ECPM European Summit and GA 2015, Seeon-Seebruck

Kalender (Bron: swedeandsour / iStock.com)
swedeandsour / iStock.com
datum 28 mei 2015 19:00 - 31 mei 2015 11:00
plaats Seeon-Seebruck, Duitsland
locatie Klooster Seeon Toon locatie
organisatie Europese Christelijke Politieke Beweging (ECPM) i

Main speakers:

  • Arne Gericke, MEP, Germany
  • Peter van Dalen, MEP, Netherlands
  • Branislav Skripek, MEP, Slovakia
  • Michael Schluter, economist, UK
  • Arleen Westerhof, Coordinator at European Economic Summit
  • Wouter Droppers, President of Europartners
  • Matteo Piano, Narroway
  • Frank Suchy, Manager Messtechnik
  • Erwin Helmer, Leiter der Betriebsseelsorge Bamberg und der Kath

Event pictures:

Event report:

Three wonderful days were spent in Germany at the Kloster Seeon from 28 till 30 May 2015. Around seventy businessmen and politicians came together to listen and discuss the political and economic situation in Europe and the way business has to go further in order for the family to flourish.

The event commenced on the evening of Thursday during a welcoming dinner. MEP Arne Gericke, host of this event, welcomed the participants with a word of encouragement and shortly presented the theme of the event. During the dinner the participants had the opportunity to meet each other and find out about their common interests.

The next day, Friday, was reserved for the General Assembly of ECPM and the first part of the international program of the summit. During a very interactive General Assembly ECPM resolutions were discussed and voted. Later in the afternoon the actual programme of the Summit commenced with a speech from Michael Schluter on Relational Thinking in Economic policy. In his speech, Schluter emphasised the fact that Christianity is a relational religion and that the EU economy is unrelational and therefore unstable, unsustainable and unethical. In order for the EU economy to become relational and stable, sustainable and ethical, Schluter presented several strategies. One of them was empowering families while Schluter also clearly advocated against derivatives.

Arleen Westerhof presented the European Economic Summit Declaration, a summary of the main concepts discussed during the European Economic Summit in Amsterdam last year. In her speech, Westerhof reiterated the need for a holistic, relational and communal approach to economy. This approach can be taken by becoming ourselves more holistic, relational and practice mutuality.

Peter van Dalen endorsed this declaration and gave some practical insights by using the biblical person Boaz. The event continued with a panel session moderated by ECPM board member Stieneke van der Graaf and which had as panellists, besides the two main speakers, MEP’s Arne Gericke, Branislav Škripek, Peter van Dalen and ECPM President Peter Östman. The participants had the chance to ask their questions regarding the previously discussed subjects. On the Friday evening there was time for all participants to reflect, pray and sing together.

The international program of the Summit continued Saturday morning with two workshops held by Wouter Droppers and Matteo Piano.

Droppers talked about being a Christian, businessman and family man at the same time. Droppers was very open with the participants, sharing some of his personal life experiences from which he learnt how to combine being a Christian, businessman and family man. The key to this, he considered was making God the centre of your life. Doing this means concentrating not on how other people can serve you but how you can serve the others.

Following Droppers, Piano held a workshop on the restauration of relationships as an economical drive in the retail market. The presentation, rich in facts and figures, kept the audience attentive throughout the whole session. Piano emphasised on the importance of retail for economy, identifying the cause of the retail crisis in the impoverishment of relationships between producer, retailers and consumers. The only solution would then be the restoration of this relationship, giving the capacity to stimulate the economy.

After the international program, a German part of the event took place in which German speaking participants could join. For non-German speaking listeners, translation was provided.


1.

Europese Christelijke Politieke Beweging (ECPM)

Deze overkoepelende Europese partij is in 2002 opgericht als samenwerkingsverband van Europese christelijke en christendemocratische partijen en burgerorganisaties. De Nederlandse partijen ChristenUnie i en SGP i zijn lid, evenals het Slowaakse OĽaNO en enkele andere voornamelijk Oost-Europese partijen.

Van de partijen die zich hebben aangesloten bij de ECPM zijn maar vijf partijen (waaronder ChristenUnie en SGP) vertegenwoordigd in het Europees Parlement i. De Europarlementariër van SGP heeft zitting in de ECR-fractie i, de parlementariër van de ChristenUnie bij de EVP i.

2.

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