Ecumenical School for Dialogue 2023

The War in Ukraine and Rethinking Peacebuilding Approaches
Institute of Ecumenical Studies, Ukrainian Catholic University

Format of participation: Online
Monday July 3 – Tuesday July 11, 2023
Credits: 3 ECTS Credits
Working Language: English
No participation fees thanks to the support of the Diocese of Mainz.

Russia’s full-scale military aggression of Ukraine, which became the largest war on the European continent since the Second World War, was a shock for the entire civilized world. This war has led to humanitarian and social catastrophe, the extermination and maiming of thousands of people, large-scale destruction, and reveals the telltale signs of genocide. At the ESD, we are going to analyze the causes of this war, in particular its religious and ethical aspects. We will look on how the Churches in Ukraine are acting during the war, how civil society has become organized around defending principles of human dignity, freedom, and solidarity.

The current war, which has caused horrible atrocities against civilians, has become an opportunity to reconsider the modern approaches to peacebuilding and their effectiveness. During the school, we will examine the issue of peacebuilding, consider various approaches to it, and at the same time we will emphasize the importance of the context of the conflict. Through the lectures of prominent professors from Ukraine and around the world, we will talk about the fundamental basis for peacebuilding and reconciliatory initiatives. We will carefully examine their implementation in different situations. Social teachings of the Churches could serve as an important indicator for finding the right emphases in our search for common principles and values, that are necessary for the integral development of society.

Registration Deadline: 31 May 2023

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