This year’s Andante Summer School focused on the theme “We are the inheritors of the earth – what can we do to live responsibly?”. 60 participants, coming from 13 European countries, from Norway to Albania and from France to Latvia, listened to expert speakers from very different backgrounds and took part in vivid discussions and practical workshops on how to meet, as a person and/or as a community, the challenge of living in a sustainable and environment-friendly way.
“The world should not be seen as a market but rather as a household, and women have special experience in running households”, said Dr. Michaela Moser from Austria addressing the summer school. Another speaker was 14 year old Clara Slawik (Germany) who spoke passionately about the children’s ‘Plant-for-the-Planet’ campaign to plant 1000 million trees worldwide by 2020: “For us children future is a question of survival; ‘stop talking - start planting’; save the human, not (only) the polar bears.”
At the end of the summer school there was a call from the participants to create an annual ‘Andante Day for the Environment’ when the wonders of creation would be celebrated as a reminder of the threat to the earth from climate change. This day could be marked by environmental initiatives, such as tree planting; or by individuals and families deciding to reduce energy consumptions, and thereby carbon emissions to a bare minimum for one day.
At its meeting immediately following the summer school the Andante Coordinating Committee (CoCoA) decided to organise an event on 29^th September, during its next meeting in Oslo. It was suggested that all Andante member organisations should try to organise a similar event on that same date in their countries. To this purpose they could contact national branches of ‘Plant-for-the-Planet’ and/or other organisations working in the field of environment protection and see how they could cooperate and take action together.

To the flyer
To  the programme
To the outline of the workshops
To the text ‘Dialogue’
To the text 'the 4 Elements
To the prayer ‘Fragile Earth’
To the talk of Sr. Dr. Helen Costigane
To the talk of Gabriele Ulbrich
To the power point presentation by Sarah Rodriguez

‘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. 

To the programme
To the presentation of the workshops
To the talk of Barbara Baumann (only in German)
To the definition of ‘Dialogue’ (in 3 languages)
To the abstract of the talk of Aurelia Spendel
To the texts concerning the 3 women she presented
To the talk of Tina Beattie
To the texts of the labyrinth of Reute

From 15^th to 18^th 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.
The delegates ratified the membership of the Organisation of Catholic Women of Luxembourg ACFL and of the English Branch of the Institute of our Lady of Mercy. They adopted the activities report and the financial report over the last two years, and the budget for the next two years. They elected a new Co-ordinating Committee (CoCoA): Inese Augskalne (Latvia), Mette Bruusgaard (Norway), Maria Demeterova (Slovakia), Zuszsa Huzska-Lackoné (Hungary), Agnès Manesse (France), Mary McHugh (England and Wales), Maria Teresia Opladen (Germany), Claire Renggli-Enderle (Switzerland), and Marie–Louise van Wijk-van de Ven (Netherlands). This last one was re-elected, and ratified, as chair of Andante for another term of office.
In a so-called ‘future workshop’ the participants were invited to give their opinion on the functioning of Andante so far, and express their wishes and vision for the future. The method of animation chosen enabled many ideas to be gathered and resulted in a vivid exchange and sharing of ideas. Many concrete recommendations – both addressed to the CoCoA and the organisations themselves – were made. The responses will be collected together by the new CoCoA into projects with new priorities.
Some future events have already been planned: a ‘Summer School’ on women’s spirituality in Europe (August 2011 in a convent of Franciscan Sisters in Reute, South-Germany) and the next Assembly (April 2013 in Bratislava, Slovakia).

Europa – Women: a force for democracy!

A big park with flourishing trees, a welcoming home: the Cultural Centre St. Thomas in Strasbourg, at walking distance from the European Institutions. In short: a perfect location for the General Assembly of ANDANTE, from 15^th to 18^th April 2010.
The approximately 60 participants from 13 European countries were warmly welcomed by the women of the regional branch of the French member organisation Action catholique des femmes. Thursday afternoon, even before the official opening session of the Assembly, many of them took part in a visit to the Council of Europe.