Promoting debate across borders
ICCS seeks to stimulate exchange in Europe across borders. Therefore, ICCS brings together people from various countries with backgrounds in research, practice and policy. The network creates a forum for critical dialogue where people can exchange their views and learn from each other, develop new ideas and grow together. In the broad field of church and school related issues topics may vary from very specific ones as the dialogue of religions in the Religious Education classroom to more overarching topics as the role of religion in education. This section gives you insights to current research and discussions in Europe.
The ICCS is a platform for expanding local civil activities to a more international stage. This is very important in a time when populism and nationalism grow not only in Europe, but globally too. To keep an open mind, to meet professionals and activists in this network – this is the biggest benefit of being a member of ICCS. To promote unity and cross boarders: national, professional, disciplinary, personal and natural ones. Proud to be a part of it!
Positive developments for education at Council of Europe spring meetings
The Conference of INGOs (CINGO) held its annual spring session in hybrid format on 24-26 April 2023. An exchange of views with Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić and the adoption of the INGO Conference Recommendation to the Council of Europe Heads of State Summit in Reykjavik on 16-17 May...
How the Danish School-Church Service works
In 1992 the first School-church service group formed in Denmark. The intention was to build a service for schools which was equivalent to the one offered to schools in most Danish museums, Zoos and other culture institutions where guided tours and teaching resources for qualitative learning is...
December newsletter is out now!
ICCS, together with its partner, the IV, has just published the latest issue of its newsletter. In this rich issue you can read more about the IV General Assembly, the study trip of several school leaders to the Netherlands and the résumé of the Thematic Group, whose mandate ended earlier than...
Self-Awareness as key – webinar on interreligious dialogue
Since spring 2021, a Committee on Interreligious and Interconvictional Dialogue has taken up its work at the Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations at the Council of Europe. [1] "Self-awareness as the key to intercultural and interreligious understanding" was the topic of a...
CEC Education office closes
By the end of January 2023, it will be final: the Strasburg office of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) will close its doors. This is a decisive cut for education as the Strasburg office has traditionally been the one responsible for this field. The two staff members currently located in...
Time to say goodbye
“Working together in this Thematic Group has been very important to us all. It allowed for dialogue with colleagues from all parts of Europe, from Orthodox, Lutheran, Methodist, Anglican and ecumenical backgrounds. In our world today characterised by so much divisiveness and so much violent...
Finally face to face: ICCS board meeting November 2022
The ICCS board met face to face for the first time in three years in Riga in Latvia in November. It was a great pleasure to get together again after a long series of digital board meetings. The exchange of ideas and thoughts flows more easily and it meant that we dug deep into the identity...
June Newsletter out now!
ICCS together with its partner the IV has just published the most recent issue of its newsletter. In this rich edition, you can learn more about peace education in times of the Ukraine war and register for the study trip in September to get to know the work of Christian schools in the Netherlands....
New platform for blended learning
The Wergeland Centre in Norway and the Council of Europe have established a new online learning platform for educators. This is to provide teachers and other educators with resources for their teaching for democracy and human rights. This platform is under development to provide openly accessible...
Religion and dialogue group exchange with Members of European Parliament
On 18th January 2022, the Committee of INGOs at the Council of Europe, which works on questions of religious education and dialogue and in which ICCS participates, had the chance to exchange with Members of the European Parliament. The ‘Group for intercultural dialogue’ of the European People’s...