Report on the Fourth International Convocation of U*U Women and People of Progressive Faiths
The János Zsigmond Unitarian College in Kolozsvár/Cluj hosted the Fourth International Convocation of U*U Women and People of Progressive Faiths, September 5-8, 2024.
The dream of many years has come true: the plans for the four-day event came to life and many details of the organization were put in place thanks to the selfless efforts of enthusiastic organizers, seminarians, and parishioners.
The opening ceremony took place in the Francis David prayer room. Lay president and Convocation co-convener Dr. Krisztina Sándor and Bishop Rev. István Kovács opened the prestigious event. On behalf of the college, principal Márta Popa’s welcoming words were conveyed by Rev. Mária Rácz. The event was also graced by the presence of deputy mayor Emese Oláh. On behalf of the ICUUW, president Tina Huesing, executive director Zsófia Sztranyiczki, and Convocation co-convener Gizella Nagy welcomed all. On behalf of the Unitarian Women’s Association of Romania, president Csilla Júlia Dimény expressed her delight that guests from so many countries had come.
In the morning, participants had the choice of starting the day with spinal yoga or Tai Chi. Revs. Emese Erzsébet Finta from Torockószentgyörgy and Tünde Szász from Szőkefalva led the morning worship services in Hungarian; Revs. Addae Kraba (USA), Denise Tracy (USA), and Jill McAllister (USA) as well as lay leader Carol Maciel (Brazil) led the morning worship services in English.
On Friday, a very useful and valuable panel discussion on “Women Entrepreneurs Paving the Way to a Sustainable Future” started off the proceedings, moderated by Dr. Krisztina Sándor. Our guests, Antal Hajnal (Selected Bags), Enikő Balog (Vera Green Bio Products and Zero Waste), Noémi Karácsonyi (Simacek Romania), and Ágnes Kovács (Handmade), presented the ins and outs of setting up and running a company. The entrepreneurs sought answers to questions such as ways to help people find their true selves in their workplace or ways to create a more peaceful, sustainable world. Leadership requires continuous learning; they are involved in mentoring programs and are also very keen on educating students.
After a short break, Dr. Maureen Porter (USA) gave a presentation on “Joining Hands to Weave a Global Tapestry of Peace, Dignity, and Respect.” The speaker stressed the importance of patience, endurance, and flexibility. Speaking about her volunteer work in different parts of the world, such as Uganda and Bolivia, Maureen reported that she has always tried to bring about change in communities in a sustainable way; considering the needs of local people has always been paramount to meaningful change. Inner peace must be created; inner peace means being able to accept our shortcomings, because we do not have to be perfect at all costs. “Peace is not the absence of conflict, but conflict managed properly,” she said.
For Hungarian-language workshops, there were several choices: The Art of Transformation (Antal Hajnal), Resilience or How to Manage Our Inner Resources Well (Rozália Csáki), Be You for Change - Building Healthy Relationships and Preventing Violence against Women (Dr. Éva László), Stress Management to Protect Our Mental Health (Polixéna Keresztesi), Collective Memory Processing of Historical Traumas through Literary Works (Dr. Réka Jakabházi), Soul and Lavender (Rev. Noémi Moldován Szeredai). In addition, a round table discussion entitled Together for Peace! was held with the staff and volunteers of the Providence aid organization of the Hungarian Unitarian Church.
Just as in the previous two convocations, ICUUW member and outreach co-chair Julie Steinbach brought gifts: small marble necklaces in a spiral, symbolizing our Earth. Each of us chose the one we liked and held it in our hands, while breathing in the joy and friendships experienced and breathing out the hope for love and peace for all.
Saturday coincided with the annual meeting and conference of UNOSZ, the Unitarian Women’s Association of Romania. The main presentation, titled Resilience in an Age of Uncertainty and Trauma, was moderated by Dr. Annamária Kádár, who talked to Dr. Hesna Al Ghaoui. Hesna, who worked as a reporter and war correspondent in conflict zones in the Middle East, shared several of her experiences during times of fear and anxiety. She discovered her true self while in situations in which she had no control, and she managed to channel her lived experience to help others in need. She stressed the importance of being aware of our negative habits without self-criticism, from which we should always learn. She reminded us not to overprotect our children, and at the same time, she asked the question: are we capable of letting them go into risky situations?
The UNOSZ-day continued with service led by Rev. Júlia Koppándi. Her sermon brought tears to our eyes and touched our souls as she presented the fate of women, both well-known and from her own family.
Chalice Circles led to intimate conversations among participants. Global Sisters Groups offered space for constructive dialogue on intersecting global crises and threats to peace and security, all disproportionately affecting women and girls.
The evening entertainment was colorful, varied, and fun: organist Noémi Miklós played organ pieces by women composers; a group of local Ukrainian refugee women led by Yulia Skalska performed Ukrainian music; singer-songwriter Ilka Kisgyörgy presented folk-music inspired songs. Raffle was provided both for participants of the Convocation and participants in the annual meeting of the Unitarian Women’s Association of Romania.
Rev. Júlia Mária Jobbágy led the closing celebration and service on Sunday, addressing those present based on Habakkuk 2:1: “I will take my stand at my guard post and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me, and what I shall answer concerning my complaint.” “All of us who are present are standing in a place of defense, defending something that is precious to us,” Rev. Júlia said. In medieval times, fortifications across Transylvania were built to protect the churches around which people built their lives. Today, all of us present at the Convocation, from every part of the world, are supported by a firm foundation. We are standing guard, protecting the light among us, our shared values and faith, as U/Us.
I believe that we have all been enriched by each other's presence, by the experiences lived, by the life experiences heard. I ask that we incorporate what we have learned here into our small communities at home.
We hope to meet again, somewhere, sometime, with God's blessing!