The European Network Church on the Move / Réseau Européen Eglises et Libertés EN-RE held its annual conference for 2024 in the Centre St Thomas in Strasbourg from 10-12 May.
Delegates from six Council of Europe member States were present.
The Agenda and the Financial information had been sent to the delegates by email.
1. Country Reports:
Austria (Observer Status) (en) KIRCHENREFORM OSTERREICH
Belgium: (fr-en) (Discussed during the meeting)
France: (fr) FHEDLES-PARVIS 2024
France: Comité de la Jupe: (fr) Bilan 2023 pôle actions militantes / Rapport moral jupe AG_2023
Germany: Wir sind Kirche (Discussed during the meeting)
Italy: Noi Siamo Chiesa (Discussed during the meeting)
Netherlands: Marienburg Vereniging (Discussed during the meeting)
Portugal: Nós Somos Igreja (pending)
Spain: (en-fr-es) Redes Cristianas 2024
2. Reports by EN-RE delegates in CINGO:
Fernand Jehl: Excellent participation in the Committee The Rights of Persons who are migrants. Sylvie Kempgens's French language Groupe d'appui's activities were commented and Sylvie congratulated.
Henk Baars: Reports on the CINGO Autumn 2023 and Spring 2024 sessions in 8 languages: English, Dutch, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish on our extended Home Page and classified under different Council of Europe 3 language headings: Council of Europe, Conseil de l’Europe and Consejo de Europa
Hugo Castelli: Participation in Committees: Interreligious and Interconvictional Dialogue and NGOs as Advocates for Gender Equality and Women's Rights. Translation into Spanish of the "Rapport provisoire" of February 2014 of the Human Rights Committee working group "Human Rights and Religions": INFORME PROVISIONAL
3. 4 YEAR REPORT: Presented by Hugo Castelli on May 14 2024. Acknowledgment received and photograhed by screen shot
DECISIONS:
4. New Officials elected: Henk BAARS, President & Delegate to the Council of Europe, Hugo CASTELLI, Secretary General. Local representative, former Secretary General: F. JEHL. Treasurer and delegate for official documentation for host State: France: Jean-Pierre SCHMITZ. Email addresses of H. BAARS, F. JEHL and H. CASTELLI retained on revised CoE database. Member States represented reduced to Nine.
5. The accounts were approved and the rate for annual subscribtions for Member Groups is maintained at €200 per member State.
6. A Steering Committee composed of 8 persons representing their member groups was created to coordinate the activities of EN-RE's network.
7, EN-RE's certification in the European Parliament's Transparency Certificate was transferred to the responsibility of Henk BAARS and Hugo CASTELLI.
8. EN-RE thanked Raquel MALLAVIBARRENA for her many years work as General Coordinator of EN-RE and offfered her gift. She asked for a book which she has since received.
9. A decision was taken to upgrade EN-RE's website to Joomla 4 and 5 and change our group email addresses.
10. There was a discussion about EN-RE issuing a Statement criticising Israel for genocide in Gaza and the Occupied Territories. An alternative statement was suggested: "EN-RE criticises Israel for the flagrant violation of the human rights of the civilian Palestinian children, women and men in Gaza and in the Occupied Territories."
11. A decision was taken to hold our next General Meeting in Strasbourg from Friday May 30 to Sunday June 1 at the Centre Saint Thomas. Zoom connections will be available for those delegates unable to attend presentially.