All-Ukraine Conference on Cooperation of Church Organizations and the Network of AIDS/HIV Positive People Held

KYIV —  On December 8-9, 2009, an All-Ukraine conference on problems of cooperation of church organizations working with AIDS/HIV infected people and the Network of AIDS/HIV Positive People was held. According to the web site of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate, the conference was organized by the joint efforts of the Synodal Department for Charity and Social Ministry of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), VBF Faith, Hope and Love, charitable organization Network of AIDS/HIV Positive People, and Norwegian Church Assistance.  Taking part in the conference were more than 80 delegates from all the regions of Ukraine, representatives of church and religious organizations, and the Network of AIDS/HIV Positive People.

The UOC delegation was headed by Archdeacon Serhii Kosovskyi, the chairman of the Synodal Department of the UOC for Charity and Social Ministry. In his report Archdeacon Serhii noted the effective activity of the UOC clergy, their structured approach, the wide educational activity led by the department, and the openness for inter-church cooperation in the field of social work and charity. Much attention was focused on the information on the palliative assistance concept elaborated by the Charity Department, which reflected the basic principles of cooperation of the state bodies and church organizations in the field of the palliative hospice assistance.  

The conference delegates noted the great positive effect of raising many controversial issues emerging in the course of carrying out of the joint projects.