From 24 until 27 of September, Eurodiaconia member Kaiserswerth Generalkonferenz held its 42nd General Conference in Gallneukirchen, Austria, under the heading “Diaconia: A strong Brand! Between Values and Commerce”
The Kaiserswerth Generalkonferenz is an association of more than 100 deaconess houses, diaconal communities and diaconal divisions from Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. This year, about 130 participants from 12 countries gathered to discuss the relationship between social values and economic efficiency in diaconal establishments.
President Principal Christa Schrauf from the hosting organisation of the event, Ev. Diakoniewerk Gallneukirchen, welcomed the participants and emphasised the need to support people fleeing from war and terror by objecting racist paroles and by offering concrete diaconal help.
One of the key speakers, Prof. Dr. Ulrich Körtner, speaking about nursing ethics and the Christian anthropology, also stressed the right to respect by all people, regardless of their financial situation, nationality or religion.
Another key speaker, economist Professor Dr Torger Reve, scrutinised in his presentation if confessional establishments offer better services per se and introduced a catalogue of questions to test the performance of diaconal facilities. Best practice examples of participants further underscored the topic of the conference.
The next Kaiserswerther General Conference will take place in 2018 in Bielefeld, Germany.