Diaconia Consultation
Global Consultation on Diakonia Held in EthiopiaSr. Editha Sylvester, a social worker working for Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, Karagwe Diocese together with Anne Juel Jensen, a missionary from Denmark attended Global Consultation on Diakonia conducted in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 13-17October 2008. The consultation started with a two days field visit from the 11th-12th of October.
Anne is going to work for ELCT Karagwe for three years 2008-2011. Denmark through Danmission has been a long term supporter of Diakonia Department of the ELCT Karagwe Diocese. As a sign of working together Danmission has been sending co-workers to work in Diakonia Department.
The host of the consultation was Mekane Jesus Evangelical Church. Other participants who made a total of 65 were from other parts of Africa, Asia, Europe and USA.
The aim of the consultation was:
- To elaborate a comprehensive and sustained understanding of diakonia as faith based on action of the church reflecting both a self-understanding of LWF as Lutheran Communion and the diaconal challenges in today globalised world.
- To strengthen the basis for diaconal praxis in the member of churches recognizing own resources and specific role as actor in civil society.
- To obtain a shared understanding of diaconal challenges and to point at possibility of joint action within the Lutheran Communion
- To provide material for the planned LWF Handbook on Diakonia.