2011 DAD Symposium Proceedings
Transcription
2011 DAD Symposium Proceedings
Project Generation Youth Environmental Symposium Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Resurrection Feb 5, 2011 Project Generation Proceedings 1 DEDICATION 1 SPECIAL THANKS 3 FOREWORD 5 BACKGROUND OF PROJECT GENERATION NOTE ON THESE PROCEEDINGS 5 5 AGENDA 7 PARTICIPANTS 9 PHOTO GALLERY 11 PRESENTATIONS 13 ARCTIC RSE SYMPOSIUM POOR, POOR POLAR BEARS RECYCLING AT RESURRECTION THEY PUT UP A PARKING LOT 15 19 23 27 APPENDICES 31 INTRODUCTORY LETTER KOINONIA ARTICLES JUNE, 2010: INTRODUCING PROJECT GENERATION AUGUST, 2010: PROJECT GENERATION PREPARES FOR SYMPOSIUM IN FEBRUARY DECEMBER, 2010: PROJECT GENERATION UPDATE FEBRUARY, 2011: PROJECT GENERATION SYMPOSIUM – THE WAY FORWARD ROAD SHOW (POWERPOINT SLIDES) FLIERS PROJECT GENERATION ON FACEBOOK CERTIFICATE OF PARTICIPATION 31 32 32 32 33 34 35 41 43 51 Project Generation Proceedings Dedication Happy Birthday Your All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew With All of Our Love and Our Thanks For Your Inspirational Leadership From your Spiritual Children at Project Generation 1 Project Generation Proceedings 2 Project Generation Proceedings Special Thanks Special thanks to • Bishop Savas of Troas for his support and advice that helped to shape Project Generation, and for his thoughtful and dynamic leadership of the symposium which provided inspiration to all of its participants. • Deacon Evagoras Constantinidis for providing his personal support and the resources of the Direct Archdiocesan District Youth Office to Project Generation. • Fr. John Vlahos, our parish priest, for his love and leadership of the youth of our parish, and his constant encouragement for Project Generation. • Fr. Demetrios Recachinas, Viola Skenderis, Eva Vaniotis and the parents and youth of Holy Trinity Bridgeport for their overwhelming support of the project, and their participation via teleconference due to inclement weather. • Laurence Manos, for his inspirational iconography, Peter J. Pappas, Jr. for allowing us to borrow the icon, and Island Photography, for transforming it into a beautiful birthday card. 3 Project Generation Proceedings 4 Project Generation Proceedings Foreword Background of Project Generation A series of articles, originally published in Koinonia, the parish newsletter of the Church of the Holy Resurrection during 2010, provide a background on Project Generation. These articles can be found in their entirety in the Appendix. Note on These Proceedings On February 5, 2010, the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Resurrection in Brookville, NY hosted the inaugural Project Generation Environment Symposium for Youth. This volume, together with the DVD’s that accompany it, provide a glimpse into the content of the day, along with the preparation. The focal point of the day was a discussion on environment and our religion by all participants, moderated by Bishop Savas of Troas. The discussion is not captured within the written proceedings, but is contained on Disc 2 of the DVD set. 5 Project Generation Proceedings 6 Project Generation Proceedings Agenda 2011 Project Generation Symposium Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Resurrection “There is no doubt in our mind that the only way forward is through the concerted effort of our younger generations. Ultimately it is you that need to address this issue”- Patriarch Bartholomew Agenda Time Session Speaker / Facilitator Registration 11:00 am – 11:15 am Bishop Savas of Troas Opening Prayer Assisted by Fr. John Vlahos 11:15 am – 11:30 am Fr. John Vlahos Welcoming Remarks 11:30 am – 11:40 am 11:40 am – 11:50 am The Green Patriarch – Part 1 Chris Gabriel Introduction Valerie Sakellaridis The Green Patriarch – Part 2 11:50 am – 12:00 pm 12:00 pm – 12:45 pm Jim Gabriel Presentations 1. RSE – Arctic Ocean 2. Recycling at Resurrection 3. “Black Muddy River” 4. “They Put Up a Parking Lot” L u n c h 12:45 pm – 1:30 pm Potential topics Can We Afford to Wait? Even if we assume there’s only a 30% chance that Global Warming is real, should we be taking steps to address it now? 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm Group Discussion Led by Bishop Savas Is It a Sin? The first Patmos Proposal states: “To pollute the environment or not to take care of it should be seen as sin.“ Do you agree? How does this change your view of pollution? The Chevy Volt is energizing the car buyers’ market. But is it helping us to conserve energy? Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of electric cars We Can Work It Out (but how?) How can religion inspire humanity towards an ecological ethos? Keeping the Faith: Does His Holiness’ leadership in the conservation of our Earth help make the Church more relevant to us as teens? 2:30 pm – 2:45 pm Remarks 2:45 pm – 2:50 pm Closing Prayer Bishop Savas Bishop Savas of Troas Assisted by Fr. John Vlahos 7 Project Generation Proceedings 8 Project Generation Proceedings Participants Name Bishop Savas of Troas Fr. John Vlahos Parish / School Director – Office of Church and Society Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Church of the Holy Resurrection; Brookville, NY Christopher Gabriel (Co-chair) Valerie Sakellaridis (Co-chair) Church of the Holy Resurrection; Brookville, NY Church of the Holy Resurrection; Brookville, NY Patrick Bellidoro Yanna Bellidoro Christina Billias Dionysia Caviris Callie Catacosinos Jamie Leigh Catacosinos Emily Colon Alexa Hallas Darius Homayuni Lia Homayuni Alexia Ipiotis Pericles Ipiotis Margarita Kolitsas Joe LaCorte Vanessa Markou Goegiana Mingos Nicole Pettas Lauren Sabatino Anna Sakellaridis Joseph Signorile Demetra Skenderis Alexandra Walsh Evan Yiannoulis Church of the Holy Resurrection; Brookville, NY Church of the Holy Resurrection; Brookville, NY Church of the Holy Resurrection; Brookville, NY Holy Trinity Church; Hicksville, NY Church of the Holy Resurrection; Brookville, NY Church of the Holy Resurrection; Brookville, NY Locust Valley High School; Locust Valley, NY Holy Trinity, Bridgeport, CT Archangel Michael Church; Port Washington, NY Archangel Michael Church; Port Washington, NY Church of the Holy Resurrection; Brookville, NY Church of the Holy Resurrection; Brookville, NY Holy Trinity, Bridgeport, CT Oyster Bay High School; Oyster Bay, NY Church of the Holy Resurrection; Brookville, NY Holy Trinity Church; Hicksville, NY Holy Trinity, Bridgeport, CT Locust Valley High School; Locust Valley, NY Church of the Holy Resurrection; Brookville, NY Archangel Michael Church; Port Washington, NY Holy Trinity; Bridgeport, CT St. George; Hartford, CT Holy Trinity; Bridgeport, CT 9 Project Generation Proceedings 10 Project Generation Proceedings Photo Gallery 11 Project Generation Proceedings 12 Project Generation Proceedings Presentations Participants were encouraged to prepare and deliver presentation on topics of interest. Recommendations were provided for topics, including: • One Particular Harbor o Choose a body of water from the RSE Symposia o Research its environmental issues, recent progress or problems o Highlight what we can do • Black Muddy River o Discuss the case of GE’s pollution of the Hudson River o Does the Hudson river have a chance vs. corporate America? • Poor, Poor Polar Bears o Research the impact of glacial melting on Polar Bears o (Feel free to include seals too) • They Put Up a Parking Lot o How many acres of natural habitat are destroyed by construction annually? What is the impact on our communities and on other living animals? Four presentations were delivered, and are included here. 13 Project Generation Proceedings 14 Project Generation Proceedings Arctic RSE Symposium 15 Project Generation Proceedings 16 Project Generation Proceedings 17 Project Generation Proceedings 18 Project Generation Proceedings Poor, Poor Polar Bears 19 Project Generation Proceedings 20 Project Generation Proceedings 21 Project Generation Proceedings 22 Project Generation Proceedings Recycling at Resurrection 23 Project Generation Proceedings 24 Project Generation Proceedings 25 Project Generation Proceedings 26 Project Generation Proceedings They Put Up a Parking Lot 27 Project Generation Proceedings 28 Project Generation Proceedings 29 Project Generation Proceedings 30 Project Generation Proceedings Appendices Introductory Letter May 15, 2010 Reverend Father, I am writing to inform you about Project Generation, an initiative that I am organizing for the teenagers of our district. Project Generation allows the youth of our district to respond to the call of His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew by taking immediate action regarding our Environment. The idea first took shape last summer at Brown University in Providence, RI, where I participated the Leadership Institute, a program for teens. My course was called Leadership and Global Engagement, and focused on global issues, ranging from the economy to the environment. At the end of the course we were asked to create an action plan that we would implement and lead when we returned home. After learning about His All Holiness’ environmental work, I was inspired to advance his mission. It amazes me that so few of my peers understand who His All Holiness is and what he is about, particularly in light of his recent visit to our country. This is part of the reason I want to do this, so that Patriarch Bartholomew’s message can make the impact that it so richly deserves on the families of our church. This is the basis for Project Generation: in this project, we shall organize our own environmental symposium. Teams from across the Direct Archdiocesan District will perform research on environment topics, such as the Patriarch’s eight symposia, and then come together to present their results to their friends, family and communities. I am attaching a summary of the project phases, along with a proposed timeline that gives us a few months to recruit participants, a few months for the teams to perform their research, and concluding with the symposium. In recognition of His All Holiness, the timeline calls for a kickoff event roughly coinciding with his day for the Protection of the Enviornment, and a symposium roughly coinciding with his birthday. I would like to appeal to you to form a team of GOYA-aged youth from your parish to participate in Project Generation. I look forward to hearing from you in the meantime. You can reach me at [email protected], by phone at 631-754-1016, or through my home parish, the Church of the Holy Resurrection in Brookville, NY. In His Service, Chris Gabriel 31 Project Generation Proceedings Koinonia Articles June, 2010: Introducing Project Generation Last November His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew visited the United States to lead a RSE (Religion Science and the Environment) symposium on the Mississippi River. Since his departure, his message about the environment is in danger of being forgotten. It needs to be revived, along with a reminder of our responsibility as good Christians to protect the earth that God has created. The goal of Project Generation is to allow the youth of our district to respond to the call of His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew by taking immediate action regarding our Environment. If we can engage the next generation in matters involving religion and the environment, then we can continue the goals of His All Holiness. The fundamental objective of this project is to plan to organize our own environmental symposium. Our parish will host the symposium, and coordinate the overall project. Parishes from the entire Direct Archdiocesan District will be invited to participate. Teams from all invited parishes will perform research on environment topics, such as the Patriarch’s eight symposia or environmental bible passages/psalms, and then come together to present their results to their friends, family and communities. A list of suggested topics has been prepared as part of an FAQ distributed with the invitations. In recognition of His All Holiness, the current timeline calls for a kickoff event roughly coinciding with his day for the Protection of the Environment (sometime in September), and a symposium roughly coinciding with his birthday (late February to early March). In order to encourage communication between all teams, we have set up a web site (www.projectgeneration.net), Facebook group and Facebook page (both called Project Generation). We welcome all readers to visit these sites and to contact us with questions via e-mail ([email protected]) or via Facebook. You can also contact Chris Gabriel or Valerie Sakellarides at church. August, 2010: Project Generation Prepares for Symposium in February It has been almost a year since the idea of Project Generation was born; now this idea has become a reality. In the past ten months we have held numerous organizational meetings, set up a website (www.projectgeneration.net) along with a group and page on Facebook, and most importantly we have begun reaching out to all of the other parishes within the Archdiocesan District in order to maximize participation. We have already received positive responses from priests, advisors and teens in a number of parishes and look forward to finalizing a list of teams within the coming months. Our initial idea of a kickoff event in the fall has been replaced by an extended period of parish visitations in order to allow for more time for personal contact as part of the recruiting effort. We expect this to strengthen the showing at the symposium in February. We plan to continue this recruiting process through the fall, leaving two to three months for the teams to prepare their topics in advance of the symposium. While the symposium is still months away, our next major effort will be to advertise it in order to maximize attendance. We hope that the vast knowledge that the teams will present will enlighten not only our youth but also all adults who attend the event to His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew’s deep passion for protecting the environment 32 Project Generation Proceedings After the symposium we plan to publish the proceedings of symposium. This will not only enable the participants to look back upon their findings but also will leave a permanent record so that anyone who does not attend the event can be aware of the message set by this symposium and by His All Holiness. If you want more information about Project Generation you can either e-mail us at [email protected] or go to projectgeneration.net December, 2010: Project Generation Update In our last few issues, you have read articles by two of our teens, Chris Gabriel and Valerie Sakellaridis, about Project Generation. In this issue, you will receive a brief update from their advisor’s perspective. Project Generation is an extremely worthwhile project, focused on raising the awareness of our kids and their families (that’s us) about the efforts of our Ecumenical Patriarch regarding the environment. His All Holiness, also known as the Green Patriarch, has been recognized as one of the world’s leaders on the environment. More importantly, he has shown all of us that the stewardship of God’s earth is not merely a secular issue. Given the amount of time that our kids spend in their school’s environment clubs and recycling projects, it is important that they recognize the relevance of their church in an issue they read or hear about almost daily. His All Holiness said it the best, when he addressed the following statement to our young adults: There is no doubt in our mind that the only way forward is through the concerted effort of our younger generations. ... ultimately, it is you that will oblige us to assume responsibility for the way we treat the earth and its resources. We are now in the home stretch, with the symposium scheduled for February 5th. Our current list of participants represents five parishes from across the Direct Archdiocesan District, and continues to grow. We have now introduced two new ways to participate, in order to encourage participation for those youth who may be too busy to prepare a presentation. Each individual may now select one of three options: • • • Research and present a relative topic on the environment Engage in a debate with their peers Participate in a round table discussion We've added some suggested topics (details on the web site) with titles such as: • • • • • One Particular Harbor Black Muddy River Poor, Poor Polar Bears Pollution For Sale Keeping the Faith Please encourage your kids to participate. Please plan to attend the symposium. A strong showing on February 5th will send a very clear, positive message to our Archdiocese and to His All Holiness. We have a great opportunity to highlight the leadership of Patriarch Bartholomew on environmental issues to our youth and their families. 33 Project Generation Proceedings February, 2011: Project Generation Symposium – The Way Forward “There is no doubt in our mind that the only way forward is through the concerted effort of our younger generations. Ultimately it is you that need to address this issue; ultimately, it is you that will be faced with the consequences of this crisis; and, ultimately, it is you that will oblige us to assume responsibility for the way we treat the earth and its resources, encouraging us to do so in a manner that dignifies both creation and our Creator.” - Patriarch Bartholomew On Saturday, February 5th, youth from across the Direct Archdiocesan District joined together for the inaugural Project Generation environmental symposium. His All Holiness, also known as the Green Patriarch, has been recognized as one of the world’s leaders on the environment. More importantly, he has shown all of us that the stewardship of God’s earth is not merely a secular issue. Given the amount of time that our kids spend in their school’s environment clubs and recycling projects, it is important that they recognize the relevance of their church in an issue they read or hear about almost daily. Project co-chairs, Chris Gabriel and Valerie Sakellaridis, spent the latter half of 2010 and early 2011 spreading the word about the project. This was done via social media such as Facebook, by visiting area parishes for Liturgy and GOYA meetings, and by networking with their peers at GOYA events. The Direct Archdiocese Youth office also provided a great deal of assistance with publicity. Deacon Evagoras Constantinides, the district youth director, provided significant guidance and promoted the event on the district web site and with his e-mail list. Our own Fr. John Vlahos did the same throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties. At the same time, the agenda for the symposia took shape. Thanks to significant guidance from His Grace Bishop Savas of Troas, the agenda developed from one resembling a science fair, to a multi-faceted program including a round table discussion about religion and the environment, moderated by His Grace. By the day of the event, we had participation from six parishes, as far away as Hartford, Connecticut. Due to inclement weather, the five participants from Holy Trinity, Bridgeport, participated via video link lending a “high tech” look and feel to the event. Opening remarks, combined with excerpts from “The Green Patriarch” DVD, provided attendees with a background of Project Generation. Through four presentations prepared by six of the participants, attendees learned about the plight of the polar bear, the impact of deforestation, the benefits and complexities of instituting a parish recycling program, and the highlights of His All Holiness’s RSE Symposium on the Arctic. Following lunch, Bishop Savas introduced a round table discussion by providing his own insights into the theological principles associated with Patriarch Bartholomew’s environmental initiatives. The teens of the symposium then engaged in debate and discussion around a number of issues, with the parents in attendance also chiming in with questions and observations. With His All Holiness’ birthday approaching at the end of the month, all present signed a birthday card that will be sent to Patriarch Bartholomew along with proceedings of the symposium, Project Generation water bottles, and a contribution towards the environmental center being built at the site of the orphanage recently returned by the Turkish government. All in all, it was a very stimulating event, one that has great potential to grow into an annual event and to spread beyond the Direct Archdiocesan District. In the meantime, project leaders hope to continue promoting dialogue on His All Holiness’ efforts among their peers. 34 Project Generation Proceedings Road Show (Powerpoint Slides) 35 Project Generation Proceedings 36 Project Generation Proceedings 37 Project Generation Proceedings 38 Project Generation Proceedings 39 Project Generation Proceedings 40 Project Generation Proceedings Fliers 41 Project Generation Proceedings ! ! Project Generation Youth Environmental Symposium ! ! ! ! ! Featuring Bishop Savas of Troas as moderator of our discussions Saturday, February 5, 2011 11 AM – 3PM Church of the Holy Resurrection ! ! ! ! ! ! 400 Cedar Swamp Road; Brookville, NY 11545 ! Research Projects ! Environmental Debate ! Panel Discussion ! Families, Friends and Interested Spectators Welcome!! ! ! ! Gifts for attendees - Lunch will be served To register as a participant, or for more information: Contact [email protected] or visit “Project Generation” on Facebook ! ! ! “There is no doubt in our mind that the only way forward is through the !concerted effort of our younger generations. Ultimately it is you that need to ! address this issue; ultimately, it is you that will be faced with the consequences of this crisis; and, ultimately, it is you that will oblige us to assume responsibility !for the way we treat the earth and its resources, encouraging us to do so in a ! manner that dignifies both creation and our Creator.” ! -Patriarch Bartholomew ! ! ! ! 42 Project Generation Proceedings Project Generation on Facebook 43 Project Generation Proceedings 44 Project Generation Proceedings 45 Project Generation Proceedings 46 Project Generation Proceedings 47 Project Generation Proceedings 48 Project Generation Proceedings 49 Project Generation Proceedings 50 Project Generation Proceedings Certificate of Participation 51