Ecumenical conversation - final gathering

Compelled to serve: diakonia and development in a rapidly changing world

This final session gathered the narrative report of the proceedings, and six affirmations. Doing the wordsmithing in a large group was problematic, as was remaining faithful to the specific discussions while at the same time preparing a document that would make sense to a wider audience outside of the WCC Assembly. It was also clear that some of the language used was language specific to development agencies, and not necessarily understood by a more general audience, which potentially limits the understanding of the content. One such term is the 'enabling environment' - 'the adoption of laws and policies that allow, favour and mainstream the creation of civil society institutions, promote good governance and foster a socially responsible private sector'. I realized I needed a glossary of terms assumed by some of the participants actively involved in aid and development work; certainly a learning opportunity for me. I was one of a small group who remained behind at the conclusion of the session to work on fine tuning the document. It was good to be more than an anonymous participant at WCC, one amongst several thousand people, and make a particular contribution. The affirmations were sent to Geneva for translation into many languages, ready for distribution.