Agape Ecumenical Center in Italy: International camps August, 2012
Every year in August, three international conferences -one on theology, one on political issues, and one on voluntary work- are held at the Center. Over the years, the WSCF regions have increasingly sent students to attend the camps and to participate in the community life as “workcampers” and WSCF’s participation in the international camps has become integral to the yearly WSCF activities.
The World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) has had a historical relationship with the international ecumenical center of Agape in Northern Italy since its inception. WSCF helped build Agape right after World War II as a symbol of reconciliation among the nations that had been at war. Youth and students from different parts of the world, many of whom members of national SCMs – including North America – were convened by visionary Waldensian Pastor Tullio Vinay to contribute their energy and vision to build the Agape center, which has been ever since at the forefront of cutting-edge theological, social, political and gender reflections.
Every year in August, three international conferences -one on theology, one on political issues, and one on voluntary work- are held at the Center. Over the years, the WSCF regions have increasingly sent students to attend the camps and to participate in the community life as “workcampers” and WSCF’s participation in the international camps has become integral to the yearly WSCF activities.
In the last few years, the WSCF-North America has been sending a small delegation of students to the Agape International Camps. A limited number of partial scholarships are offered to students who would like to take part in these conferences. North American students who are selected to attend the Agape international camps are required to become involved in the work of the Student Christian Movement in their context and in the work of the World Student Christian Federation.
This year the topic of the Political camp will focus on the theme of eco-justice, one of the program areas for the WSCF. More information about the WSCF eco-justice program will be forthcoming and the Agape program will be integral to this program. Below is a description of the Political Camp.
To apply for a scholarship to attend the Agape camps, please fill out the application form at http://agapecentroecumenico.org/en/2012/01/26/international-camps-scholarship-2012-2/ and let WSCF North American Regional Secretary Luciano Kovacs know that you have applied at wscfna@gmail.com.
Political Camp Description
For many years there has been a growing awareness that rampant human exploitation of the Earth is no longer sustainable. The struggle is not only ecological, but also social. Around the globe we see mining and depletion of non-renewable resources for commercial gain and political expansion; priority given to economic interests rather than to enhancing our collective future; the privatization of the ecological commons and in the regulation of genetic modification of living organisms; and massive pollution resulting from unchecked resource exploitation. The economic interests are always those of a small affluent sector, but the impoverished suffer the immediate consequences of climate change. The natural self-regulating mechanisms of the planet are obstructed by imbalanced human activities that are increasingly considered catastrophic.
Every day new issues arise on which it is important to reflect together so that we can responsibility arrive at effective ethical, economic and scientific answers. For the health and survival of our planetary home, raising consciousness about individual and global action is necessary to maintain the balance between economic and ecological justice, the foundation of peace. In this camp we will reflect together about the current “ecocide” of the planet by considering patterns of production and consumption, in particular heeding the call of indigenous peoples that have never stopped trying to live in harmony with the planet. Together we will discuss sustainable and regenerative alternatives to the current order and how to implement them.