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Report Middle East Association of Training And Retreat Centers (MEATRC)
January-December 2004
Prepared by Dr. Nuha Khoury
In 2004 MEATRC continued working on the issue of Non–Violence, Conflict Resolution, Reconciliation and Mediation. This was done mainly on the regional level through the annual training meeting, which was held in Cyprus in October 2004. On the sub-regional level, MEATRC continued with the capacity building program through conducting different workshops for the member centers on capacity building, conflict resolution, non-violent communications and e-communications.
The capacity building programs that were conducted in different countries varied in terms of topics and depended on the needs of these different regions. As for the activities that took place on the regional and sub-regional levels from January until December 2004, the following is a report.
-1- Executive Committee Meetings
1. An Executive Committee meeting took place in October 28, 2004 in Aiya Napa, Cyprus. The focus of the meeting, which followed the annual gathering of MEATRC and the elections of the new committee, was the distribution of tasks and assignments among the committee members. .
2. An Executive Committee meeting took place in February 28-March 2, 2005 in Cairo Egypt . The discussion focused on the following issues: · Discussion and approval of the Financial and Narrative reports of 2004 for the EED · Discussion of MEATRC’s annual budget for the years 2005 and 2006 · Strategic planning for the activities of MEATRC and the mechanisms to carry them out. · Planning the annual gathering of 2005.
-2- Regional Training Meeting & General Assembly 2004
The annual regional training meeting and an extra-ordinary session of the General Assembly was held for the member Centers in Aiya Napa, Cyprus from 25-29 November 2004.
The topic of the training was “Towards a Culture of Non-Violence in the Middle East.” The focus of the training was on the role of media, civil society and the educational system in bringing about a culture of non-violence in the Middle East.
Following the training session,
the General Assembly ratified the amendments made to the constitution and
conducted elections for the new executive committee, two items that were
on the agenda for the General Assembly of 2003 but were postponed to 2004.
The new elected committee is made of following members: Archimandrite Makarios Yazigi (alternate-Syria)
In addition, during the extra-ordinary General Assembly session, the membership application of two new centers (St. Mary's Monastery at Tell-Wardiat from Syria, and the Forum for Development, Culture and Dialogue from Lebanon) were accepted by the voting members attending the session. Another application for change of status from associate member to full member (Primary Health Care Center in Egypt) was also approved. At the meeting, a decision was made to raise the annual membership fee from $100 USD to $150 USD to increase MEATRC’s revenues.
Future programs for the annual training were also discussed and the General Assembly made specific recommendations as to the topics and issues they felt were necessary to deal with. These topics will serve as a guide line for the new executive committee when planning its regional and sub-regional programs.
-3- Sub Regional Training
a. Egypt
1. Developing the participants skills in using the computer and the internet 2. Introducing effective leadership skills to the participants
b. Syria and Lebanon
· A three days workshop on the importance and use of the e - technology, especially on having and using websites in churches and centers, was conducted in December 26-28, 2004 in Aleppo for church youth leaders (Protestant, Orthodox and Catholic) as well as laypeople from several churches and centers. The workshop, which was a continuation and updating of last year’s program conducted in Aleppo on e-technology, was attended by 18 participants.
· A three day training workshop on E-Technology, including website and email, was conducted in December 2004 for all the sisters and workers at La Foundation as well as others from Centers that could benefit from the training. The program included trainings on the basics of Microsoft windows, basics of Microsoft word, how to serf the internet, and email. As a result of this training, La Foundation Center has been added to the list of MEATRC centers that has the training and is now connected to other centers via internet. As such, communications between centers has been made faster, cheaper and direct, especially since communication through telephone and fax between Lebanon and Palestine before that was difficult and was done through the Aiya Napa Conference Center.
c. Palestine · Webpage design that can help the growth of MEATRC centers in Palestine was chosen to be the focus for the year 2004, based on a recommendation by the trainees of the effective use of the tools of communications workshops, which were conducted in the year 2003. Hence, the International Center of Bethlehem hosted and facilitated a course in web design for the employees of the different member centers of MEATRC in Palestine. The course, which was conducted during the months of September, October and November of 2004, had total training hours of 30 hours. Each training session was five hours long. Employees from Al-Liqa’ Center, al-Sabeel Center, YWCA- Jerusalem and the International Center of Bethlehem participated. A total of 14 people attended the course, which was taught by two trainers form the ICB. The subjects covered included basics of the Internet, Internet Tools, Photo Shop, Design Applications, Building a website, Adding Elements to the Site, Designing a News Website, Frames, Additional Elements, Menus, Forms, and Active Maps. A final project was asked of each of the participants, which included updating of his/her center’s website.
· E-technology Staff Training Course In November and December of 2004, two staff members from the ICB conducted a training program of 30 hours attended by for 25 staff members of the ICB and the Dar al-Kalima Health and Wellness Center. The Course Outline was as follows:
d. Cyprus
· From August 26 to September 1, 2004 Ayia Napa Conferences Center (Cyprus) in cooperation with the Lebanese Foundation for Permanent Civil Peace held its sixth annual seminar “Monitoring Civil Peace and Memory in Lebanon.” Thirty members from the program’s work team of researchers, university students, professors and media experts attended.
Papers and debates in the sixth seminar focused on the following: 1. A general introduction to the subject: “The nation, a common memory,” followed by an assessment of the Program’s foundations and methodology. 2. Monitoring events and data that occurred in 2004 in relation with civil peace and memory, using an international comparative approach. 3. Reading what has been written about civil peace and memory. 4. The Lebanese Pact namely as concerns conflict regulation, settlement in participation-based regimes with an account of the legal and judicial guarantees in building civil peace. 5. The civil society’s immunity with an approach to the social dimensions in building immunity, the psychological dimensions , the role of economic forces and the cultural dimensions. The program’s full report for the year 2004 was published at the end of November 2004. The complete proceedings will be published in a book, Vol. 2 of “Monitoring Civil Peace and Memory in Lebanon”.
· Leadership skills Training In November 2004 a groups of 20 church workers from the Middle East Region met at Ayia Napa Conference Center for a training workshop on leadership skills. The aims and objectives of the training were as follows: 1. Building leadership skills needed for workers in the different fields of church ministries. 2. Offering practical training on how to handle conflict and opposition in the church. 3. Orientation about the importance of having a vision and goals in the church.
The Topics offered at the program: 1. From Relevance to Prayer 2. From Popularity to ministry 3. From Leading to being led. The art of self-leadership. 4. The leader's pathway 5. Conflict and criticism: how to handle opposition in the church. 6. Vision and having goals for the church: 'how to be a first century church in a 21st century world’.
-4- Publications
1. As part of the campaign to promote the work of MEATRC and introduce its centers to others, one thousand calendars for the year 2005 were printed and distributed to all the centers of MEATRC during the General Assembly. Calendars were also distributed to the other associations that belong to the OIKOSNET, and to other organizations and churches. Twelve different centers were featured in this calendar, where a picture of the center or its work was enclosed, along with a brief introduction.
-5- Upcoming Programs
1. Sub-regional Training
A workshop on "Citizenship and Youth" will be conducted in Syria in July 15-17th. Twenty five people from several member centers shall be invited to participate in the workshop
In the last week of July 2005, the International center of Bethlehem will organize a youth leadership workshop entitled “Exploring Leadership: Making a Difference.” The workshop will concentrate on examining leadership potential and exploring how leaders and participants mutually shape the environment of our centers and community.
In July 2005, the Aiya Napa Conference Center in Cyprus (ANCC) will organize a conference on peace and reconciliation under the title “Monitoring Civil Peace in Lebanon." This is an annual program that has been going on since 1999.
2. Regional Training The annual regional training program for MEATRC members will be held in Cyprus between 23 to 28 October, 2005. The topic of training for 2005 will be “Christian Presence and its Role in the Middle East: Challenges and Opportunities.”
3. Executive Committee Meetings An executive committee meeting will be held in Cyprus in October, 2005 during the regional training meeting.
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