Friedenslicht 2004 - Berichte von anderen Ländern
BELGIEN
Unsere Reise begann in Eupen über Aachen, Frankfurt bis nach Wien. Am Nachmittag ging es zur Lichtverteilungsfeier. Nach einem Empfang mit Tee und Kuchen, wo wir auch viele neue Bekanntschaften machten, konnten wir, trotz kleiner Schwierigkeiten beim Entzünden unserer Petroleumlampen, unser Friedenslicht heil zu unserer Schlafstätte bringen. Eine kleine Stadtbesichtigung, der Besuch des Weihnachtsmarktes und endlich ein landes-typisches Essen rundeten diesen Tag ab.
Das Positive dieser Aktion war, dass wir mit verschiedenen Menschen aus verschiedenen Ländern zusammenkamen, um die selbe Friedensinitiative in der ganzen Welt zu verbreiten. Zusammen mit allen PfadfinderInnen hoffen wir, dass der Friede sich in der nächsten Zeit noch weiter ausbreitet.
Bericht verfasst von:
Sylvie Ernst, Michael Meessen, Pierre Emanuel Graass, Géraldine Baudouin, Samuel Chappel Benjamin Sajotte, Eric Lampe, Joris Geurden, Anne Francoise, Marie Dauvrin, Céline Vandenberghe, Verena Wünsche
(Les Scouts - Fédération Catholique des Scouts Baden-Powell de Belgique; GCB - Guides Catholiques de Belgique; VVKSM - Vlaams Verbond van Katholieke Scouts en Meisjesgidsen; Fédération Nationale des Patros Féminins)
DÄNEMARK
On Tuesday November 23, 2004 the Peace Light was collected from it eternal flare in Sankt Laurentii Catholic in Roskilde. 100 members of the Danish Scout and Guide Fellowship where in torchlight procession led through Roskilde city and ended at the Roskilde Cathedral. In Roskilde Cathedral, Scout and Guide representative got Peace Light 2004, wherefrom it was passed on to the representatives of the local Fellowships in Northern-, East- and South Zealand and to the Peace Light Coordinator.
On Wednesday November 24, the Peace Light Coordinator sent out the Peace Light with the help of members of the Scout and Guide Fellowship and the Danish Railway Company; the Peace Light was in transport boxes. Kl. 11.20 the IC-train left Roskilde on the way to Funen and Jutland. In addition to the Peace Light the "carrier" had some small lights and an info folder to handout it to others in the train. From Fredericia three of the boxes were sent to Tinglev, Esbjerg and Thisted, all towns in Jutland. 49 local Fellowships took part in this years Peace Light.
In January 2005 all of the local Fellowships received a debriefing letter; 37 have returned it to the Peace Light Coordinator with new ideas and remarks to his year. By use of regional television, regional newspapers and a lot of other events around the Peace Light 2004, it has become a well known activity in Denmark.
As tradition, the Peace Light 2004 was passing on from the local Ellsinore Fellowship to the Swedish Fellowship in Helsingborg.
Well done and thank you to everybody taking part in the project "A Gift of Light - A Gift of Hope"!
ITALIEN
It is a tradition that some Scouts Groups AGESCI, AMIS, FSE, MASCI and SZSO distribute the "Light of Bethlehem" all over Italy - thanks to the cooperation of the State Railways. This year 30 chiefs and rovers have departed from Triest heading towards Lecce, Siracusa, Livorno, Aosta, Cagliari. A great number of groups - 389 - have joined in and 1800 newspapers reporting the 2003 activities have been printed and handed out. In all railway stations we have always been warmly welcome. All over Italy lay and religious ceremonies have been held.
This year we would like to bear our witness about the ecumenical meeting of prayer held in Triest on 18 December 2004. This city has always been a crucible of different cultures, ethnic groups and religions, therefore it is significant that the scouts have welcome the "light" along with their Christian brothers of other Churches present in the city. Gathered together in the Serbian/Orthodox, Lutheran, Methodist, Swiss and Waldensian Churches, we have welcome the light and prayed together.
The ceremony has been a very intense moment in which all the reunited people have shared the message of peace and hope that the "Light of Bethlehem" brings along.
Scout Groups AGESCI, AMIS, FSE, MASCI and SZSO
ITALIEN/Südtirol
Das Friedenslicht erreichte am 23. Dezember zum 13. Mal Südtirol. Die Verteilung wurde auch heuer an eine Spendenaktion geknüpft. Eine in Not geratene Südtiroler Familie konnte mit 22.335,12 Euro unterstützt werden. Diese Familie geriet in schwere finanzielle Schwierigkeiten, nachdem ein Schadenfeuer ihre Lebensexistenz zerstört hatte. Das Friedenslicht wurde am Brenner in einer kleinen Übergabefeier von Pfadfindern aus Innsbruck jenen aus Südtirol übergeben. Die einzelnen Stämme sorgten anschließend, zusammen mit den italienischen Pfadfindern der Agesci, für die Verteilung im ganzen Land. Beeindruckend war die Aussendung der einzelnen Gruppen im Dom von Bozen, welche die deutschen und italienischen Pfadfinder gemeinsam zweisprachig gestalteten.
Südtiroler Pfadfinderschaft
LUXEMBURG
Drei coole Könige auf erfolgreichem "Star Search". Seit nunmehr 11 Jahren bemüht sich die "Equipe d´Animation Religieuse" der "Lëtzebuerger Guiden a Scouten" ihren Mitgliedern im Advent eine ansprechende und ehrliche Vorbereitung auf das Weihnachtsfest anzubieten. Deshalb beteiligen wir uns seit 1994 an der "Aktion Friedenslicht", die sich Dank ORF und PPÖ zu einem neuen Weihnachtsbrauch in Luxemburg entwickeln konnte.
Auch heuer strahlte das Friedenslicht, in Bethlehem entzündet und über Österreich an unzählige Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen der Welt weitergereicht, in Luxemburg, genauer im beschaulichen Roeserbann.
Der hiesige "St.Donatus-Stamm" hatte es am 3. Adventsonntag in Wien abgeholt und per Bahn nach Roeser gebracht um es am 20. Dezember in einer ansprechenden "Star Search"-Veillée im Kulturzentrum an mehr als 600 PfadfinderInnen Luxemburgs und der angrenzenden deutschen und französischen Großregion weiterzuleiten.
Bei dieser nationalen Verteilungsfeier gelang es den Verantwortlichen um den Friedenslichtbeauftragten Ed Welfringer, ihrem Kuraten Marc Hubert, und der lokalen Stammesleiterin Frau Liliane Mozek, vortrefflich, den Friedenslichtgedanken mit den anstehenden Weltjugendtagen in Köln zu verbinden.
Thematisch begaben sich drei moderne Weisen auf die Suche nach Lichtmomenten in unserer Zeit. Ihr GPS-Gerät leitete sie zu den PfadfinderInnen. Dort erlebten sie deren Ansichten zum Weihnachtsfest und erfuhren viel über deren soziales Engagement, die Weltjugendtage in Köln sowie das hiefür geplante, internationale Vorbereitungslager in Weicherdingen. Musikalisch wurde der Abend vom Weltjugendtagschor und -orchester "Caravanne" umrahmt.
Draußen vor dem Pfadfinderheim zündeten die Pfadfinder anschließend ihre Laternen an um das Friedenslichtt mit in ihre Dörfer und Städte zu nehmen, damit sie es an Heiligabend in den Kirchen ihrer Pfarreien und in Altersheimen weiterschenken konnten.
Durch Kerzenverkauf und Kollekten konnten 4.100,-- Euro an das Projekt "ANACOP" von Pater Johny Geisen in Brasilien überwiesen, sowie die Teilnahme von 30 libanesischen Pfadfindern an den Weltjugendtagen finanziert werden.
Die Friedenslicht-Idee erobert weiterhin die luxemburgische Pfadfinderherzen, nicht zuletzt deshalb, weil es sie anspornt, einen einfachen aber persönlichen Beitrag für den Dialog und den Frieden zu leisten, Grenzen zu überwinden und mit dem Licht anderen Menschen eine Freude und Herzlichkeit zu schenken.
POLEN
On Sunday 12th December 2004 the Peace Light reached Poland for the fourteenth time. It came with Slovak Scouts and Guides to the border at Lysa Polana in the Tatra Mountains. On the same day it reached Kraków and Jasna Góra. Within the next few days it spread broadly all over Poland and beyond its borders - to Russia, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine.
The Light was welcomed by the President of Poland, Primate of Poland, members of Sejm and Senate, and many other important persons and institutions. It was received in thousands of offices, hospitals and families. TV, radio and press coverage was very good.
This years motto was "Peace Light from Bethlehem – the Light of the World, Europe, and Poland".
- For further information see: www.swiatlo.zhp.pl
ZHP Poland
RUMÄNIEN
"Ihr werdet das Licht nehmen und so den Weg finden!"
Die Tradition der österreichischen Pfadfinder fortsetzend, fand die Messfeier der Überreichung des Friedenslichts von Bethlehem am 18. Dezember 2004 in der katholischen Pfarre St. Nicolae von Bacau statt, an der rund um 350 Pfadfinder und eine große Zahl an Gläubigen teilnahmen.
Der Enthusiasmus der Teilnehmer an diesem besonderen Ereignis konnte nicht beschrieben werden, er ließ jedoch Spuren in den Herzen der Jugendlichen. Durch ihr Geste möchten sie ihren Wunsch zum Ausdruck bringen, diese Welt ein bisschen "heller" zu hinterlassen, als sie sie vorgefunden haben.
Asociatia Scout Catolica din Romania
RUSSLAND/Kaliningrad
"Light of the Peace" in the West of Russia Kaliningrad city children-youth public organization of scouts "The Bear" took part in the project for the 8th time in December 2004. This year preparation for the action was started at the scout meeting "Autumn 2004" with thinking of program and souvenirs. This year the project was supported by Father Vladimir, the head of youth department of the Kaliningrad Diocese. Owing to his help the Blessing of Baltic Bishop, Vicar of the Smolensk diocese of Russian Orthodox Church Serafim was received. This year the project of "Light of the Peace" in Kaliningrad region was arranged as follows:
- On the 17th of December "The Light" was handed over by Polish Harcers (Scouts) of Bartoshitsy at the border in Bagrationovsk;
- on the 18th of December the transmission of the Light to Nesterov Scouts took place for the first time at the border at "Gusev-Goldap";
- on the 20th of December Nesterovs' scouts transferred the Light to Lithuanian scouts from Vishitis at the border at "Chernyshevskoe Kibartay";
- on the 18th of December scouts of Baltiysk and Svetliy took part in "Light of the Peace" in Poland in Ostruda. The project was arranged there by local harcers as a celebration for all people from their town;
- on the 18th to 19th of December a group of Kanliningrad scouts visited Elblag (Poland) to take part in the project, arranged by Elblag Scouts;
- December - in all groups of the organization there were programs devoted to "Light of the Peace". Girl scouts groups "Octapus" and "Dragonfly" arranged a meeting with a concert, which was very successful, at the House of Veterans of the 2nd World War. Group "Albatross" from Baltiysk organized meetings of 3 schools of Baltiysk and in the social-rehabilitation center "Most". Nesterovs' scouts organized meetings at Nesterov, Gusev schools and at Gusev Orphanage;
- on the 5th of January, 2005 in the Eve of Orthodox Christmas scout groups handed over "The Light" to the Orthodox Cathedral in Kaliningrad. At the meeting there were a lot of parishioners, children from Sunday school and representatives of our scout-organization. "The Light" was handed over to the Cathedral Solemny and with kind wishes to all people.
Link:
- Further information about Peace Light in Russia
SCHWEDEN
Dear Friends,
in the end of September 2004, the Swedish Scout Council (SSC) unfortunately and regrettably announced that they were not going to support the 2004 Peacelight activities in Sweden. This triggered an intense activity in the Swedish branch of the International Scout and Guide Fellowship (ISGF), trying to organise the 2004 distribution of the Peacelight of Bethlehem as best we could.
The Peacelight was collected from Helsingör, Denmark, November 24, by a group of scouts, guides and ISGF members. Via a short stop in Helsingborg, Sweden, the Peacelight was distributed with the aid of local scouts, guides and ISGF members to a great numbers of locations in the southern part of Sweden, where it has been used to convey the everlasting peace message in various occasions, in churches, homes for the elderly, nursing homes, kindergartens, scout, guide and ISGF actvities.
The short notice unfortunately made it impossible to transport the Peacelight to the northern parts of Sweden. We have later been informed that the SSC aims to take part in the Peacelight activities and distribution again. This sounds very promising, because many earlier recipients expressed regrets that we could not distribute the flame as was done 2003 and earlier.
ISGF Sweden
UNITED STATES of AMERICA
The Peace Light from Bethlehem campaign was originally organized by the Austrian Broadcasting Company - ORF (Linz) - and was part of a large charitable relief mission: Light into Darkness, for children in need in Austria and abroad. Since 1990, there has been a great deal of co-operation between Scouts and Guides in many countries which has allowed the light to travel throughout Europe. Each year, a child from Upper Austria fetches the light from the grotto in Bethlehem where Jesus was born. The light is then flown to Austria from where it is distributed at a Service of Dedication to delegations from across Europe who take it back, with a message of Peace, to their own countries for use at ecumenical services throughout the continent. Scouts and Guides can then take the light on to other churches, hospitals, old people homes, prisons, and places of public, cultural and political importance - to anybody that appreciates the significance of the "gift".
The aim of the campaign is to include as many people as possible and to take them the light and the peace message, which encourages everyone, but especially Scouts and Guides, to actively create peace in their environment by being tolerant towards people of different ethnic, cultural, political or religious groups.
The Light has been coming to the US since 2001. Alpine Scout Camp Ranger Wally Cary accepts the Peace Light on Sunday Dec. 5 as Campmaster Art Brace and Scouts from Long Island, N.Y., look on.
Thanks to the Port Authority of NY and NJ Police for assisting with our event and providing VIP logistical support for the Peace Light from Bethlehem event. Also thanks to Marie Elena Giossi, Reporter from the "Tablet" for covering the event and providing news of the peace light to thousands of individuals in Brooklyn and Queens.
The Peace Light was then immediately transported by participants to distribution locations on Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Rockville Center in the State of New York and Bergen County in the State of New Jersey.
Boy Scouts of America