Re-forming Community Diakonia in Europe

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Seeking Conviviality: A strategic process from 2011 to 2013

“Seeking Conviviality” is a three-year process to develop holistic diaconal responses by LWF member churches to growing poverty and marginalization in Europe.

Diaconal actors from the Nordic countries, Central Eastern Europe and Central Western Europe is convening to share good practices and establish participatory, grassroots approaches to diakonia that can inform work in other areas of the LWF communion.

The Department for Mission of Development program builds on ecumenical networking by church actors wrestling with the fallout of economic collapse in Central Eastern Europe and the global economic crisis.

Contextual Approach

A series of workshops identifies European social realities from the inside–through the eyes of those who live and work in situations of marginalization.

The aims

Create solidarity among people doing diaconal work in Europe
Explore different ways of working to find those that empower and transform
Develop advocacy strategies
Create synergy between diaconal practices in the seven LWF regions and the LWF global context
Strengthen the churches’ commitment to transform daily realities of poverty and marginalization

The partner

International Academy for Diaconia and Social Action (Interdiac) | Český Těšín | Czech Republic

The process

7 – 10 December 2011 | Järvenpää, Finland | Workshop – sharing stories, learning about participants’ diaconal contexts, looking at goals and strategies, planning next steps
12 May 2012 | Ostrava, Czech Republic | Thematic workshops at LWF European Church Leadership Consultation – presenting and discussing first findings
Autumn 2012 | Workshop – looking at the broader European picture
2013 | Informing other LWF programs (Poverty in Africa, global diakonia 2013-2017)

Faith in Action Themes