The second introductory meeting was held under the patronage of His Grace Bishop Angelos, Bishop of the Churches of North Shubra, on February 29, 2020.
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Saturday, February 29, 2020
The second introductory meeting on comprehensive development programs and the introduction of “Development Partners” and their developmental role was held for priests in the churches of North Shubra, under the patronage of His Grace Bishop Angelos, Bishop of the Diocese. The meeting was attended by 31 priests from the following churches:
St. George’s Church (Abu Takiya), St. George’s Church (Al-Sahel), St. Mark’s and Pope Athanasius Church, the Virgin Mary and the Angel Church, the Virgin Mary and Pope Kyrillos Church, the Virgin Mary and St. George’s Church (Ard Ayoub), the Virgin Mary Church (Al-Hafziya), St. George’s Church (Khumarawih), St. Aba Sefin and St. Demiana Church, the Virgin Mary and St. Demiana Church (Ard Baba Daablo), the St. George Association (Al-Hafziya), and the Altar of the Virgin Mary at the St. Demiana Association (Ard Baba Daablo).
The meeting agenda included three sessions. The first session featured a lecture on the concepts of comprehensive development, defined as positive, integrated change across all spiritual, economic, cultural, and environmental aspects of individual and societal life. This aims to meet basic needs and uphold human rights to a decent quality of life, enabling individuals to utilize all their potential for self-realization and self-reliance for a happier present and a better future. This is achieved through mental and intellectual development (emphasizing education for all ages, life skills, and parental guidance), emotional development via spiritual and ecclesiastical fulfillment, skills development, health and quality of life improvement, and environmental development by fostering clean living conditions. Development relies on discipleship and empowerment through sound planning, implementation according to an action plan, and phased evaluation to refine activities at each stage, ultimately achieving the broader goal. In contrast, most current services focus on providing assistance, regular monthly subsidies to families, and offering medical treatment and care for various groups (such as widows, people with special needs, orphaned children, the elderly, etc.).
The second lecture featured a group of development partners, including: the Secretariat of Social Care, represented by Engineer Magdy El-Sharkawy; Dr. Amjad, Head of the Field Sector for Cairo Governorate (BLESS Egypt program) at the Bishopric of Public, Ecumenical and Social Services (BLESS); Ms. Nancy from the Anba Abram Service; and Dr. Mirvat from the Patient Care Service of the Secretariat of Social Care. This distinguished group of development experts shared practical experience models from working Coptic Orthodox Christian development institutions that provide developmental and educational services to all without exclusion.
Following this, the Bishopric of Public, Ecumenical and Social Services (BLESS) presented an introductory session on its Integrated Community Development Programs (ICDP), which are implemented in 42 local communities across the Arab Republic of Egypt (Cairo and some governorates in Upper Egypt).
The Secretariat of Social Care then held an introductory session reviewing the various aspects of the social care services it provides.
Additionally, the Anba Abram Service presented practical models in the fields of patient care, training, education, employment, and empowerment.
Discussions also revolved around the practical steps that must be taken to activate comprehensive development in the Church for every person, which are:
1- Nominating male and female servants (comprehensive development team in each church)
2- Training the comprehensive development team on a specialized course (the Coptic Institute for Church Management and Development will play this role)
3- Reviewing the lists of registered families to purify and classify cases.
4- Classification of cases (relief – social care – development)
5- Preparing a comprehensive development program for the church and promoting it.
6- Communicate with development partners to support the financing and implementation of programs.
