G2W
The G2W - Ecumenical Forum for Faith, Religion and Society in East and West is an institute based in Zurich and the executive body of the association of the same name. The abbreviation is derived from the former institute name G arbor in the 2 . W orld.
The aim of G2W is to promote the dialogue between East and West and to stand up for socially disadvantaged groups and people in Eastern Europe . The institute provides information through the monthly magazine "Religion & Gesellschaft in Ost und West", supports social projects and advises on issues relating to the coexistence and coexistence of European religious cultures.
history
The Faith in the Second World Institute was founded in 1972 to educate the public about the suppression of churches and religious communities in the communist Eastern Bloc . The first issue of the magazine appeared in January 1973. During the first two decades, the work of G2W was shaped by the Cold War . Europe was separated in two by the Iron Curtain and it was difficult to get a reliable picture of the fate of the churches and religious communities.
At the 2008 annual meeting, the members of the association decided to change the name of the association and the institute. This was necessary because the "second world" no longer existed as an isolated block with a uniform ideology. The developments after the collapse of the Eastern Bloc and, last but not least, the integration of former Eastern Bloc states into the EU have allowed Europe to grow closer together in recent years. That is why the association, institute and magazine renounced the old name, although the G2W logo was retained. The association and institute are now called: "G2W - Ecumenical Forum for Faith, Religion and Society in East and West". The institute's journal has been published since September 2011 under the title "Religion & Society in East and West" (RGOW).