CALL FOR PANELS AND PAPERS
International Forum
13th Ecumenical Social Week
"Hear the Cry of the Earth: Integral Ecology in Action"
7-10 October 2020, Lviv, Ukraine
Keynote speakers: Prof. Jürgen Moltmann, Dr John Chryssavgis
The annual Ecumenical Social Week (ESW) international forum addresses urgent social issues based on universal values and the Church's social doctrine and, in this way, promotes ecumenical dialogue in the social sphere. It brings together the resources of the community, churches and religious organisations, government, the media, academics and educators, and social and youth organisations.
Ecological readings in UCU
Students from different Lviv academic institutions gathered at the Philosophical and Theological Faculty of the Ukrainian Catholic University on March 5 in order to discuss the ecological issues and the Encyclical Letter of Pope Francis "Laudato Si".
Within the framework of the Institute of Ecumenical Studies’ project - Ecumenical Social Week, which this year is dedicated to integral ecology - an interesting and substantive meeting of students and teachers from the Ecological College of Lviv National Agrarian University, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, National University “Lviv Polytechnic”, Ukrainian National Forestry University, Drohobych Pedagogical University, Veterinary Academy, Lviv National Agrarian University and Ukrainian Catholic University was held.
The meeting was run in ecological reading format: students get aquatinted with each other, shared their plans for the future deepening their knowledge of environmental challenges and how to overcome them, they learned about the connection between ecology and theology, work in groups over an Encyclical’s Laudato Si section and left the discussion-club looking forward to the next meeting.
The event was organized jointly with the Institute of Ecumenical Studies and NGO "Center for Ecology and Sustainable Development".
ESW’ Project Coordinator Iryna Kitura emphasized the students' particular interest in such meetings and the desire of young people to work practically on environmental issues.
A charity auction “Belief in Life” was held
Within the 12th Ecumenical Social Week “Responsibility vs Populism,” a charity auction “Belief in Life” was held. Women – Ukrainian public figures created these
papercuttings during a master class under the guidance of well-known artist Dariia Alioshkina. Later, they were exhibited in the lobby of Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky's Center. And on the third day of the Forum, papercuttings were sold at the charity auction. The event was attended by both the performers themselves and those who wanted to buy these works of art and thus help prematurely born children.
Good Talk about the value orientations of modern Ukrainian youth
On October 4, the Ukrainian Catholic University hosted a Good Talk about the value orientations of modern Ukrainian youth. It was a lively discussion during which participants discussed educational projects that educate young people, the importance of knowing history to become good citizens, and the army as a school of life for young Ukrainians.
The meeting was moderated by Zynovii Svereda, Doctor of Social Economics, political scientist, economist. The Good Talk lasted a long time and at ease. Several theses from the speakers:
"When we talk about values, we have to understand that this is something extremely important within us, something we are willing to die for, to donate.
Presentation of the book by Metropolitan Olexandr (Drabynko)
During the ESW, a presentation of the book by Metropolitan Olexandr (Drabynko) – "The Ukrainian Church: The Path to Autocephaly" was presented. All the material, which is placed on seven hundred pages of the book, is united by the idea of canonical independence of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. In general, the publication is intended for a wide range of readers – priests, faithful, church and public figures and anyone interested in the problems associated with the processes of independence of the Ukrainian Church. The book was published by the Foundation in Memory of the Blessed Metropolitan Volodymyr and the publishing house “Dukh I Litera.”
Robert Brinkley, Ambassador of Great Britain to Ukraine (2002 – 2006)
