European Christian Environmental Network
The European Christian Environmental Network ( European Christian Environmental Network , ECEN) is an ecumenical coalition of faith-based organizations to strengthen the church's environmental practices in Europe and the creation of a "sustainable Europe".
Founding mandate of the European Ecumenical Assembly, Graz 1997
The network was founded in 1998 on the recommendation of the Second European Ecumenical Assembly in Graz (1997). The congregation had recommended that "a network of church environmental officers be established". Several meetings subsequently took place to discuss the implementation of the proposal in detail. At the invitation of the Conference of European Churches , 60 delegates from 24 countries came together in the Orthodox Academy of Vilémov (Czech Republic) and decided on October 25, 1998 to found a "European Christian Environmental Network".
Parallel to ECEN, a network of environmental officers of the Council of European Bishops' Conferences (CCEE) was set up. Both organizations hold regular network meetings and consultations.
aims
The aim of the network is to work for sustainable development on all levels - the community, the region, the country and Europe. This includes not only the ecological, but also the social, spiritual, political and economic dimensions of life. In detail, the following goals are sought:
- Promotion and support of the members in the development of practical actions in order to fulfill the ecological responsibility of the churches with Christian conviction
- Supporting the churches in their theological reflection on the “gift” of God's creation and specific environmental issues
- Gathering information and expertise
- Strengthening the ecological awareness and commitment of the European churches
- Analyze the social and political impact of environmental issues and encourage joint activities to address them
- Recognizing environmental problems that arise at European level in order to suggest ways for the churches to deal with them
- Promotion of the dialogue on environmental issues between the European regions (east and west, north and south)
- Promote dialogue on environmental issues between Europe and the rest of the world
- Stimulation of specialist forms of cooperation with non-governmental organizations and the European organizations and institutions.
practice
At the practical level, a church environmental management project is currently being carried out ecumenically and a joint " day of creation " (time of creation ) is being celebrated. The "Day of Creation" goes back to an initiative of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and is celebrated on September 1st every year .
Ecumenical consultations on sustainable development
Joint consultations, which have not taken place after Graz to this day, are of central importance for ecumenism. Which includes:
Crete Consultation 1995
After the first Ecumenical Assembly in Basel there was a joint project group (from CCEE and KEK) which carried out a consultation on "Environment and Development - A Challenge to Our Lifestyles" in the Orthodox Academy Crete (1995).
Eichstätt consultation 1996
The preparation of the Second European Ecumenical Assembly for the Environment Area took place in the consultation on "Christianity and Sustainable Europe - The New Practice of Ecological Responsibility" with over 100 participants, including the Holy See, CCEE, KEK and EKD from 22 countries in Eichstätt ( Franz Assisi Academy for the Protection of the Earth and the Catholic University of Eichstätt). In Eichstätt, Lukas Vischer proposed the initiative to found a European environmental network and the content of the network was agreed in advance.
Second European Ecumenical Assembly 1997
At the Second European Ecumenical Assembly in 1997 there were two environmental working groups, a large dialogue forum on the environmental sector (CCEE and KEK) and a wealth of individual events with several hundred visitors. A recommendation for a joint environmental network between CCEE and KEK was not approved, so that from 1997 onwards, cooperation at the ecumenical level took place only partially. Another recommendation concerned church cooperation and support for the local Agenda 21, as well as regional and national sustainability strategies.