Syndesmos i oikoumene

Abstract

SYNDESMOS, the World Fellowship of Orthodox Youth is one of the most exciting and influential developments in Orthodoxy over the past fifty years. Founded initially in 1953 to foster contacts and promote co-operation among Orthodox youth movements in Western Europe, Greece and the Middle East, SYNDESMOS has grown into a fellowship of 126 youth organisations and theological schools in 42 countries around the world. In Greek, the word syndesmós means “bond of unity” The Fellowship enjoys the encouragement and blessing of all the local canonical Orthodox Churches and, today, it is recognised and supported by such international bodies as UNESCO, the European Union, the Council of Europe, the World Council of Churches, the World Wide Fund for Nature etc. While youth activities have always constituted the cornerstone of its programmes, SYNDESMOS has frequently spoke to and acted upon wider issues facing the Orthodox Church. Ecumenical involvement of SYNDESMOS stems from its very beginnings. The idea of establishment of a fellowship uniting Orthodox youth of all local Orthodox Churches occurred at a meeting of 28 young Orthodox people gathered for a Consultation at the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey, Switzerland, 1949. Youth Department of the newly established World Council of Churches offered its support in organising this meeting hoping it would lead to such a development. SYNDESMOS representatives had been invited to participate in various ecumenical gatherings and to co-operate in programmes run by ecumenical organisations. In many cases representatives of SYNDESMOS were understood to be representatives of Orthodox youth of all the local Orthodox Churches. In 1970s and 1980s, good working relationship has been established with ecumenical youth organisations – namely WCC Sub-Unit on Youth, WSCF Europe Region and EYCE as well as other ecumenical organisations like: WCC, CEC, MECC, Fellowship of St Alban and St Sergius, Philoxenia and Focolare. As discussion on ecumenism and ecumenical involvement of youth has always been included in programmes of SYNDESMOS General Assemblies, representatives of these organisations have been invited to participate in them. Moreover, SYNDESMOS has held and has been involved in organising several ecumenical youth events. In co-operation with the WCC Sub-Unit on Youth and WSCF Europe Region, a series of consultations regarding active involvement of Orthodox youth in ecumenical movement was held in Presov, Czechoslovakia 1988, Varska, Estonia 1994 and Chambesy, Switzerland 1995. Other joint ecumenical meetings took place in Syria 1981, Yugoslavia 1987, Greece and Bulgaria 1988. Important aspect of SYNDESMOS ecumenical involvement are publications. As a result of the series of consultations, a resource book on Orthodox Youth and Ecumenism has been edited by two former SYNDESMOS Secretaries-General who had been involved in their implementation. A series of reports from important meetings on Orthodox participation in the ecumenical movement has been published in co-operation with the WCC. SYNDESMOS has also initiated publication of a complete set of documents Towards Unity. Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches. This book as well as seminars organised in Bishoy, Egypt 1992 and Duma, Lebanon 1997 reflect the Fellowship’s active involvement in the dialogue. Five Oriental Orthodox youth organisations (Coptic, Ethiopian and Malankara Syrian-Orthodox) and from Egypt, Ethiopia and India are members of SYNDESMOS and two Armenian Orthodox from Armenia and Lebanon have just applied for membership. Very significant and living testimonies of SYNDESMOS’ involvement in the ecumenical movement are leaders of the Fellowship. Names of its founders – Paul Evdokimov, John Meyendorff, Nikos Nissiotis, Alexander Schmemann – speak for themselves. Former SYNDESMOS officers, its Presidents and Secretaries-General – later on became renown Orthodox hierarchs, theologians and personalities actively involved in their local ecumenical institutions as well as regional, international and world-wide structures. Thus two recent Secretaries-General – Anu Talvivaara and Alexander Belopopsky – became officers of the WCC.