Meeting of Teachers for Religious Education and the Ministry of Education
Between May 30 and June 1, young leaders, teachers of RE and representatives of the Ministries of Education of the schools of the “Rede Sinodal de Educação” (RSE) [Synodal Education Network] gathered at the Colégio Sindodal Gustavo Adolfo in Lajeado (RS) for the 26th Meeting of Young Leaders and the National Meeting of Teachers of Religion, sponsored by the Rede Sinodal de Educação (RSE). The “Fundação Luterana de Diaconia”, the “Conselho de Missão entre Povos Indígenas” and the “Centro de Promoção e Apoio da Agroecologia” (FLD-COMIN-CAPA) gave lectures on the subject, workshops and participation in a fair of the “Rede de Comércio Justo e Solidário”.
The focus of the meeting – Education for Solidarity and Peace – was presented on May 30 by Cibele Kuss, Secretary of the Executive Committee of the FLD, and Joni Roloff Schneider, Pedagogical Coordinator of the RSE. Cibele highlighted the importance of solidarity as a collective process that creates relationships between people of different communities in order to exchange experiences, knowledge and know-how and develop transformation projects. Joni spoke about the Global Pedagogical Network – Joining in Reformation (GPENreformation), an international network of Protestant educational institutions and aid organisations dealing with the issue of peace. The Rede Sinodal de Educação and the FLD-COMIN-CAPA are part of GPENreformation
In the afternoon, the certificate of participation in the Digital Peace Exhibition of GPENreformation was handed over to representatives of two schools of Rede Sinodal de Educação – Escola Barão, Blumenau/SC and Colégio Martinus, Curitiba/PR. The Escola Barão, was selected from the participating schools of the different continents that successfully participated in the project and will also receive five tablet PCs.
The programme was intensive for the different target groups, such as for example:
- The presentation of projects on Education for Solidarity and Peace, which take place in the schools and can serve as inspiration for the participants.
- Training workshops: Nem Tão Doce Lar [Not So Beautiful Home] and Gender Justice, with FLD Project Advisor Rogério Oliveira de Aguiar and IECLB Gender/Community Action Department Coordinator Carmen Siegle; Justice and Solidary Commerce, with Programme Advisor Angelique van Zeeland and entrepreneurs Sueli Angelita da Silva and Gladis Carvalho, as representative of the speech de Comércio Justo e Solidário; Good Food on the Table with the consultant of CAPA, Lauderson Holz; and the intercultural and interreligious dialogue with the project consultant of COMIN, Kassiane Schwingel and Miquéias Padilha dos Santos, from the indigenous area of Kaigang Foxá. Dirci Bubantz, FLD project consultant, spoke about the Diakonia Network, a project carried out by the FLD and the General Secretariat of IECLB through the Community Actions Department. Through the NGO SERPAZ (Service for Peace), workshops of the Alternative to Violence Project (AVP) were conducted by AVP moderators Ingeborg Danila Eichwald, Berenice Polita Romanzini and Eni Schneider. And Professor Maristela Lagemann and psychologist Ana Paula Machado discussed the topic of overcoming trauma.
- Discussion on “Curricular references for the religious education of the speech Sinodal de Educação”, with Pastor Dr. Manfredo Carlos Wachs.
- Discussion on “The place and significance of religious experiences and practices in schools” with Professor Dr. Henri Luiz Fuchs.
- Discussion on “The identity of the school service in the school” with the catechist Ma. Débora Conrad, founding minister of the IECLB.
- Guided activity on “Leaders who have made and can make a difference in society” with teacher Ana Cristina Kirchheim.
- Guided activities on the topic “Creating the Garden of Peace” with Pastor Bianca Daiane Ücker Weber on the basis of the GPENreformation proposal.
Also of great importance were the celebrations that began with the message of the President of IECLB, Pastor Silvia Genz, and ended with the message of Pastor Luis Sievers, Vice Synod Pastor of Taquarital.
The meeting ended on Saturday, June 1, with the expectation that many more initiatives for Education for Solidarity and Peace will be developed in the schools of the RSE and that the relations between the schools and the participating organizations (FLD-COMIN-CAPA, General Secretariat and Department for Community Actions of IECLB and SERPAZ) will be strengthened.
During the meeting there was also the opportunity to purchase handicrafts from the indigenous Kaingang community and the Fair and Solidary Trade Network.
The Gustavo Adolfo Synod Highschool provided a lot of art (various presentations of music and dance from the school) to make all participants feel very welcome during these days.
Education for Solidarity and Peace Project
The relationship between FLD-COMIN-CAPA and RSE is established through the project Educação para a Solidariedade e Paz [Education for Solidarity and Peace], which aims, among other things, to showcase existing initiatives in the schools of RSE and to promote the development of other transformation projects.
The project began with a working group founded in 2017 to bring together the pedagogical coordination of the RSE, representatives of the Colégio Pastor Dohms, Colégio Sinodal do Salvador, Colégio Sinodal of São Leopoldo, Colégio Sinodal da Paz, Instituição Evangélica de Novo Hamburgo, Instituto Ivoti, Faculdades EST, COMIN and FLD. Starting from the meeting in Lajeado, teachers from the other regions of the Rede Sinodal de Educação will also set up working groups to strengthen this work in the schools.
A Latin American event of Protestant schools in São Leopoldo/RS is planned for 2020, with representatives from various schools and institutions working on the theme of Education for Solidarity and Peace. In this way, Latin American students and leaders will participate in the peace manifestations with 800 schools and institutions from all over the world.
