The international forum, which took place between June 12-15, gave the Dutch sponsors, who are mainly connected to Protestant churches, the opportunity to meet the representatives of the Romanian, Albanian, Ukrainian, Serbian and Moldovan partner organizations they support. At the same time, it was also a good opportunity for the leaders of the more than 40 Dutch member organizations of CPOE to gather, build relationships and seek joint solutions with their partners for the challenges of aid in Eastern Europe.
The backbone of the English-language meeting was the analysis of the situation by the representatives of the CPOE, as well as high-quality presentations, such as former state secretary, Péter Makkai's report on the changes in the social situation and legal system of Romania, or Sarah Todorov, British-Bulgarian social activist and analyst's presentation on aiding disadvantaged children, and on the methodology of long-term assessment of effectiveness.
In addition to the lectures, the attendees could also take part in a number of freely chosen workshops, where the CPOE and their partners shared their best practices on topics such as: mobilization of local resources, cooperation in crisis situations, Roma inclusion, prevention of human trafficking, elderly care, diaconia in local communities, or the care of the disabled.
The event was marked by morning devotions held by pastors from different countries, church concerts, and a charity fair of handicrafts made in the social programs of partner organizations. As a result of the meeting, new partnerships and cooperation plans were outlined, and each organization was able to return to its daily activities strengthened in its sense of mission.
Although the participants came from different churches and spoke different languages, their faith and mission were common, as was their humanity, so the entire conference was characterized by the spirit of ecumenism and togetherness, echoing the motto of the event: "Inspiration for change. Moving forward together in faith"
