INVITATION TO THE CONFERENCE
SECURITY - CRISIS MANAGEMENT -
SPIRITUAL CARE

Date: Saturday 3 September,  11.30 – 17.00 (Swedish time, Stockholm)    
Sunday 4 September, 09.30 – 16.00

Venue: Sensus, Medborgarplatsen in Stockholm, Sweden (please go to the link for description)

Welcome to a conference on security, emergency preparedness and spiritual care for those of you in charge of Buddhist temples or centers. The purpose is to increase awareness of possible risks and crisis events of various kinds and how we can be prepared to handle them. It can be about accidents, fire, IT intrusion and vandalism, but threats and attacks can also happen to us. In the conference, we will address planning and security responsibilities as well as any need for cooperation with responsible authorities.

In addition to dealing with the above-mentioned practical aspects, the spiritual care for people in different crisis situations is also an area for specialist knowledge that will be addressed at the conference.

Nowadays, society invests heavily in preventing and managing crises of various kinds. This conference is held on the initiative of the European Buddhist Union (EBU) with which the Swedish Buddhist Community (SBG) collaborates in the project SASCE (Safer and stronger communities in Europe). The Agency for Support to Faith Communities (SST), specialists from Gilanadhamma Buddhist Volunteer Group and Umeå University also contribute with their extensive knowledge.

Conference program: 3 September 11.30 – 17.00

What you will learn at the conference:

• Why does the European Commission believe that religious sites need better protection?
• Is security a relevant topic for Buddhist communities in Europe and society at large?
• What are the possible threats to Buddhists and Buddhist temples and centers?
• What is safety awareness and why is it important?
• What is a crisis and how can it be dealt with when it occurs?
• How can we avoid possible attacks and other security threats?
• What are ”security ambassadors” and what are they needed for?
• An overview of the future collaboration with Network of Security Ambassadors

The conference will include explanations, statistics, concrete examples and a case study.

Lecturers 3 September:

Trudy Fredriksson, President of the Swedish Buddhist Community, Coordinator of SBG Crisis Management
Ron Eichhorn, President of the EBU, SASCE Coach
Dany Choueka, Head of Crisis Management at the Security and Crisis Center (SACC) of the European Jewish Congress (EJC)
Örjan Wallin, Crisis Manager at SST

Conference Program 4 September 

09.30 – 11.30 Follow-up yesterday – conversations, questions and answers
11.30 Lunch
13.00 – 16.00 How to support people in crisis situations.

Lecturers 4 September

Trudy Fredriksson, President of the Swedish Buddhist Community, Coordinator of SBG Crisis Management.
Ron Eichhorn, President of the EBU and SASCE Trainer
Phrakhru Medhankorn, Academic Leader of the Gilanadhamma Buddhist Volunteer Group, Lecturer at Chulalongkorn University
Valerie DeMarinis, Senior Professor of Public Health Care, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University
Moderator: Katja Panova, Secretary General of the Swedish Buddhist Community, coordinator of SBG crisis management

Language
English, translation into Thai is offered, while translation into other languages can be arranged.

Participation fee
Participation in the conference is free of charge and lunch is included, thanks to the financial support from the European Union, SST and Sensus. We offer compensation for travel expenses and if necessary, accommodation. It is advisable to arrange overnight accommodation at temples or with friends.

Registration
Registration is made via the blue registration button below no later than 15 August.
After registration, SBG will email you confirmation and practical information for participating in the conference.
For any questions, please mail to kontakt@sverigesbuddhister.se