Online Seminar Southern Africa/ Germany

A warm welcome to our online seminar "Reconciliation (im)possible?"

Without a comprehensive reconciliation process, there can be no "just peace".  But what is the current political and social relevance of the concept of reconciliation in Southern Africa, in Botswana and in Germany?  How do the churches bring their biblical message of reconciliation into the public debate?
We would like to discuss these questions with you and thus have invited competent speakers from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Germany.
We want to encourage and strengthen each other to counter the logic of war and violence with effective steps towards peace and reconciliation. We can best do this by learning from and being inspired by each other internationally.
We hope that many partnerships will take the opportunity to participate in this peace seminar together.

Cordial invitation! The seminar will take place online as a Zoom event. It will be held in English.

Friday, 24.01.2025 (CET)

17:00 Opening Zoom

17:30 Introduction to the topic

18:00 What does reconciliation mean in our political context? Part 1

South Africa: Rev. Derrick Marco (Historian and Moderator)

Namibia: Mr. Uhuru Dempers (Project manager, ELCRN)

18:30 Break out groups

19:15 Break

19:30 What does reconciliation mean in our political context? Part 2

Germany: Ralf Becker (Coordinator of the initiative "Rethinking security")

Botswana: Anne Matthys (Exchange pastor, ELM, Hermannsburg)

21:00 Evening blessing, Helmut Müller

21:15 Open evening in Zoom

Saturday, 25.01.2025

9:00  Morning prayer (Yoram Karusya)

9:15 Reconciliation as a task of the church, Part 1

Namibia: Prof. Paul Isaak (Former director of the Paulinum, ELCRN)

Germany: Dietmar Arends (Moderator of the Church of Lippe)

10:15 Break

10:30 Reconciliation as a task of the church, Part 2

Botswana: Bishop Mathus Jairos Letlhage (Bishop of the ELCB)

South Africa: Dr Demaine Salomons (Theologian, University of Western Cap, South Africa)

11:15 Break

11:30 Group Work

12:15 Final round/conclusion of the seminar

12:45 Break

13:00 Country groups (Namibia, Botswana, South Africa)

REGISTRATION

Please register here

Registration deadline: 10.01.2025

The seminar is free of charge. Donations are appreciated (find more information on our website): https://www.vemission.org/en/donation/donate

Preparation team

Chair: Helmut Müller, Regional Service of the UEM
Frauke Bürgers, Partnership Officer UEM
Yoram Karusya, Regional Service of the UEM
Lorenst Kuzatjike, Partnership Officer ELCRN
Tommy Solomons, Moderator of the Rhenish Church in South Africa

This is a UEM event.

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