International Conference to Discuss Forgiveness, Peace & Reconciliation

Christian scholars from across Europe and the US will discuss peace, justice and security and how they relate to religion, spirituality and healing at an international ecumenical conference.

The conference on "Forgiveness, peace and reconciliation" will be held 17 to 20 May 2007 in Volos, Greece.

The current situations in Cyprus, Serbia, Russia, Ireland and the Middle East will be among the case studies considered in a conference section on "Orthodoxy in situations of conflict".

A broad spectrum of distinguished theologians, scholars and academics, ecumenists, members of peace and reconciliation fellowships from the Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican and Protestant traditions will participate in the conference.

In their presentations, speakers will be looking at various aspects of the peace and reconciliation theme. After opening lectures on 'The call to overcome violence', they will explore such topics as the inter-relationships between peace, justice and security; war in the name of religion; spiritual resources for a culture of peace; identity and "otherness"; and healing of memories.

Panel speakers from Cyprus, Serbia, Russia and the Middle East will discuss "Orthodoxy in situations of conflict" while members of the Orthodox Peace Fellowship, the St Egidio Community in Rome, the Inter-religious Dialogue Centre in Serbia and the Centre for Contemporary Christianity in Ireland will participate in a concluding round table on "Christian churches contributing to a culture of peace".

The Church of Greece hosts the conference as its contribution to the WCC's Decade to Overcome Violence, whose focus this year is on Europe.

The conference has been jointly sponsored by the Volos Academy for Theological Studies, the Boston Theological Institute - an ecumenical consortium of Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant theological schools, seminaries, and university divinity schools - and the WCC.