Sixth Ecumenical Social Week on Difference and Respect Begins in Lviv
The sixth Ecumenical Social Week (ESW) on “Differences and Respect” began today in Lviv. The day before the Lviv City Council held a press conference on the occasion of the opening. The co-organizers of ESW spoke about the purpose of the event, the particularities of holding it, and its prospects and benefits.
According to the coordinator of the Ecumenical Social Week, Maria Kandyba, the forum seeks to bring together representatives from different sectors of society to discuss and find solutions to pressing issues of our time. “The theme for the forum was not chosen by chance, because during the fifth Ecumenical Social Week we propose to continue the interfaith dialogue on social development to overcome stereotypes and build a strong civil society,” continues Maria Kandyba.
“In Ukraine we have lots of prejudice against religions, status in society, beliefs, and preferences. Therefore, a subject that concerns the differences and respect is very important for our society. There is a pragmatic need to join forces and seek opportunities for cooperation communication. I draw your attention to the issues related to communication between the representatives of the church and the government. I think that it will be a special week in Lviv,” said the deputy mayor of Humanitarian Affairs Vasyl Kosiv.
The head of the Department of Social and Cultural Activities of the of Humanitarian Policy and External Affairs of the Lviv regional council, Andriy Khalyavka, said that without a sense of differences and respect for otherness humanity cannot be authentic. Professor of sociology and social work at the Lviv Polytechnic Nina Hayduk said that at the Ecumenical Social Week there is always an emphasis on values: Christian, human and democratic. “We have an opportunity to examine interfaith dialogue, socio-economic development, international cooperation – with a focus on values. This forum can combine the efforts of those who care about the issues of Ukrainian society. There is a synergetic effect that the ESW reaches,” she added.
President of the Association of Philanthropists Ukraine Oleksandr Maksymchuk noted that we have learned to notice differences, but we do not always have respect. He wished the organizers a successful Ecumenical Social Week.
The sixth Ecumenical Social Week (ESW) will take place from October 1 to 5. The theme of ESW is “Difference and Respect.” The forum’s program will include the following: the forum’s opening ceremony, the exhibition “The People of the Book,” roundtable “Interfaith Dialogue: Between Finding Unity and Protecting Property,” roundtable “From Confrontation to Complementarity: Ukrainian Context, European Experience,” presentation of the book “Ukrainian-Austrian Meetings,” presentation of the book by Antoine Arjakovsky “Waiting for a Pan-Orthodox Council,” panel discussion “Social Consequences of Female Migration.” There will be an awards ceremony for the winners of the third Ukrainian national competition “Reporters of Hope in Ukraine.”
