Current Activities

preparing the „Inter-religious Youth Forum 2015“

In the year 2000 the General Assembly of the United Nations stated in its Millennium Declaration to halve poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental pollution and gender discrimination within fifteen years. The appointed time will expire in 2015.

2015 will also be the year when the heads of G8 and G20 states will resemble again in Germany.

Since a number of years representatives of the world religious meet parallel to the G8 and G20 summits in order to taken public position on pressing issues of the world community grounded in common religious responsibility. The first time in 2010, at such an occasion also an interreligious youth meeting took place.

The Federation of Protestant Youth in Germany (aej), the Protestant Development Service (EED), the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and the Ecumenical Youth Council in Europe (EYCE) will take the opportunity of the mentioned setting in 2015 to invite one hundred young from different denominations and a numerous countries to the „Inter-religious Youth Forum 2015“ 23 to 30 May 2015, in Stuttgart/Germany.

 Further information is available.

 Journées d’Arras in Sofia 2013

 The Journées d’Arras take place every year since 1980, normally in the week after Pentecost. They bring together a group of Christians from the countries of Europe, working within their own churches, concerned with Christian-Muslim relations. The Journées d’Arras have been ecumenical from the start, reflecting the situation in Europe today, with the churches working in partnership.

 This year the Journées d’Arras took place in Sofia/Bulgaria on the main topic “Perception of Islam in the Orthodox Churches”; among other activities visiting the Dzhamija Banja Bashi Mosque (central mosque) in Sofia and the Rilski Monastry in the Rila Mountains south of Sofia.

In 2012 the conference was held in Puidoux/CH on “Liberty of conscience, liberty of religion and the question of conversion”; visiting the World Council of Churches and the Grand mosque in Geneva including a lecture given by Hani Ramadan, Geneva

The next meeting in 2014 will take place in Birmingham/UK on the main topic “Impact of transnational Muslim movements on Christian Muslim relationship in Europe”.

 Further information is available.