The 2005 WCER Congress (8th – 10 th June 2005)
Invitation and Programme
Place : Arenbergschouwburg, Arenbergstraat 28, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
Theme: “Spirituality and tradition in an anti-traditional world”
8 June
9.30h: reception with free tea or coffee
10.00h: ritual opening of WCER&T
- religious songs
- welcome ritual
- prayers
10.45h: Official opening speaker: clarification of the theme of the congress ( Stefaan Van den Eynde – president of Traditie – Asatru the Low Countries):
PowerPoint Presentation Flanders and its traditions
12.30h: Lunch break
14.00h: musical intermezzo
14.05h: Speaker 1 (Michael Strmiska) What are the requested categories for the recognition of religions by the State
14.35h: musical intermezzo
14.40h: discussion
15.30h: Break with musical intermezzo
16.00h: musical intermezzo
16.05h: Speaker 2 (Koenraad Logghe): The struggle against secularisation and rejection of the primacy of socio-economic ideology. Is separation of ‘church’ and ‘state’ a good situation, or should there be influence (advice?) from religions towards politics?
16.35h: musical intermezzo
16.40h: discussion
17.45h: check-in for bus to Tienen
at 18.00h we’re leaving for “de 3 tommen” ( the 3 tumili) near Tienen. Sandwiches on the bus. On the (free) bus will be explained what the ritual will be about. A may-pole will be erected. Ritual folk-dances will be performed. The fire will be brought down from the 3 tumili (burial hills) and a ritual fire will be lit. Each delegation will have the possibility to perform a fire-ritual. Then a folk-group will perform the Flemish tradition of flag throwing and other folk-dances. At end, the fire will return ritually to the top of the tumili.
- A commission will synthetisize the end conclusions of the discussions during the evening
9 June
8.30h reception with free tea or coffee
9.00h: Poem (Dutch, with English translation)
9.05h: musical intermezzo
9.10h: Speaker 3 (Jonas Trinkunas): The resistance against globalism, indifferentialism, dissapearance of ethnicity, languages, cultures in an always bigger and ‘egalitarian’ global order
9.40h: musical intermezzo
9.45h: discussion
10.30h: Break with musical intermezzo
10.50h: musical intermezzo
10.55h: Speaker 4 (Jessiee Kaur Singh): Reclaiming religious rights for the women. What is the function of women in religions, how can they play their important role in the extension of the religious practice?
11.25h: musical intermezzo
11.30h: discussion
12.15h: Visit to Bruges
Sandwiches on the bus. In Bruges their will be a guided tour. We will afterwards visit the shooting guild where an explanation and presentation will be given on traditional shooting of the symbolic ‘King-bird’. Everyone gets a little spare time to do some shopping and to enjoy an evening meal.
- A commission will synthetisize the end conclusions of the discussions during the evening
10 June
8.30h reception with free tea or coffee
9.00h: Poem (Dutch, with English translation)
9.05h: musical intermezzo
9.10h: Speaker 5 (Prof. G.P. Pokhariyal): reclaiming the old religious places: what is possible and what is necessary?
9.40h: musical intermezzo
9.45h: discussion
10.30h: Break with musical intermezzo
– preparing the resolution text
11.00h: Accepting the resolutions of WCER 2005
11.30h: Closing speech with resume of the congress and a invitation to the next congress (Stefaan van den Eynde)
13.00h: Lunch break
14.00h: free guided visit in Antwerp + free museum visit (possibilities: Rubensmuseum and Ethnografic Museum)
20.30h: free bus to Malle where the closing ritual will take place
21.00h: Closing ritual:Inner Order of Traditie in cooperation with all participants and community of Asatruar in the Low Countries.