The Ninth Conference for Research in Diakonia and Christian Social Practice

The International Society for the Research and Study of Diakonia and Christian Social Practice (ReDi) and VID Specialized University invite to an international conference on Contested Spaces of Diaconia – Seeking Justice, Safety and Well-Being, for researchers and practitioners that takes place on the VID campus in Oslo.

Arrangementet er avsluttet.

Diakonveien 18 og 16, VID Oslo
31. mai 2023, 12.00 – 2. juni 2023, 13.00 (Legg til i kalender)

The past years have confronted societies all over the world with scenarios and crises in unforeseen dimensions. Crises such as the pandemic, climate change, and the war in Ukraine, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other parts of the world, affect individuals, groups and societal well-being in very different ways. Some spaces are more affected than others, and people who live in more vulnerable places or conditions have disproportionately high risks of disadvantage and discrimination. These divides appear increasingly on local, national and global levels.

Spatial experiences metaphors and theories can help to interpret the current contradictory developments and their translation into Diakonia research. They can disclose ongoing power struggles, in which diaconal actors must partake. Diaconal studies need not only to contribute to more profound knowledge about old and new (spatial) splits in societies, but also strive to understand the ambiguous role of Diakonia in creating or limiting spaces and well-being. This includes a dialogue with theories and methods from other disciplines and experiencing spaces with diaconal glasses.

The conference aims at approaching spatial splits and resources that diaconia has to relate to with theoretical and practical lenses. It is organised as a forum where young and experienced researchers, leaders and practitioners meet. Together, we will discuss concrete and overarching answers to burning questions such as:

In what spaces need diaconia to engage?
How do we imagine “diaconal” spaces?
Where does “diaconia” contribute to justice, safety and well-being and/or where is it part of the problem?
What does diaconia mean from a global perspective?
How can diaconia contribute to global sustainability and fight climate change?
What new theories and methods does diaconia need to employ?
How does Christian diaconia interact with initiatives from other religions and worldviews in response to current social issues?

Keynote speakers will highlight the most pressing questions. Paper sessions and working forums will give the opportunity to discuss and look for answers together. The conference has seven main themes that all easily can be connected with spatial dimensions

The Seven Themes

Justice

What is the relationship between Diakonia and justice? The relationship may be conceptualized as empirical or theological or – as often in practices of social work and social engagement – a mixture. In the conference, we want to inquire about this relationship by asking when and why faith-based actors like Diakonia may be vehicles of justice, and – in other cases – what may hinder such a role.

Working for Peace and Safety, and Fighting Violence

Social, economic, cultural and religious factors contribute to experiences of violence, especially among women and children both within families as the basic unit of every society and in contexts of wars. Millions of people all over the globe experience various forms of violence resulting in traumas and often in new violence. The upsurge of this phenomenon in contemporary times raises issues of safety in gender relations, between minorities and the majority and of people who face exclusion due to ethnicity, background, disability, health, age, faith, political view or sexual identity. Dealing with this challenge is an indispensable role of churches and theology, practitioners and activists in response to those who are in a voiceless and vulnerable position

Well-being

Well-being, as a term, has been profoundly used in medical and political terms in international frameworks like the World Health Organization (WHO). In view of political and social divides today and the changing dynamics in societies, diaconal research needs answers to questions of what and who defines well-being, whose well-being, at whose cost, and whose needs for well-being are prioritized between individuals, groups, societies, countries and continents.

Characteristics, added value and impact of third sector welfare organizations

A range of third-sector organizations, also known as voluntary or non-profit organizations, among them diaconal actors, are part of the welfare mix. In many cases they have a proud history of being pioneers that have identified needs as well as innovating services, prioritizing the involvement of users or patients, cooperating with other actors, facilitating voluntarism and voicing groups in society that are often not heard. These are assumed characteristics that are in need of empirical investigation. Further, such organizations are challenged to articulate their very existence when facing and interacting with public and commercial organizations. Assumedly, third-sector organizations have an added value, however, differences in quality between welfare services provided by various sectors are not easily mapped. This theme starts for a recently established research project at Vid Specialized University.

Theoretical and theological perspectives on space and diaconia

The concept of space has a long tradition when it comes to describing power relations in society and in religion. In light of the spatial turn in the humanities, theology and social and religious studies the dimension of space has also experienced a revival in diaconal studies. An evaluation of the state of the art of spatial approaches in diaconal studies is needed to explore new routes in spatially inspired Diakonia research.

Diaconia and the Future

The chances of limiting climate change shrink with every month, and young people see themselves as bereaved of any prospects. This situation puts Diakonia in the dilemma of not forgetting about long-term challenges for humanity at the same time as it is necessary to answer multiple social needs immediately. Radical activists like in the movement “Extinction Rebellion” or thought experiments of a world without human beings are only two approaches that need to be studied from a diaconal perspective.

Diaconia in the Face of Pandemics

While experts disagree that the Covid 19 pandemic should be declared as ended, the analysis of the effects of covid 19 on various societies has only begun. The conference also acknowledges that other pandemics such as HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria have serious effects on communities around the world. This conference theme offers a platform for discussing Diakonia research on coronavirus and other pandemics from a global perspective.

Call for Abstracts

Submissions to present papers on the conference themes are welcome. The papers should relate to one of the seven main themes as the paper sessions will be organised according to them. In addition, an Open Space session will be offered where other papers can be presented. The deadline for submission of abstracts (max 200 words) is 1 March 2023. The abstract should be sent to redi@vid.no. A response as to whether the papers are accepted is given by 15 March 2023.

Keynote speakers

Keynote speaker 1: Rahul Ranjan

Rahul Ranjan is an interdisciplinary environmental scholar and currently holds an appointment as the Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo (Norway). He works for the project: "Riverine Rights: The Currents and Consequences of Legal Innovations on The Rights of Rivers", funded by the Norwegian Research Council. The project consists of scholars from various disciplines and countries working towards exploring rivers' contours, rights, and legal personhood.

His long-term research and doctoral work on “The Political Life of Memory: Birsa Munda in Contemporary India” will be published by the Cambridge University Press in January 2023. He had also recently edited a volume “At the Crossroads of Rights”, published by Routledge Press, London (2022). Previously, he was awarded his PhD from the School of Advanced Study, University of London. For more information please visit his website.

Keynote speaker 2: Jerry Pillay

Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay holds a Ph.D. in Missiology and New Testament from the University of Cape Town (2002)[4] focused on theology and development.

He served as a minister in two congregations from 1987 to 2008. He served as Moderator of the Uniting Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa from 2004-2006, and became General Secretary of the same Church from 2009 – 2014. He was a member of the National Executive Committee of the South African Council of Churches (SACC, he was elected president of the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) on 24 June 2010 until 2017. He served as a Trustee on the Board of the Council for World Mission (CWM) for many years, an international organisation previously known as the London Missionary Society.

On 17 June 2022, Pillay was elected as general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) and assumed office on 1 January 2023.

Prior to his election, Pillay led the Faculty of Theology and Religion as Dean at the University of Pretoria. Pillay is the author of more than 50 peer-reviewed articles, relating to church history, missiology, or other topics, published mostly between 2015 and 2022. He has supervised many Master's and PhD students to completion.

Keynote speakers 3: Anders Bäckström Prize Lecture

Arlene Henry: Justice, truth be ours

Arlene Henry completed her master’s degree (May 2019) in Diakonia and Christian Social Practice at the VID Specialized University in Oslo, Norway where she, with a thesis on the topic “Combatting Domestic Violence: The (Baptist/Methodist) churches as instruments of empowerment in the Jamaican context”. In her current role as deacon and chief administrator of Ocho Rios Circuit of Baptist churches in Jamaica, she coordinates social ministry activities of four churches and provides counselling (premarital and crises) among other things. She has served for nearly 20 years in church administration, an area that she currently lectures part-time, and has worked closely with various church-related bodies regionally and internationally, as well as civil society representing and serving the wider church on government boards and in the ecumenical church community.

Willemijn Piksen: The other place, a different story. Avoiding the utopic in diaconia by looking through a heterotopic lens

Willemijn Piksen recently graduated as a minister from the Protestant Theological University in Groningen, The Netherlands, and currently works as a pastor in forensic psychiatry in Belgium. Her master thesis, in which she explores the experiences of otherness and strangeness of young refugees in Belgian society, will be awarded the Anders Bäckström Prize 2022 at the conference. Her thesis has received praise for its innovative character, including a documentary collaboratively made with the involved youth.

Response: Beate Hofmann

Beate Hofmann is the bishop of the Protestant Church in Kurhessen-Waldeck in Germany. Before, she has been a professor of Diaconal Studies at the Institute for Diaconic Management in Bielefeld/Bethel at the Protestant University Wuppertal/Bethel.

Conference Format

The conference is planned in a hybrid format. This means that keynote lectures will be streamed and recorded. Also, paper seminars will be available digitally. In addition to the digital approachable elements, the conference will offer attractive onsite modes of working that are formed by spatial diaconal explorations in Oslo in close cooperation with Norwegian and Nordic diaconal actors. This format of integrating spaces in Oslo is an attempt to justify international travelling in times of climate change by using the resources and experiences that the conference site Oslo provides. In addition to the keynote lecturers and the paper sessions, the conference will thus offer practice-oriented working forums at selected locations in Oslo.

Program

Wednesday, 31 May 2023		Room
11.00	Registration and light lunch	Atrium D 14
12.30	Parallel Paper Sessions Three of the six sessions will be accessible digitally.
14.15	Welcome and Opening Rector Prof. Dr Bård Mæland, VID Specialized University Prof. Dr Annette Leis-Peters, VID Specialized University Accessible digitally	D 18 Big Lecture Hall
14.30	Many Facets of Religious Environmentalism: Tracing Pathways from Colonial to Modern India Dr Rahul Ranjan, Post Doctoral Fellow at Oslo Metropolitan University Chair: Prof. Dr Annette Leis-Peters, VID Specialized University Accessible digitally	D 18 Big Lecture Hall
15.45	Coffee	D 18 Outside Big Lecture Hall
16.00	Diaconal Explorations – You can choose one of the three alternatives. Vake. Church Resource Centre Against Sexual Abuse VAKE is a national resource center, which helps all genders and offers training courses for professionals and church employees. Its service is for anyone over the age of 18 who has been the victim of sexual abuse, assault, or violence, and those who are close to them. The staff at VAKE has special expertise concerning abuse in Christian contexts. VAKE offers teaching, provides advice concerning the handling of cases of abuse and assault, and works to better prepare religious communities to meet and accommodate people who have experienced sexual abuse. Extensive preventive work is also carried out both within and together with churches and Christian faith communities. The Center for Interreligious Dialogue The Center for Interreligious Dialogue, Oslo (Kirkelig Dialogsenter Oslo) organises courses on interreligious dialogue for employees and volunteers within congregations, mainly within the Church of Norway and the Diocese of Oslo. It arranges seminars on topics that they want to focus on or challenge the church, such as prejudices and racism. The centre provides also counselling on specific dilemmas, for instance, interreligious marriage or funerals or other specific dilemmas that church employees need advice on. Moreover, it produces resource material, participates in dialogue groups and has contact with representatives of other faith communities. Diakonhjemmet Garden VID Specialized University Oslo is situated on the compound of the diaconal institution Diakonhjemmet, which has been based at and worked and expanded from this area for more than 130 years. Diakonhjemmet is currently in the process of developing its area into a new little diaconal city district, including new buildings and institutions, such as a care home for elderly people, a secondary school and new flats for students. Guiding principles for this forward-looking diaconal space are social and ecological sustainability to answer the needs of different groups in society. The excursion invites us to walk on the compound with the director, and the project developers and architects, who will discuss their plans and thoughts with the group.
18.15	Guided viewing of the Diaconia Exhibition “Give us a Dream that we can believe in” at the City Hall Square
19.15	Dinner in Oslo City
Thursday, 1 June 2023
08.30	Morning Prayer	Chapel
09.00	Called to Transformation. Reflections about the Future of Diaconia and Diaconia Research Reverend Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, Geneva Chair: Dr Jacques Beukes, University of Pretoria Accessible digitally	D 14 Upper and Lower Lecture Hall
10.15	Coffee in the Rooms of the Paper Presentation
10.30	Parallel Paper Sessions Four of the eight sessions will be accessible digitally.	I
12.00	Lunch	D16 Rooms 109/110 S/T and 114/115 M/N
13.00	Diaconal Explorations – You can choose one of the four alternatives. Change House Holmia Forandringshuset (Change House) Holmlia opened on 1 February 2020 and is a local cultural and activity center for and with young people. The goal is to create open and safe meeting places where children and young people can be themselves, live and develop as whole people and enable themselves to change the world. Change House is constantly changing to ensure to meet the needs of children and young people. Its starting point is that all young people need to be confirmed, heard and challenged so that they dare to be themselves and have the courage to stand up for others. Change House Holmlia is run in partnership with Unge Holmlianere (Young people from Holmlia), YMCA-YWCA, Church City Mission, the city district and F Public municipality of Søndre Nordstrand and Fryshuset. Its team consists of young people, volunteers, employees and partners. Church City Mission - Center Tøyen Church The Center Tøyen Church is part of the large diaconal organization, Church City Mission (Kirkens Bymisjon). The Church City Mission works in a number of areas within health care and social work all over Norway. The Church Center Tøyen is a place where people have gathered since 1985 for liturgy, fellowship, and counselling. The church has had a more experimental liturgical profile than what has been traditionally common in Lutheran churches, with an emphasis on candle lighting and Eucharist. Center Tøyen Church has also co-operated with Norway`s only organized group of queer Muslims during Oslo Pride. Since 2013, the support of poor EU migrants in Norway has become one of its main fields of activity. Ulvenhagen Parish Garden Ulvenhagen is a local garden project in the middle of Oslo city that is run by the parish of Østre Aker and Haugerud since 2021. It is a cooperation with the surrounding city districts, the Oslo diocese, the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, and the sustainability initiative Pådriv (driving force). Ulvenhagen is a place where people meet to make and see flowers, vegetables, fruit, and berries grow. It facilitates encounters between the generations, for example by focusing on inviting the local youth to planting and gardening. The Norwegian Center for Holocaust and Minority Studies The Norwegian Center for Holocaust and Minority Studies is a research, education and documentation center in Oslo focusing on the Holocaust, other genocides, extremism, antisemitism, hate speech, and the situation of minorities in contemporary societies. It is located at Villa Grande at Bygdøy, the headquarters of the Nazi regime during the Second World War. During the execution, we will learn about the activities of the centre and see an exhibition about racism. Participants should be prepared for a 5-minute walk form the bus stop to the premises.
From 15.30	Coffee	Outside Upper and Lower Lecture Hall
16.00	Panel discussion on the important developments in diaconia and the study of diaconia globally Panellists Dr Mathews George Chunakara, Payap University/Thailand, General Secretary of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) (digital participation Oksana Prosvirnina, originally from Odessa, sociologist and senior lecturer in Interdiac, where is responsible for the learning programs on peacebuilding for convivial diaconia and on the work with marginalised young people. Reverend Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, General of the World Council of Churches, Geneva/Switzerland Prof. Dr Beate Hofmann, Bishop of the Protestant Church of Hessia-Waldeck, Kassel/Germany Heather Roy, Secretary General, Eurodiaconia, Brussels/Belgia Chair Prof. Dr Johannes Eurich, Director of the Institute for the Study of Christian Social Service at the University of Heidelberg/Germany Accessible digitally	Upper and Lower Lecture Hall
17.00	Refreshments	Outside Upper and Lower Lecture Hall
17.15	Annual General Meeting of the International Society for the Research and Study of Diaconia and Christian Practice Accessible digitally	Upper and Lower Lecture Hall
18.30	End of Academic Program
19.00	Dinner Party and Award Ceremony for the Anders Bäckström Prize.	D 14 Atrium
Friday, 2 June 2023
08.30	Morning Prayer	Chapel
09.00	Anders Bäckström Prize Lectures: Justice, truth be ours Mrs. Arlene Henry, MA, Ocho Rios Circuit, Jamaica The other place, a different story. Avoiding the utopic in diaconia by looking through a heterotopic lens Mrs. Willemijn Piksen, MA, Netherlands/Belgium Response Bishop Prof. Dr Beate Hofmann, Kassel/Germany Chair Dr Benedicte Kivle, VID Specialized University Accessible digitally	Upper and Lower Lecture Hall
10.15	Coffee in the Rooms of the Paper Presentation
10.30	Parallel Paper Sessions Four of the eight sessions will be accessible digitally.
12.00	Closing Remarks and Travel Blessing Prof. Dr Johannes Eurich, ReDi Prof. John Klaasen, University of the Western Cape/South Africa and VID Specialized University PhD Candidate Elorm Stiles Ocran, VID Specialized University Accessible digitally	Upper and Lower Lecture Hall
12.30	Sandwiches and End of Conference	Outside Upper and Lower Lecture Hall
Saturday, 3 June 2023
09.00	Optional excursion to a diaconal institution with a sightseeing and an ornithological promenade	Modum Bad

Paper sessions and contributors

Download the programme for paper sessions and contributors here!

Conference fee and registration

Registration will open on 16 January 2023, and close on 21 April 2023.

You can register for the conference here.

The Conference venue and Oslo

The conference will be held at VID Specialized University in Oslo, the capital of Norway. Oslo is a modern city between the mountains and the fjord. The campus of VID is not far from the city centre and very close to Frogner Park, one of the top trust attractions of Oslo. The conference will not only take place at campus VID but use the whole city as a conference site. On Saturday, a voluntary excursion to the nearby Norwegian countryside will be offered at their own expense for international participants.

For more information regarding the venue and cultural and tourist attractions visit the following websites:

https://www.vid.no/en/campuses/diakonhjemmet-oslo/

https://www.visitoslo.com/en/

Accommodation

Hotels

There is a large variety of hotels available in Oslo. It might be a good idea to book early since May/June is a popular time to visit Oslo. Below, you will find some suggestions for hotels that are either close to the VID campus or are reasonably priced options. The larger hotel chains (Scandic, Thon, Radisson) have more reasonably priced options for five or six metro line stops outside the inner centre of Oslo.

Thon Hotel Gyldene Løve

15 minutes walk to the VID campus. Address: Bogstadveien 20, 0355 Oslo. Room reservation by website Thon hotel Gyldenløve or phone+47 23 33 23 00.

Sta. Katarinahjemmet

15 minutes walk to VID campus. Price: NOK 650 with an additional fee for breakfast. Address: Gjørstadsgate 9, 0367 Oslo. Room reservation by website Sta Katarinahjemmet or phone:+47 23 21 54 10.

P-hotels

Situated in the city centre with one minute's walk to the metro and ten minutes by metro to VID campus. Address: Grensen 19, 0159 Oslo. Room reservation by website P-hotels or phone +47 23 31 80 00.

Comfort Hotel Børsparken

Close to Oslo Central Station (Oslo S). Four minutes to go to the metro, and 15 minutes by metro. Address: Tollbugaten 4, 0152 Oslo. Room reservation website Comfort Hotel Børsparken by phone +47 22 47 17 17

Anker Apartment

Anker Apartment is a hostel located in Københavngata 10, right at the center of the hip city district Grünerløkka. Special rate of accommodation for single rooms if the stay is at least three nights. To order, send an e-mail to aa@anker.oslo.no, book on the website Anker Apartment or call +47 22 99 30 00. Refer to VID.

How do I get to the VID campus

When travelling by

Plane

The nearest airport is Oslo Airport at Gardermoen. To get to the VID campus you can take the airport express or a regional train of the Norwegian train company Vy. To get to the VID Oslo campus you can switch to the metro at Nationaltheatret station or at Oslo S (Oslo Central) station.

Train

If you come by train, you can switch to the metro at Nationaltheatret station or at Oslo S (Oslo Central) station.

Long Distance Bus

You will arrive at the Oslo bus terminal if you come to Oslo by long-distance bus. Oslo bus terminal is directly connected to Oslo S (Oslo Central) station. There, you can switch to the metro.

Metro (T-bane)

Metro line 2 or 3 to Borgen station (direction West), or line 1 to Frøen station, alternatively Steinerud station (direction West). Only Borgen station has stair-free access. Read more about routes and tickets at Ruter.

Local Bus

The nearest bus stop is Volvat in Sørkedalsveien, and Frøensalléen in Slemdalsveien. Read more about routes and tickets at Ruter.

Car

By car, you can drive into Diakonveien from the roundabout in Sørkedalsveien. Parking is available at the designated places in Diakonveien and Reidar Kobros vei. Maximum coin deposit gives eight hours of parking time. There is a high parking violation ticket for breach.

City bike

There is a bicycle rack close by. Read more about pricing and access at Oslo City Bike.

Contact

To share ideas and make suggestions: Please contact the ReDi chairperson, Johannes Eurich, chairperson@diaconiaresearch.org or the conference secretary Elorm Stiles-Ocran, redi@vid.no.