The 17th International Seminar for Intercultural Pastoral Care and Counselling
took place September 5- 10, 2004, in Kecskemet, Hungary
YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE EXPERIENCE OF VIOLENCE
Implications for Pastoral Care and Counselling
the program (as given before)
below we reprint the announcement of the seminar
Kecskemet is located in the so called Great Plains about 85 km southeast of
the Hungarian capital Budapest. The place received the rights of a city already
in the 14th century. During the Turkish occupation of the country Kecskemét
was never destroyed, since the Sultan was protecting her.
Now the city has about 100.000 inhabitants. A beautiful market place with impressive
historical buildings, the gardens with apricots and wine in the surroundings
and the vast fields of the puszta are famous and attract many visitors. see
City-map etc.
The DECADE TO OVERCOME VIOLENCE calls churches, ecumenical organizations and
all people of good will to work together at all levels (local, regional, global)
with communities, secular movements, people of all living faiths for peace,
justice and reconciliation.
" It calls us to empower those oppressed by violence, and to act in solidarity
with those struggling for justice, peace and the integrity of creation. It calls
us to repent for our complicity in violence, and to engage in theological reflection
to overcome the spirit, logic and practice of violence.
As an initiative of the World Council of Churches, the Decade is a global movement.
It attempts to strengthen existing peace networks as well as inspire the creation
of new ones. Anyone interested in peacebuilding and non-violence, irrespective
of religious, denominational, or regional affiliation, can participate, and
find partnership with others who have responded to the call."
(quoted from the respective homepage)
SIPCC will deal with the decade`s topic of OVERCOMING VIOLENCE by way of consultations
and this seminar. We will ask ourselves how pastoral care and counselling can
help to
ˇ unveil violence and to address it
ˇ to reduce violence and to foster human dignity
ˇ to enhance the quality of human relations, especially between victims and
perpetrators.
In this seminar we will focus on how violence limits the future chances of
our youth and young adults. We will reflect on the attitudes, means and models
that might be useful in encountering structural and individual experiences of
violence.
We plan on inviting young adults from various continents who are active in relevant
projects and organisations. We would like to hear their voices and opinions
as advocates for the youth. We hope that meeting them will encourage the exchange
between adults and young people in our various personal and professional surroundings
back home.
Furthermore, the young people will be given the opportunity before
and after the seminar to get to know important areas of young people's lives
in Germany, such as work, employment, schools and leisure time.
Spirituality -
through morning devotions and worship services
Intercultural Forum -
models of care will be presented. A discussion will be encouraged of how different
countries work with young people to overcome violence.
Reflection Groups -
participants are invited to reflect in small groups how to put emerging
ideas and results into action in their personal and professional lifes.
Lectures and Discussions
I. What are the circumstances in our society that encourage violence in young people? What can the government do?
A response by a Hungarian sociologistII. Where and when do young people encounter violence in their emotional and physical development? What kind of learning does it take for them to master violence?
A response by a pastoral psychologist from USAIII. How do various religions explain the origin of violence, and which possibilities do they see to resist it?
A response by a Jew, a Muslim and a ChristianIV. What is our pastoral responsibility, when young people encounter violence?
A response by a theologian/pastoral care giver
Workshops -
in various sessions set groups will work on how
- to understand better the world of young people and to become
more sensitive for them;
- to listen to their questions and to value their ideas
- to consider new forms of care and counselling with young
people.
Each workshop will start with materials from different areas of work with young
people
like trainigs with youth to overcome violence / music video clips of youth channels
/ textes of young psychiatric patients / dealing with the affliction of HIV-Aids
in various respects / etc.
Excursions -
meeting and talking with young people in the city of Kecskemét.
Public Event-
Vernissage - opening ceremony of an exhibition "Paintings dealing with
violence", created by Kecskemet Youth
introduction and comments by artists; music by a band
SIPCC - General Assembly Meeting 2004
- reports about last year's work, elections, future plans.
Festivities
- a party will be thrown for the Hungarian graduates of the first supervisory
training course in Clinical Pastoral Education
Evaluation
- the seminar will be evaluated by young people. Young people from various coun-tries
who participated in the seminar will reflect on it critically and will offer
their reflections and inputs. (see the pre-Kecskemet
programme here)
Sightseeing
- after the seminar ends on September 10th, you are invited to participate in
an excursion to the Hungarian Puszta.
( The price for this trip will be charged extra ! )