Last month, our German member Diakonie Germany organised an important meeting on the future of social Europe. During this second “Conference on Europe”, discussion focused around the “Charter for a Social Europe” published by Diakonie Germany.

One of the conference keynote speeches was held by Heribert Prantl, award-winning journalist and Chief Editor of the Süddeutsche Zeitung, as well as author of the book “Trotz alledem! Europa muss man einfach lieben” (“Despite all of that! You just have to love Europe”). In calling for a Social Europe, Mr Prantl praised Diakonie Germany Charter as “a respectable and necessary paper“. To know more about Mr Prantl’s highlights on the importance of Social Europe and his assessment of the Charter, please read his interview on Diakonie Germany website (available in German).

The conference is the only the last stage in our member’s efforts to build a vision of social Europe through Diaconal work. Diakonie Germany’s “Charter for a Social Europe” – published last year in German version and released last month in an English version – presents a vision of Social Europe with diaconal actors as key advocates to social goals. Diakonie Germany will share its vision of a Social Europe with the rest of Eurodiaconia members at the upcoming Eurodiaconia Annual General Meeting, that is taking place from 13th to 15th June in Wroclaw (Poland).

Diakonie Germany is the charitable organisation of Germany’s Protestant churches and runs approximately 28,100 care centres (nursing homes, hospitals, community outreach and welfare centres), 545,500 places in child care services, 171,000 places in elderly care and 153,000 places in disabled care services, employing 450,000 full or part-time employees and 700,000 volunteers. To know more about its projects, please visit Diakonie Germany website.