalence checks for non-profit organisations from other member states (recognition of foreign non-profit institutions under charitable law) and thus facilitate cross-border donations and cooperation in accordance with the requirements of the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

The link to the draft report can be found here: https://bit.ly/ekd-NL-167_Jul-3

This article was originally written in German by Nils Hanne, intern at the EKD Brussels office, and published in EKD-Informationen, No. 167, pp. 25-27, and then translated into English by Bianca Kappelhoff, Comenius-Institute.

Foto: © European Communities, 2006. Photographer: Alain Schroeder

Addendum:

On 17th February 2022, the European Parliament adopted a corresponding report with recommendations to the Commission.

Link to the draft report of MEP Lagodinsky https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2022-0007_EN.html

Link to the text adopted by the European Parliament: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2022-0044_EN.html

Live-Webinar from Ukraine

24 February 2022: Russia declared war on Ukraine and invaded the country. No less than 3 months later, the country is still at war. But what is the situation in Ukrainian Catholic schools today? What are the urgent needs of schools and religious communities? To what extent can we, as stakeholders and representatives of Catholic schools in Europe, support our Ukrainian counterparts?

These and other questions were addressed in a live webinar from Lviv on 12 May 2022 co-organised by representatives of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Commission for Education, the European Committee for Catholic Education (CEEC) and the International Office of Catholic Education (OIEC).

This event, moderated by Philippe Richard (OIEC) and Guy Selderslagh (CEEC), gave the floor to several players and representatives of the Catholic school in Ukraine:

  • Father Petro Mayba, head of the Education Commission of the Greek Catholic Church of Ukraine
  • Sister Khrystophora Bushtyn, member of the Public Council of Churches and Religious Organisations at the Ministry of Education of Ukraine
  • Olya Riy, Headteacher of St Sofia’s School in Lviv
  • Halyna Tuziak, Headteacher of St Nicholas Nursery School in Lviv

Here below you can find their contributions as transcripts in several languages.

Ukrainian
English
Spanish
Italian
French

Build together the village of education

This is the mission declared for the upcoming World Congress of OIEC on 1-3 December 2022 in Marseille, France. OIEC ist the international office for Catholic education representing Catholic Education institutions worldwide, of which CEEC represents the European secretariat.

Educators, persons responsible and speakers from all over the world will gather in Marseille to discuss, exchange and celebrate under the headline “The Catholic School as a body of Hope to change the World”.

OIEC World Congress website