This has been a particularly busy week here at Eurodiaconia!
The week started with the Marginalisation and Exclusion Network meeting which was hosted by the Free Churches Group in London. 19 members came together to discuss ways to support people experiencing debt and financial exclusion. Of particular interest to members were developing partnerships with public agencies also concerned with debt and how to establish ethical forms of lending for those who are unable to access traditional forms such as bank loans. We are now looking at how to carry these ideas further across the network.
This was followed by the first meeting of the newly constituted Supervisory Board which is now chaired by Carla van der Vlist from the Netherlands. Our Board members gathered in Brussels to consider the work of Eurodiaconia going into 2016 and how to ensure good communications with members. They also had a sneak preview of the fantastic new Eurodiaconia website which will be online from the beginning of next week. Check it out from Tuesday!
On Thursday and Friday we have had the meeting of the Communications and Press officers from across our members. They have been looking at how to make advocacy work more effective at national and European level through strong communications efforts. This type of focus is key. We have seen in the past week how a really concerted approach to media has resulted in our views being presented in key media… which we then hope contributes to the policy process. As the European Council has just announced an extra-ordinary Heads of State summit on refugees and migration it is all the more urgent that we have clear messages, communicated in a timely way and with maximum impact and that this is done at national and European level.
Heather Roy
Secretary General