2010 Strasbourg – General Assembly

From 15th to 18th April 2010, the representatives from Andante’s member organisations gathered in Strasbourg, France, for the second General Assembly of Andante since its Constitutive Assembly, May 2006 in Budapest.
The delegates ratified the membership of the Organisation of Catholic Women of Luxembourg ACFL and of the English Branch of the Institute of our Lady of Mercy. They adopted the activities report and the financial report over the last two years, and the budget for the next two years. They elected a new Co-ordinating Committee (CoCoA): Inese Augskalne (Latvia), Mette Bruusgaard (Norway), Maria Demeterova (Slovakia), Zuszsa Huzska-Lackoné (Hungary), Agnès Manesse (France), Mary McHugh (England and Wales), Maria Teresia Opladen (Germany), Claire Renggli-Enderle (Switzerland), and Marie–Louise van Wijk-van de Ven (Netherlands). This last one was re-elected, and ratified, as chair of Andante for another term of office.

In a so-called ‘future workshop’ the participants were invited to give their opinion on the functioning of Andante so far, and express their wishes and vision for the future. The method of animation chosen enabled many ideas to be gathered and resulted in a vivid exchange and sharing of ideas. Many concrete recommendations – both addressed to the CoCoA and the organisations themselves – were made. The responses will be collected together by the new CoCoA into projects with new priorities.
Some future events have already been planned: a ‘Summer School’ on women’s spirituality in Europe (August 2011 in a convent of Franciscan Sisters in Reute, South-Germany) and the next Assembly (April 2013 in Bratislava, Slovakia).