Ecumenical Youth Council in Europe

In the year 2011 EYCE successfully launched its Campaign to Promote Ecological Justice in order to address the issues of ecological justice among young Christians in Europe. The thematic work so far focused on the theological and political aspects of the issues and was outlined with a variety of interesting activities, among them a training course and several workshops. Also, awareness raising materials, such as flyers and the campaign magazine were produced.

The thematic focus of the campaign in the year 2012 will be to explore the relations between ecology, economy and politics, including reviewing ecology issues as basis for numerous conflicts. The central thematic event of the second year of the campaign will seek to answer questions such as: How can habits, policies and products, which are hindering ideas of ecological justice, be recognised? In which way can young people influence policy making processes? Especially now, when the Kyoto protocol is about to expire and ecological justice is one of the central debates globally, it is important to provide young people with knowledge of ongoing processes, as well to equip them with skills to address these issues in their own context. Continue reading →

Human Rights Education (HRE) with young Christians in Europe has always been important for EYCE. In its work EYCE has always an underlying aspect of HRE – either addressing religious rights, the rights of migrants in Europe, or human rights in relation to economic justice, and finally the rights of young people to express their opinion and be heard.

With this training course EYCE wants to deepen its focus on HRE, especially with regards to the rights of minorities, migrants and other oppressed groups in Europe and beyond, as well as training young people from church backgrounds to address these issues within their contexts. Furthermore, with this event EYCE wants to contribute to the European Action Week Against Racism, which is traditionally taking place around March 21st, the International Day for the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination.

It will take place in Palermo, Sicily, from 18th – 25th of March 2012. Continue reading →

Dear members & partners of EYCE, dear friends!

Do you know when the hour has come? Christians in the early stages of Christianity were eagerly anticipating the coming of the Lord and the end of the world they lived in so that God’s new creation would come into being. Time has moved on since then and few of us are similarly awaiting the end of times. We rather got accommodated in the world we live in and want to hold on to things that we know. Nevertheless, in the past year news could make you believe that the end of the world as we know it is near. The financial and economic crisis challenged societies throughout Europe and the world and seemed to turn the world upside down. Democratic movements in the Arab countries and elsewhere led to political shifts and new perceptions of these regions. The tsunami in Japan and the following catastrophe, especially in the nuclear power plant of Fukushima, questioned the long believed security of the structures created by us. As we experience it, the world we live in is fragile and ambiguous. By coming into this world in Jesus Christ, God has started to build a new world as his kingdom and invited us to participate and be transformed by God’s grace. In this new world, human beings are freed from their distance to God, as it is bridged through Jesus Christ, the saviour. This is why the Apostle Paul writes to the Romans:

Besides this you know the time that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light. (Romans 13, 11-12)

No matter how we celebrate Christmas, this is the core of the promise made to us and our faith. The coming of God into this world and the promise to free us from its works of darkness and to accompany us into the light enables us to wake up and live as Christians in the presence of God’s gift of justification and salvation. However, we are called to putting on the armour of light not only between Christmas and Easter, but in all that we do towards our neighbours and to live in anticipation of a new Creation everyday anew. I wish that you may unpack this gift of God to you on Christmas day.
May you spend a blessed Christmas with your families and friends and discover (again) together what the new born baby means to you.

EYCE wants to thank you for your contributions throughout the year to the life of EYCE and wishes you a happy and blessed start into the year 2012. We are looking forward to meet you and work with you in the coming year and to fill EYCE with life!
May the confidence in the Lord be with you in 2012 to strengthen you and give you peace!

We thank you for your support and the strong fellowship during this year and wish you a blessed Christmas!

Yours in Christ,
Ecumenical Youth Council in Europe

From 4th December to 11th December 2011 thirty five young people from Europe and beyond, Christians and Muslims, from different traditions and national backgrounds gathered in the European Youth Centre Budapest, Hungary, for an Interreligious Study Session “Secularism and Religions: Working Together for a Common Europe” which was organised by the Ecumenical Youth Council in Europe (EYCE) and Forum of Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO) in cooperation with the Council of Europe (CoE).

“Moving towards a decade of close collaboration between European Christian and Muslim Youth, EYCE in collaboration with FEMYSO organised a study session to reflect about the relations between secularism and living faiths in Europe. It is important to note that this event was more than a vision, but a wider interfaith dialogue coming from the member organisations of EYCE and FEMYSO with a joint aim to work together to unite our work in the field of active citizenship. This was a good example of interreligious dialogue and LOVE,” said Najatte Kaaoiss, participant and member of the board of trustees of FEMYSO. Continue reading →

On the 23rd of November 2011 the European Commission presented its Communication “Erasmus for all: the EU Programme for Education, Training, Youth and Sport” that details its vision for the EU budget in the field of youth and education, which is foreseen to be a substitute for several programmes, including Youth in Action. Many of you already know that it is the youth programme of the EU, supporting non-formal education, and that the current YiA programme is only running until the end of 2013. From 2014 onwards, a new programme will be implemented, which will run until 2020. Continue reading →

In the framework of the Campaign to Promote Ecological Justice EYCE has just released the first issue of the Leaf magazine. In the magazine you will find articles about the campaign itself and interesting projects implemented on local level, about international climate negotiations and sustainable development, about theological perspectives of ecological justice and taking action on political level. This list is however not exclusive – there are comic strips, photographs, film reviews and many more! The Campaign Coordination Team warmly thanks all who contributed to this issue!

Enjoy leafing through the Leaf below!

…or you can download the file in a .pdf format here.

“My strongest impression from the General Meeting was to see the commitment and enthusiasm of the Member Organisations to the work of EYCE“, said newly elected Chairperson of EYCE Catharina Covolo.

The 38th General Meeting of the Ecumenical Youth Council in Europe took place from 17th – 23rd of October 2011 in Höchst (Odenwald), Germany, and brought together more than 40 young people as delegates, guests and stewards to the General Meeting. Continue reading →

From the 7th to the 10th of September, hundreds of young people from all over the world gathered in Brussels, Belgium, for the second Youth Convention on Volunteering, which included a stakeholder conference on volunteering and a big festival in- and outside the European Parliament. EYCE took part both in the conference and the following festival. The participants got the opportunity to present their organisation through stands and workshops. The Convention was organised by the European Youth Forum (YFJ) with the support of a team of volunteers from all over Europe and beyond. Continue reading →

Dear Friends of EYCE, Dear young photographers,

Sunny greetings from Brussels! We hope this finds you enjoying the summer!
From 7th – 11th September 2011 EYCE will take part in the Second Youth Convention on Volunteering. Among other activities of EYCE thematically linked to the Campaign to Promote Ecological Justice, a photograph exhibition and an interactive survey for the participants related to the photographs will take place. The photo exhibition will be conceptual and aims at displaying thought provoking images, linked to ecological and social justice, which would trigger and challenge the thinking of the viewer and raise awareness of the multiple aspects of ecological justice. Why are ecological matters an issue of justice? What are the links of climate change and ecology with economic justice, social equality, poverty, education? Why is it important to understand those links?

Therefore, EYCE is currently collecting pictures to be displayed at this exhibition! If you are a photographer and have pictures showing the matters of ecological justice in stock and if you are interested in seeing your work exhibited, we will be happy to receive your photographs!

The photographs should be:
- black/white or colour
- high resolution (at least 600 dpi)
- having a title (optional)

The photographs should be sent:
- to: campaign@eyce.org
- by the 21st of August 2011

The Campaign Coordination Team will select 30 of your works to be exhibited during the Second Youth Convention on Volunteering!

We are counting on you and looking forward to the beautiful pictures you’re all going to send!

Campaign Coordination Team

From 3rd July to 10th July 2011 more than twenty young people from Europe and beyond, as well as from various denominational and national backgrounds gathered in Kiev, Ukraine, for an EYCE training course “Taking steps towards an ecologically responsible society. Theological and political perspectives of ecological justice”. The participants got the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of various aspects of ecological justice and acquire practical tools and skills for further promoting the ideas discussed. The training course was organized by the Ecumenical Youth Council in Europe in cooperation with volunteers in Ukraine. Continue reading →