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Dear
Sirs/Mesdames,
The
International Voluntary Association Saints’ Methodius
and Cyrill Christian Educational Centre is a
multifunctional non-governmental organization
established on the initiative of the Orthodox Church in
1996. The Centre’s activities are aimed at the revival
of public and private initiative in Belarus in social
work, education, science and culture.
Special
attention is paid to the analysis of the contemporary
Belarusian situation with regard to religious and social
transformation in Europe and the place of Christianity
in European integration process. The Centre takes an
active role in the international projects contributing
to single European cooperation and ecumenical dialogue.
The Centre’s
activities are rooted in the idea that renewal of both
Western and Eastern Europe require involvement of
Christian public organizations since the process forming
the social basis is mainly founded on transcendental
motivation of people and cannot be successful without a
religious cornerstone clear from fundamentalism and
other manifestations of piety.
Formation of
spiritual condition of people within transformation
processes in Europe is the main contribution of the
Church and Christian public organizations. It requires
actualization of catholicity of their members’
thinking. This principle lies at the core philosophy of
the Centre’s activities. It is not accidental, that the
spiritual patrons of the organization who are St.
Methodius and Cyril which are equally close to the
Eastern and Western cultural traditions. The Centre’s
emblem symbolizes the joint service of Western and
Eastern Christian traditions both to God and mankind on
the Earth.
The President of
the Christian Educational Centre is Patriarchal Exarch
of all Belarus, Metropolitan of Minsk and Slutsk
Philaret, First Vice-President – Grigory A. Dovgiallo.
In accordance
with the Charter, the Centre’s mission lies in the
implementation and support of Christian educational,
social and research programmes. The Centre is currently
carrying out more than 20 projects financed by its
domestic and foreign partners. These programmes are
implemented with the blessing of the Metropolitan of
Minsk and Slutsk Philaret. Part of them is also carried
out with the participation of the Institute of
Inter-religious Dialogue and Interconfessional
communications.
The majority of
the Centre’s projects are of ecumenical nature and are
fulfilled by the experts and volunteers of various
Christian churches, confessions and denominations. Many
of these projects are of great public and cultural
significance for the whole country.
Though the
Centre and its projects are developing rapidly, their
qualitative and quantitative growth is hindered by
insufficient financing. Therefore we ask your financial
and prayer aid and your support of our most important
projects listed below:
The persons
responsible for the projects are:
Metropolitan
of Minsk and Slutsk Philaret, Patriarchal Exarch of all
Belarus, President of the Centre, Dean of the Theology
Faculty at the EHU
Mr. Grigory A.
Dovgiallo – First Vice-President of the Centre,
co-director of the Institute of Inter-religious dialogue
and Interconfessional Communications
Professor A.V.
Danilov – Director of the Institute of Inter-religious
dialogue and Interconfessional Communications, head of
the chair of religious studies of the theology faculty
of the EHU.
Priest
Alexander Shimbalev, head of the youth and social
programmes of the Centre, senior lecturer of the
Belarusian State Pedagogical University.
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