The 8th Conference for Research in Diaconia and Christian Social Practice (ReDi)
The 8th Conference for Research in Diaconia and Christian Social Practice (ReDi)
"Diaconia as Gamechanger? Leadership of Service in Times of Crisis, Complexity and Transformation"
"Diaconia as Gamechanger? Leadership of Service in Times of Crisis, Complexity and Transformation"
The theme of the conference
The development of society on both global and local level is increasingly described in terms of crisis. First and foremost, climate change is becoming more and more perceptible and posing new problems and challenges for humanity, to stakeholders and all those who bear responsibility. Neoliberal globalisation and economic policies have somehow contributed to increasing social inequalities and injustice, and a growth in unemployment and in precarity of income from employment. Furthermore, demographic developments and forced migration undermine solidarity and lead to tension between generations. The extent and speed of the changes has created fears that materialise socially and politically as radicalisation and right-wing popularism.
The agents of Diaconia observe these developments and the practice of Diaconia is itself part of them. How do diaconal organisations and churches meet these challenges? Do they contribute to finding new answers or are they afraid of losing what they are used to have? What does diaconal leadership look like in times of crises and change? How can diaconal leadership be re-imagined based on faith, hope and love? How can research contribute to innovate diaconal practices? How can learning from each other across the continents be stimulated in order for diaconal agents to become vital gamechangers? How can prophetic Diaconia contribute in advocacy efforts in order to prevent urgent needs in today’s world?
The International Society for the Research and Study of Diaconia and Christian Social Practice.
Hosts
Keynote Lecturers
- Prof. Dr. Bosela Eale
Prof. Dr. Bosela Eale is Democratic Republic of Congo citizen. He is at the moment serving as Director for the Theology, Interfaith Relations and Ecclesial Leadership Development department at the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) in Nairobi, Kenya. He is the former Director for Peace, Diakonia and Development at AACC and the former Vice Chancellor of International Leadership University Burundi. Professor Eale is also member of African Union Interfaith Dialog Forum and Professor of Ethics and Citizenship Education at the Pedagogical Institute of Gombe University College in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Professor Eale will give a lecture about the topic “The Challenges of Diaconia as Game changer: An African Perspective”
Prof. Dr. Bosela Eale - Dr. Theresa Chong Carino
Dr. Theresa Chong Carino is Senior Advisor and Research Consultant of the Amity Foundation. She has lived and worked in Singapore, Manila, Hong Kong and Nanjing. She taught China Studies and Political Science at De La Salle University in the Philippines and has established research and development exchange programs with China since the 1990s. After her stint as director of Amity Foundation Hong Kong, she has researched and written on the role of faith-based organizations in sustainable development in China. She is currently a member of the Community of Practice on Religion and Development of the ACT Alliance.
Dr. Carino will give a lecture about the topic
“The Challenges of Diaconia as Game changer: An Asian Perspective”
Program
Resources from the Conference
- Resources from the Conference
- View welcome video here: view video here
- View Professor Bosela Eales lecture: view video here
- View Dr. Theresa Chang Carions lecture here: view video here
International Advisory Committee
- Senior Lecturer Dr. Jacques Beukes
Dr Jacques Beukes is a Senior Lecturer in Practical Theology at the University of Pretoria. He specialises and published various articles, book chapters and a book in the field of Youth and Children Ministry, Theology and Development, Community Development and Diakonia studies. He previously lectured at Hugenote College. He is also an ordained reverend in the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern.Dr Jacques Beukes is a Senior Lecturer in Practical Theology at the University of Pretoria. He specialises and published various articles, book chapters and a book in the field of Youth and Children Ministry, Theology and Development, Community Development and Diakonia studies. He previously lectured at Hugenote College. He is also an ordained reverend in the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern.
Dr. Jacques Beukes
- Associate Professor Nadine Bowers Du Toit
Nadine Bowers Du Toit is an Associate Professor in ‘Theology and Development’ at the Faculty of Theology, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. Her research largely focuses on local congregational and FBO responses to poverty and inequality. Nadine is a former REDI board member and she currently serves as the chairperson of both the Practical Theology Society of SA and secretary of the International Academy of Practical Theology.
Nadine Bowers Du Toit - Rector Professor Carlos Emilio Ham
Carlos Emilio Ham has served as a pastor of the Presbyterian-Reformed Church in Cuba for more than thirty-five years. He joined the World Council of Churches’ (WCC) staff in March 2001 as Program Executive for Evangelism, served as the Coordinator of the Mission and Ecumenical Formation Team and finally as Programme Executive for Diakonia & Latin America-Caribbean until December 2013. On June 2015 he was installed as the Rector Professor of Mission and Diakonia at the Matanzas Evangelical Seminary of Theology. Received his first degree in theological studies at Matanzas (1984), his Doctor of Ministry degree at the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Texas, USA (1999) and his PhD, in the area of Theology with the Free University of Amsterdam (2015). The tittle of the thesis is: ‘Empowering Diakonia: A Model for Service and Transformation in the Ecumenical Movement and Local Congregations’.
Carlos Emilio Ham - Professor Annette Leis-Peters
Annette Leis-Peters is professor in sociology of religion with focus on diaconal studies at VID Specialized University in Norway. There, she is academically responsible for the PhD program in Diakonia, Values and Professional Practice. Her research interest lies in the intersection between religion, welfare and civil society. Annette has served as a ReDi board member and is currently editor in chief for “Diaconia. Journal for the Study of Christian Social Practice”.
Annette Leis-Peters - PhD Researcher Zo Ramiandra Rakotoarison
Zo Ramiandra Rakotoarison served as Program Leader, Assistant and Secretary for the Malagasy Lutheran Church, Madagascar until 2017 and as Communication assistant for the “Programme de Professionalisation de l’Agriculture” in Antananarivo Madagascar between 2000 and 2001. Her educational background includes a Bachelor in Geography from the University of Antananarivo and a Master in Diakonia and Christian Social Practice from the University College Diakonhjemmet in Oslo. Since October 2017, she is a PhD research fellow at VID Specialized University in Oslo, working on a PhD project with the title “Faith-oriented and asset-based community development in a Malagasy context: a qualitative study of Use Your Talents-capacity building project”.
Zo Ramiandra Rakotoarison - WCC Programme Executive Matthew Ross
The Reverend Matthew Ross is Programme Executive for Diakonia and Capacity Building with the World Council of Churches (since June 2018), based in Geneva, Switzerland.
He is from the city of Dundee, Scotland and has degrees in law and divinity from the University of Edinburgh. He also has a postgraduate Master of Theology degree from the University of Glasgow. He was ordained in 1998 as a Minister of the Church of Scotland. He served as a parish minister in Church of Scotland congregations in Fife (1998-2003) and near Edinburgh (2009-2014), where he developed a keen interest in Diakonia.
He has extensive experience in and commitment to ecumenical relations at local, national and international levels. He was an Executive Secretary of the Church & Society Commission of the Conference of European Churches, based in Brussels, Belgium (2003-2009) and General Secretary of Action of Churches Together in Scotland (2014-2018) – Scotland’s national council of churches. In 2009 he was Moderator of the Church of Scotland’s Presbytery of Europe. In 2014 he worked extensively on the implications for churches in Scotland in the event of Scottish independence and convened a working group for the Church of Scotland. More recently, he has done extensive work on the implications of “Brexit” for the churches in the UK and beyond.
He is married to Kristina (also a minister of the Church of Scotland) and they have a daughter.
Matthew Ross - Professor Dennis T. Solon
Dennis T. Solon is a Filipino New Testament scholar and Dr. theol. He is currently Visiting Professor at the Institute for Diaconic Science and Diaconic Management (IDM) of the Protestant University Wuppertal/Bethel, Germany.
Dennis T. Solon
Local committee
- Local committee
The local committee consists of:
