Taking Steps Towards an Ecologically Responsible Society
TAKING STEPS TOWARDS AN
ECOLOGICALLY RESPONSIBLE SOCIETY
Political and theological perspectives on Ecological Justice
3rd - 10th of July 2011,
Kiev, Ukraine
PLEASE READ THE COMPLETE INFORMATION CAREFULLY!
Dear Friends,
Greetings on behalf of the Ecumenical Youth Council in Europe (EYCE)!
We would like to invite you to nominate candidates for the upcoming training course "Taking Steps Towards an Ecologically Responsible Society. Political and theological perspectives on Ecological Justice" to be held in Kiev, Ukraine from 3rd – 10th of July 2011.
1. INTRODUCTION
Often institutions, both religious and secular, as well as the individuals dismiss the urgency of responsibility – leaving it for “later” or for “others”. In Christianity, responsibility, protection and care towards the creation is required from the believers, therefore an active role of churches in promoting ecological justice needs to be explored. Furthermore, promoting and enhancing ecological justice in all its aspects is the responsibility of each individual. This especially concerns young people, who are the ones that shape the global future already today.
This training course will be the first thematic event of EYCE’S Campaign to Promote Ecological Justice and will focus on its political and theological aspects. With this training course EYCE seeks to increase the understanding of global ecological justice issues and enhance ecological responsibility among various actors in society through active contribution of young people.
This training course will offer the participants the following:
- good factual knowledge on ecological situations, both on the European and global levels;
- analysis of the causes and consequences of various cases of ecological injustice;
- discussion on the links between contemporary social challenges, e.g. poverty, social exclusion, injustice, and lack of education, and the ecological injustice and environmental crisis;
- overview of the EU policies on climate change;
- analysis of international negotiations and issues at stake for the upcoming summit to decide on the Kyoto Protocol’s successor;
- insight into the theological and ethical aspects of ecological justice;
- reflection on denominational and cultural impact on understanding the ecological justice issues;
- tools for addressing the issues of ecological justice: social marketing, advocacy, green technologies and overview of stakeholders and initiatives;
- space for exchange of experiences and good practices;
- practical tips on low-consumption lifestyle;
- Opportunity to meet with young people from different countries and denominations, to share experiences and develop new friendships!
Profile of participants:
This training course is aimed at young people (aged 18-30) who are open minded and interested in the Ecumenical movement and its principles. The participants should have the potential to act as multipliers in their respective home countries to enhance active civil participation and promote environmentally responsible ways of life in their communities. Selection criteria will include gender, denominational, and regional balance.
Arrivals and Departures:
Sunday 3rd July is the day of arrival
AND
Saturday 10th July is the day of departure.
As the training course will be held in Kiev, Ukraine participants are expected to come to Kiev Main train station, Kiev Borispol Airport or Kiev Zhulyany Airport. More detailed travel instructions will be available to the participants selected.
Please make sure to arrive/depart on these dates as the possibilities of arranging accommodation in case of early arrival and late departure will be extremely limited. We cannot arrange extra night’s accommodation unless this is absolutely necessary for reasons of travelling schedule and approved in advance by EYCE.
If needed for university or workplace, participants can be provided with a letter confirming the participation in the training course.
2. THEMES AND METHODS
The training course will be based on the non-formal learning methods. The activities will be aimed at combining theoretical input with practical experiences and training elements, as well as active contribution by the participants.
Through an interactive quiz and discussions the participants will learn about various aspects of ecological justice. Discussions in plenary and smaller groups will reveal how the aspects of ecological justice are influenced by culture and related to values.
The lectures of the guest speakers will give the participants an overview on international negotiations and issues at stake for the upcoming summit to decide on the Kyoto Protocol’s successor, as well as the theological perspective on the ecological justice issues. The simulation of international environmental negotiations will be organised to provide experience of the dynamics and structure of the Conferences of the Parties (COP).
The “Challenge your lifestyle!” day will offer the possibility to reflect on the phenomenon of consumerism and day-to-day habits of participants and to experience a day of low resource consumption.
A significant element of the training course will be intercultural learning, which can be experienced not only through personal encounters, but also during the International Banquet and a Cultural Night, where the participants will be invited to share their cultural heritage and traditions.
3. TIMETABLE
A preliminary timetable is attached to this invitation.
4. MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL PLANNING COMMITTEE (IPC)
The following persons are in the International Planning Committee of the training course:
Alina Marinescu (Romania)
Kristīne Jansone (EYCE Office, Latvia)
Mairon Giovani Bastos Lima (Netherlands/ Brazil)
Philipp Ruess (Germany)
Vera Kockler (EYCE Office, Belgium)
5. PARTICIPATION FEE
The participation fee for the training course will be 200 € (Euros) including accommodation, meals and programme. Please note that this amount can only be offered because of the subsidies received from the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe. Full board and lodging will be provided. More practical information will be communicated to the participants selected.
Please note that the payment of a cancellation fee of 200 € (Euros) is expected from participants who cancel their participation in the event less than 2 weeks prior to commencement of the activity.
The EYCE reimbursement policy applies also to the participation fee!
6. TRAVEL SUBSIDIES
The travel expenses of the participants will be reimbursed according to the EYCE reimbursement policies stated below. All the travel documents and proofs of payment (tickets, boarding passes, invoices etc.) should be preserved in order to receive the reimbursement.
EYCE reimbursement policy:
The standard EYCE policy concerning entitlements for travel subsidies apply for this event for ALL participants. They are as follows:
Band One: 90% subsidy entitlement for the following countries: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, and Slovak Republic.
Band Two: 50% subsidy entitlement for the following countries: Belgium, Iceland, Italy, Northern Ireland/ Eire, Malta, Portugal and Spain.
Band Three: Other countries
You might come from a country not mentioned above. If you come from a country not mentioned but require assistance with travel, then this should be noted in the Application Form, and the EYCE Office should be contacted regarding the request (general.secretary @eyce.org).
Least costly route:
The policy of EYCE provides the reimbursement on the basis of the least costly route to the venue of training course. The travel costs need to be approved in writing by EYCE Office.
Ecological manner of travel:
Taken that the theme of the training course is ecological justice, the selected participants will be encouraged to arrange their travels in ecological manner and to travel to Kiev by train, bus or car sharing. The necessary assistance in arranging these travels will be provided.
Participation:
The participants should be present for the whole training course. Those who participate for less than 90% of the total duration of the activity will not be reimbursed.
Please ensure bookings are made at the best fare, but do not buy any tickets prior to confirmation of your participation, agreement with EYCE Office and visa acknowledgement (if applicable).
!!!Expenses will be calculated and reimbursed in Euro!!!
Please note that health insurance is NOT arranged by EYCE. We advice participants to make sure that you have a European health insurance card or similar before travelling.
7. VISAS
Some of the participants may need a visa to enter Ukraine. Please check immediately with the Ukrainianembassy or consulate in your country whether you need a visa to enter the country. Please note that participants needing a visa have to apply for the training course as soon as possible in order to avoid any troubles in getting a visa. An official “Letter of invitation” needed for obtaining the visa will be issued and sent to the selected participants as soon as possible. It is the responsibility of the participant to contact the embassy and follow the procedures.
Please do not go ahead applying for a visa prior to receiving the letter of acceptance to the training course. The selected participants will be instructed carefully whom to address in order to obtain documents needed.
Please be very careful and ask the Embassy exact details of the documents needed. Some of you might not need a visa, but a proof that you will be insured and taken care of during your stay in Ukraine. In any case please let us know as soon as possible, so we can ensure that all participants get the documents on time. More detailed information will be given in the letter of acceptance.
The cost of the visa is included in the travel costs and reimbursed upon presentation of a receipt. Agency fee or visa service fee is not reimbursed. If the participant has to travel to get the visa, the cost of the travel is not automatically reimbursed. The participant should contact the EYCE office and check if the reimbursement of the travel for the visa is possible.
10. LANGUAGES
The language of the training course will be English. It will be essential for all the participants to understand and speak English in order to take full advantage out of the training course.
11. APPLYING/ SELECTION CRITERIA
The application form is enclosed at the end of this document. You can also request the application form from EYCE office.
Please send your application form to or by fax +32 2 510 61 72 as soon as possible. The absolutely latest deadline for receiving applications will be
22nd of MAY 2011
We kindly ask that the enclosed application is filled in using computer or clear handwriting. Sending incomplete forms, filling them in unreadable handwriting or sending them too late might mean that applications are not processed. If you fear that the application will not reach us in time, please contact the EYCE office to notify.
Up to 30 participants will be selected by the IPC to attend the event on the basis of the quality of their application. This selection will try to ensure a geographical, denominational, and gender balance.
The deadline for applications is less than six weeks prior to the event. This is the minimum time needed to guarantee a smooth visa application process and reasonably priced tickets. Therefore, we are forced to select participants immediately after the deadline. Right after selecting participants, those selected will receive more detailed information about the programme of the training course. Also note that participants are only accepted if they have received a written confirmation by e-mail. Please keep in mind that selected participants will have to agree on travel costs after having received the letter of acceptance. Therefore they are kindly requested to ensure email access between the 30th of May and the 5th of June.
12. SHARING INFORMATION
Please share this information in your networks, and especially with the persons you will nominate to the event. The selected participants will receive more detailed information after the selection and documents to prepare themselves for the training course.
The event will be a unique place, where we will have intercultural and Ecumenical experience. The entire International Planning Committee is looking forward to experiencing this event together with many committed participants!
TAKING STEPS TOWARDS AN
ECOLOGICALLY RESPONSIBLE SOCIETY
Political and theological perspectives on Ecological Justice
3rd - 10th of July 2011,
Kiev, Ukraine
APPLICATION FORM
Please return this application form by 22nd of MAY 2011
1. APPLICANT’S PERSONAL DATA
Surname(s) (as in passport):
First name(s) (as in passport):
Street address:
Postal code:
Town:
Country:
Please provide at least one telephone number or one e-mail address where you can be reached for quick communication.
Telephone:
E-mail:
Gender (M/F):
Date of birth(day/month/year):
Place of Birth:
Profession or Occupation (if student, which field):
Denomination:
Sending organisation, if any (full name):
Contact person in organisation (full name):
E-mail of the contact person:
Endorsement of the sending organisation (Why do you nominate this participant?):
Signature of the contact person:
2. PASSPORT AND VISA
Please indicate if you need visa for Ukraine (Y/N):
If yes, please, indicate the name, address and fax number of the Embassy to which you will submit the needed documents and fill in the passport details below:
Nationality(country issuing your passport):
Passport number:
Date and place of issue:
Passport valid until:
3. LANGUAGES and special needs
The working language of the training course will be English, please indicate the spoken and understood level of your English knowledge (1=poor ... 5= very good):
Do you speak other languages? Which?:
Do you have any meal requirements, please specify (i.e. vegetarian, vegan, allergies, other)? (Y/N):
Do you have any medical conditions you would want us to know about, in order to make your stay safer? If yes, please, specify (e.g. diabetes, epilepsy, asthma or other we should know about):
4. MOTIVATION (please use as much space as you need)
1. How will you benefit from this training course?
2. What can you contribute to the success of the training course?
3. Please explain: Why are ecological issues also a matter of justice?
Date and Place:
Signature of the Applicant:
Please return this application form by 22nd of MAY 2011 to
Or by fax +32 2 510 61 72
Should you have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact us!
We hope to see you in Kiev!