At Europe's Borders: Refugee Realities and Christian Responsibility in Bochum
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Faith, Responsibility and Humanity at Europe's Borders
Where people fleeing seek protection, Christian responsibility becomes concrete. The lecture with discussion at the Evangelical City Academy Bochum focuses on refugee realities in Greece and on Protestant initiatives that place human rights, dignity, and hope at the center of their work.
Personal Insights from Thessaloniki
Former Pastor Dorothee Vakalis, formerly pastor of the German congregation in Thessaloniki, reports online about the ecumenical refugee workshop NAOMI, which she founded more than ten years ago. The focus is on individual fates, encouraging success stories, and the challenges that asylum seekers and their supporters face in Greece.
Engagement in the Safe Space Casa Base
Ines Eckmann-Weduwen and Leonie Muhr provide insights into their work as volunteers. They share stories from Casa Base, a safe space for women and girls, and highlight how practical help, support, and solidarity come to life in everyday situations.
Protestant Initiatives and European Responsibility
NAOMI and Casa Base exemplify the few remaining non-governmental organizations that advocate for the rights of asylum seekers and refugees in Greece. The evening also questions Germany's and Europe's responsibilities. The event connects Protestant ethics, human rights work, pastoral care, and societal dialogue.
Church, Flight, and Memory
The history of the Greek Evangelical Church is marked by flight and displacement. Projects in Athens, Katerini, and Thessaloniki demonstrate how religious communities connect their spirituality with concrete social engagement. The event is supported by the Gustav Adolf Werk and GAW Westfalen, which accompanies NAOMI as a three-year funding project.
Lecture with Discussion in Bochum
The evening offers space for focused listening, personal encounters, and open discussion. The Evangelical City Academy invites people of various beliefs to engage with the causes, consequences, and humanitarian challenges of flight at Europe's external borders.
Admission free; donations for NAOMI are welcome. Visitors can expect a reflective faith experience with well-founded insights, lived solidarity, and the opportunity to engage in discussion about Christian and European responsibility together. Experience this special evening live at the Evangelical City Academy Bochum.
