Spring Gathering 2007 Information

See also general Spring Gathering information. Applications now open!.

Wednesday 4 - Wednesday 11 April 2007

Location: Christian campsite "Roucheek", p. Gorki, Istra, Nr. Moscow, Russia

Theme: Broadening our Horizons; Enriching our Spiritual Journey.

Dear Friends,

We are writing to invite you to join us for the European and Middle Eastern Young Friends Spring Gathering 2007, which will be held in Moscow Region, Russia, from 4th to 11th April 2007.

The theme of the Gathering will be "Broadening our Horizons; Enriching our Spiritual Journey". We will explore the theme with the help of local Friends who have come to Quakerism from an Orthodox Christian background, and by looking at both the historical and current activities of Quakers in Russia. Other sessions will hopefully include meeting Quaker missionaries from the USA, now based near Moscow, and a workshop led by the local coordinators of the Alternatives to Violence Project, who will share their experiences of non-violence training in Russia. There will also be small group sessions to allow us to explore the theme more deeply, share our own experiences and get to know each other better; and we'd be glad for you to suggest and lead your own workshops as well. There will be plenty of time to enjoy the natural surroundings, and lots of fun and games!

We have arranged to stay at "Roucheek", a Christian Camp Centre which is located a short distance from the town of Istra, Moscow Region. We will have one floor of one of the buildings to ourselves, with dormitory style accommodation and a communal area for our use. We will join other groups for meals in the canteen. The centre is surrounded by woodland; there are sports facilities available and a horse-riding base nearby. Istra is two hours journey from Moscow and home to the beautiful New Jerusalem Monastery, which we plan to visit during the Gathering.

We hope young friends from all over Europe and the Middle East, with all your different readings of the values, seeking and serenity behind modern Quakerism, will join us to make Spring Gathering 2007 as insightful, smiley and refreshing as it has been over the last few years.

If you are interested in coming please have a look at our website: http://emeyf.quaker.eu.org Applications can be completed on-line, or e-mailed to Eszter Pocsy at jerez@freemail.hu or posted to the address below. Due to the time it will take for people to obtain visas we ask you to send in your applications as soon as possible, and no later than 20th January 2007.

The cost of the Gathering will be €120 per person, for all local transport and one night accommodation in Moscow, in addition to food and accommodation for the duration of the Gathering. However, in order to enable as many Young Friends as possible to attend EMEYF has agreed to subsidise this. The participation fee is therefore €40 and each participant is expected to pay this amount, but anyone who is able to pay more than this is encouraged to do so. This extra money will go towards a bursary fund for those who may have difficulty meeting visa and travel related costs. Young Friends are encouraged to approach their Monthly or Yearly Meeting for financial support, before contacting the Spring Gathering organisers for ideas for bursary help.

Participants should be aware that the majority of those not based in Russia will need visas to attend this Gathering. While details differ for each country, the three stages of acquiring a Russian visa (visa invitation, applying for a visa and visa registration) each cost money and you should probably allow for extra costs of up to €100 to cover this. More guidelines on obtaining visas and details of travel arrangements will follow at a later date, but we ask participants to bear in mind that everyone will need to plan to arrive in Moscow by April 4th. We will spend the first night at a small hostel in Moscow, have time to see Red Square and deal with visa formalities, before travelling together to the Camp where we will be based for the Gathering.

We hope that you will approach the obstacles, both financial and bureaucratic, to a trip to Russia in the spirit of living adventurously, and we will provide as much assistance as possible to make sure everyone can come! Looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible.

In Friendship,
EMEYF Spring Gathering Planning Group

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