On 18 January, Andante has been granted ‘participatory status’, as an international NGO, at the Council of Europe. We thank all those, inside and outside Andante, who – at various stages of the procedure and at both national and European level – helped us with their good advice and action.
Summer School 2012
We are delighted to be able to inform you that Andante will hold another summer school next year. It will take place from 11th to 15th July in the ‘Exerzitienhaus St. Paulus', located at ±10 km from the main railway station of Augsburg and at ±70 km. from Munich airport. Their website www.exerzitienhaus.org (in German only) will give you an impression of the venue. This time the theme will be ‘green’ and focus on the challenges related to ecology: climate change, responsible life-style, respect of the Creation, sustainable energy, etc. Ethical aspects will be highlighted. The ‘software group’ consisting of Mette Bruusgaard, Zsuzsa Lackóné-Huszka and Mary McHugh, is currently preparing the programme. Thank you for contacting us at if you have any concrete ideas – speakers on specific sub-themes, experience of projects, etc. In several of our organisations there should be women having knowledge of, or who even are experts in this field, and who would like to cooperate and/or contribute to (the organisation of) this 2012 summer school. We count on you and hope to hear from you very soon! More details will be available in the first months of 2012. However, be sure that you ‘block’ these dates for the Andante Summer School 2012!
In the link below you will find a first outline of the programme, explaining how we would like to address the theme. The ‘software group’ is currently developing the programme. More details will follow in the first half of March.
Summer School 2011 – Recognise the signs of the times
‘We leave from here enriched, inspired, encouraged, grateful’ – just some testimonies from the Andante Summer School on the theme ‘Recognise the signs of the times: Spirituality put into practice by European women – yesterday, today, tomorrow’. Approximately 75 women from 13 European countries, age between 29 and 76 years, had come to Reute, Germany. Listening to some renowned speakers made them discover and become familiar with various forms of spirituality, not only in theory but also in the practice of everyday life. During the last plenary session several organisations already presented their ideas and projects for follow-up work on the theme of spirituality in their own organisations and countries. Such as: publish a booklet on remarkable women in Poland, create a ‘Mary Ward Society’ in Albania, encourage women to become more active in politics in order to fight against discriminations of all sorts, to commit themselves in working for Ecumenism and for a rightful place in our churches, and for an ‘authentic lifestyle’ which respects the environment and Creation.
From 15th to 18th April 2010, the representatives from Andante’s member organisations gathered in Strasbourg, France for the second General Assembly of Andante since its Constitutive Assembly, May 2006 in Budapest. Three Study Days on the theme “Europa – Women: a force for democracy!” were followed by the Statutory Assembly. In addition to the usual items like the adoption of the financial and activities report over the last two years, the delegates ratified the membership of two new organisations, they elected a new Co-ordinating Committee and ratified the election of the chair. They also defined the areas in which Andante should be active for the next three years: internal and external communication, spiritual development, education and training, political involvement. For each of these areas specific suggestions were made.
It was decided to hold the next General Assembly in April 2013 in Bratislava, Slovakia and to combine the Statutory Assembly with study days, like this time. But before that, in August 2011, a Summer School will be organised in Reute, South Germany, on the theme: “Women’s spirituality – yesterday, today and tomorrow”. As a response to queries from individual people about joining Andante, it was decided to offer the opportunity to become a ‘Friend of Andante’ to individual women and men. During the Eucharist closing the Assembly the ‘Common Prayer of Andante’ was presented.
Read more about the Statutory Assembly and the Study Days
