Summer School of Dialogue between Christians and Marxists

The focus of the upcoming Summer School 2018 in Syros, Greece will be – in keeping with our motto ‘See – Judge – Act’ – on exchanging Marxist and Christian positions on crucial social issues, like democracy, Europe, common goods, and dialogue.

The idea

The DIALOP (Dialogue Project) Summer School is a joint project between universities, foundations and associations, developed by faculty members with different ideological and philosophical, Marxist or Christian backgrounds.

In times of growing social challenges, the DIALOP aim is to develop common commitments to peace, non-violence, social justice, democracy, and ecological transformation. While Europe runs the risk of becoming a continent fragmented by walls and fences, an alternative vision of Europe must be developed: a common Europe of bridges, characterized by the exchange of cultural goods and values.

Students and young activists are invited to participate in this process, in order to enrich mutual understanding and fostering the possibilities that can arise from the encounter of the two different traditions, and build an international and permanent network of dialogue partners, who share analyses and define joint fields of action.

The DIALOP Summer School encourages and hosts an intercultural and interfaith experience: spaces of dialogue will be explored in practice, common ground will be expanded, misunderstandings and prejudices be addressed, and differences understood in their complexity.

Topics

Key questions in our interdisciplinary work will be:

• How can a dialogue emerge, where differences have divided communities?
• How can an economy of free give and take (a gift economy) reinforce elements of identity and unity?
• Are there creative ways of overcoming traditional boundaries?
• How would dialogue be facilitated, what are its conditions, what strategies should be developed, and which initiatives should be taken?

Patronage

The Summer School is hosted by University of the Aegean, Ermoupoli (Greece), in collaboration with the Sophia University Institute (Italy), the Congregation for Catholic Education, the Focolare Movement and transform! europe. Further supporters are the University of Paris 8 (France) and the KPH – Edith Stein (Austria).

Applying to participate

Students (BA, MA, PhD, Postdoc) from around the world and a variety of disciplines as well as social and political activists between 20 and 30 years old, can apply.

Registration

The registration process has three steps.

1) Submit the application by sending the following documents (written in English) up to 2 July 2018 via email to office@dialop.net
• the completed and signed application form;
• the letter of motivation explaining the reasons of your participation, the experience and the know-how you bring to the topics listed in the programme, and your expectations for the Summer School (one page/500 words);
• your Curriculum Vitae.

2) Admission: the selected participants will be notified by the DIALOP office by 15 May 2018. This confirmation will be accompanied by further information material.

3) Legally valid application will occur by transferring the amount of € 250 (to cover participation fees, accommodation, breakfast and one main meal) by 30 May 2018 to the account of the Aegean University.