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”

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

For a more detailed program, click on the link below.

AM

• 8.00 Keynote 1: Dr. Teresa Carino: “The Challenges of Diaconia as Game changer: An Asian Perspective” (lecture 20 minutes, 20 minutes for discussion)
• 8.45 Break
• 9.00 Parallel Paper Sessions Round 1 (2 papers in each of the four sessions)
• 10.00 Break
• 10.15 Parallel Paper Sessions Round 2 (2 papers in each of the four sessions)
• 11.15 Break
• 11.30 Parallel Papers Sessions Round 3 (2 papers in each of the four sessions)

PM

• 12.45 Keynote Lecture 2 Prof. Dr. Bosela Eale: “The Challenges of Diaconia as Game changer: An African Perspective” (lecture 20 minutes, 20 minutes for discussion)
• 1.30 Break
• 1.45 Get Together Digitally From All Around the Globe
• 2.15 Keynote 1: Dr. Theresa Carino: “The Challenges of Diaconia as Game changer: An Asian Perspective” (lecture 20 minutes, 20 minutes for discussion) (recorded), 2nd round
• 3.00 Break
• 3.15 Annual Meeting of ReDi
• 4.15 Break
• 4.30 Parallel Paper Sessions Round 4 (3 papers in each of the four sessions)
• 6.00 Break
• 6.15 Parallel Paper Sessions Round 5 (3 papers in each of the four sessions)
• 7.45 Break
• 8.00 Keynote Lecture 2: Prof. Dr. Bosela Eale: “The Challenges of Diaconia as Game changer: An African Perspective” (lecture 20 minutes, 20 minutes for discussion) (recorded), 2nd round
• 8.45 Digital Good-Bye and Blessing
• 9.00 End of Conference

Download program

Thematic Paper Session

Papers to the following thematic paper sessions have been submitted and accepted:

1.) Reinventing the Role of Leadership in Innovating Diaconia

In this paper session, we explore the overarching theme of leadership and innovation in diaconal and religious organizations. In times of changes and crises, leaders play a key role foregrounding innovation in diaconal and religious organizations. The complex and changing society in which diaconal organizations operate, require leaders paying attention to these changes by leading diaconal organizations in new ways. Diaconal leaders and organizations are challenged to take innovative steps through adaptions, or anticipations, to changes in the society. Moreover, leaders in diaconia are responding to the wider society by rearticulating values and identity to achieve internal and external legitimization that enables support and relevance.

The aim of the paper session is to present and discuss recent research about leadership and management related to innovation processes and practices in various diaconal contexts. Innovation processes consist of both a creativity stage for useful and novel ideas to occur as well as an implementation stage of selected ideas. Relevant questions in the paper session will be: How is diaconal leadership understood and performed in times of crises and changes? How do diaconal organizations and churches meet contemporary challenges? How can research on leadership, management and organizations contribute to innovate diaconal practice?

More specific questions could for instance include: How do new and useful ideas emerge in diaconia? What is the role of psychological safety in groups for innovative processes to occur in diaconal organisations? How do practitioners in the field of diaconia organize for equality in global partnerships? How can diaconal leadership be imagined based on values like faith, hope and love?

The paper session maps existing knowledge on this theme and asks how research can be a resource for leaders in their practical work. Contact: Dag-Håkon Eriksen (dag- hakon.eriksen@vid.no), Beate Jelstad Løvaas (beate.jelstad.lovaas@vid.no) and Stephen Sirris (stephen.sirris@vid.no)

2.) Youth, Diaconia and the Global Crises

This paper session on Youth, Diaconia and Global crises discusses both contributions from research and from practice. The global society is characterized by fractures, created by global crises, not healing easily. Fractures include and refer to social, economic, religious, spatial, environmental, economic and health issues. Adolescents from poor families are easily excluded from both the labour and education spheres. Furthermore, youth unemployment is among the biggest challenges we face. Likewise, climate change is becoming more and more perceptible and posing new problems and challenges for humanity, to stakeholders and all those who bear responsibility. The youth is right in the centre of the ecological justice, environmental consciousness and climate change discourse. With regards to all these fractures and the current COVID-19 pandemic, how are the youth engage with these discourses but also affected by these fractures? How can/did the youth as game-changing role players in Diakonia, contribute(d) to these global crises?"

Contact: Jacques Beukes (jacques.beukes@up.ac.za)

3.) Drifting Apart? Diaconal Responses to the Demographic Developments, Forced Migration, Crisis of Solidarity and Democracy

This is quite a broad theme, which seeks to open up dialogue with regards to the shifts caused by issues such as forced migration due to wars and poverty and the ongoing inequalities and power differentials between the Global South and Global North. It also raises the issue of growing ethnic/racial polarisation that is developing within many regions and countries. The current pandemic will, no doubt, continue to bring into sharp relief both local and global inequalities. How, then, are diaconal responses shaped by these shifts – critically or uncritically - and also how are diaconal values such as solidarity and democracy challenged by these very same shifts? This session includes also contributions which explore case studies or examples of where this crisis of solidarity and democracy is being engaged by diaconal actors in a specific manner for the common good at grassroots.

Contact: Nadine Bowers-Du Toit (nbowers@sun.ac.za)

4.) Biblical and Theological Paradigms for a Game-changing Diaconia

In keeping the Bible relevant to today’s context of diaconia, what hermeneutical approaches play an important role? What biblical narratives, discourses and themes are especially instructive? What theological frontiers are there worth exploring in discerning and making sense of God’s activities in the world, especially for the most vulnerable “citizens” of this our mother earth?

This session brings together various insights from theology and biblical studies as a tool for today’s diaconal praxis.

Contact: solon@diakoniewissenschaft-idm.de or dennis.solon@alumni.uni-heidelberg.de; 5.) Female leadership in church and faith-based institutions – past, present and future

An emerging field within organization and management theories is studying female leaders and their characteristics and contributions. Even though there are plenty of female leaders in the church and in religious organizations, we know less of their contributions, behaviour, and traits. This paper session includes several aspects of research on female and especially female leaders in religious organizations. What have been and is characterizing female leaders in faith-based institutions? What kind of life-stories are the female leaders bringing to the institutions? How are these stories of importance? Are these stories different than in business? Are there some connections between innovation and female leaders? What values are female leaders bringing to the forefront? The workshop will also contribute to the discussion on male and female equality in churches and religious organizations. Female leaders often take part in boards of parishes but do not, in large, seem to be represented on the top. What kind of equality work exist and what are the result of this work in a religious context? A glass ceiling is claimed - an invisible barrier in front of women seeking to move up organizational hierarchies. What kind of norms, organizational cultures, and structures is upholding or breaking the glass ceiling in churches and faith-based organizations?

Contact: Gry Espedal (gry.espedal@vid.no)

6.) Towards a Transforming Diaconia Spirituality

This session will focus on what is a vital Spirituality which empowers the whole process towards a transformed and transforming Diaconia. In a world living in challenging times and where technocracy seems to dominate, Spirituality can inspire the game-changing role of Diaconia today. The session includes contributions that explore preconditions and effects of Diaconia Spirituality and how it can be understood. The presentations come from a broad range of disciplines from theology to social sciences and health studies. They are both empirical or theoretical and have descriptive or normative approaches.

Contact: Carlos Ham (cehams@gmail.com)

7.) Christian Social Practice Research Methodologies

Christian social practice research is often considered an interdisciplinary academic venture. There are ongoing discussions on intersections between theology, social sciences, humanities, nursing studies and ethics within in the diaconia research. Connected to these discussions there are also parallel discussions on specific methodological ambitions in this field. There is a mix of hermeneutical, interpretative methods as well as ethnography, qualitative and quantitative methods and also combination of at least two of these approaches. Many contributions expand the question of methodology into the broader issue of the identity of Christian social practice research.

The presentations of this session relate to the following perspectives

• The relation between empirical and normative/theological approaches

• Interpretations of the kind of data relevant for diaconia research

• The role of the researcher in the data collection and in the written texts

• Is there a transformative expectation for diaconia research?

• Reviews of diaconia research so far

Contact: Kaia Rønsdal (k.d.m.s.ronsdal@teologi.uio.no) and Trygve Wyller (Trygve.wyller@teologi.uio.no).

8.) Experiences from the Covid 19 pandemic in different contexts

The pandemic Covid 19 has changed the world with high speed. The presentations of this session share experiences from facing the Covid 19 pandemic in different contexts in the world.

Contact: Annette Leis-Peters (annette.leis-peters@vid.no)

All who have registered will get access to digital conference by a program with links that will be distributed by email. From 1st September 2020, this program will be sent out continuously by email to all who have registered and will register. In the program, you will find a specific link to each of the lectures, meeting or paper sessions. In addition, a link to a time-line converter will be integrated in the program so that you can translate the Norwegian times to your local time.

If you have registered before 1st September 2020 and do not get an email with the program by 4th September 2020, please contact Zo Ramiandra Rakotoarison (Zo.Ramiandra.Rakotoarison@vid.no). Please contact Zo as well if you have registered after the 1st September 2020 and do not get an email with the program two days later.

The International Advisory Board and the Local Organisation Committee of the 8th International Conference for Research in Diaconia and Christian Social Practice are very aware of the unpredictable situation regarding the spread of Covid-19.

The pandemic has turned many lives upside down and ruled out most of conference planning in 2020. At the same time, the need for two components of the conference have become more apparent. Firstly, Christian social work is needed both during and in the aftermath of the pandemic crisis. Secondly, it is important that the responses of diaconal practice to the crisis use research-based knowledge for their work. Against this background, it is more important than ever that researchers all over the world in the field of Christian Social Practice and Diaconia meet to exchange their ideas and knowledge. Because of this, and to give a sign of our global togetherness, the hosts of the conference and its International Advisory Committee have decided to arrange a digital one-day conference with the theme Diaconia as Gamechanger? Leadership of Service in Times of Crisis, Complexity and Transformation on 17 September 2020.

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

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.

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’.

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”.

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”.

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.

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.