Women's Synod reaffirms
women's determination to change reality

Resolution underlines women's will to create alternatives to existing power structures and fight discrimination on all grounds/Interreligious and intercultural dialogue among women will be strenghtened/ Next European Synod to be held in 2008

More than 700 women from all over Europe and the world reaffirmed their determination to change reality at the closing session of the 2nd European Women's Synod in Barcelona/Spain (5 to 10 August 2003).
Referring to women's individual and collective desire to "move ourselves and the world" they committed themselves in a final resolution of the Synod to <reinvent and redefine individual and collective identities, to create an alternative to the established power structures and to push for the emergence of new political parameters>.

The participants reaffirmed the resolution of the 1st European Women's Synod in Gmunden/Austria 1996 with it's theme <Women change Europe> and it's recommondations in the areas of politics, economics, spirituality and personal development/identity. The participants of the Barcelona-Synod clearly condemned the invasion of <neoliberal principles and money-making objectives of economic growth> in all areas of life, as well as structural violence and discrimination on legal, political, social, educational, religious and sexual grounds. They committed themselves to continue to work for the elimination of racist and homophobic structures in society and religious institutions.
Affirming the importance of women's leadership in all areas of life, they encouraged each other to take seriously their own experiences as women, to strengthen their spiritual and religious authority, and to enforce their will and courage to participate in decision making processes.

In her final keynote speech, the Spanish feminist theologian Mercedes Navarro underlined the importance of fighting against <the symbolic violence of women's invisibility>. She encouraged the participants to trust in the power of their own ideas and in the concepts, found in feminist theology. These can be effective tools to change realities and help create a truly intercultural and interreligious Europe.

The Jewish theologian Rabbi Eveline Goodman-Thau also asked women to continue to raise their voices. Goodman-Thau emphasised that the women's movement should raise religious questions as well as social and political issues, and should improve interfaith dialogue between women.
<Women are seeking answers to similar questions within their own traditions. Cultural and natural borders are breaking down and we are responsible for each others lives>.

Muslim Women from Germany who participated in the Synod as workshop leaders pointed out that feminist theologians from different faith traditions have many taks and goals in common. At a press meeting at the Synod, Rabeya Mueller from the Islamic Women's Centre for Research and Encouragement in Cologne/Germany underlined the importance of interfaith women's projects and expressed her hope for the next Women's Synod to be a truly interreligious event.

The need for the next European Women's Synod to be an interreligious Synod was strongly supported by Antje Roeckemann, President of the European Women's Synod Association at a final press conference on Saturday.
Roeckemann as well as Maria Josefa Amell, President of the Catalonian Women's organisaton Col-lectiu de Dones en l'Esglesia, the main local organiser of the Synod in Barcelona, underlined the success of the Synod in providing a space for women from different cultural and religious backgrounds to celebrate their lives, to analyse patriarchal structures and exchange experiences and strategies for change.
<Apart from resolutions>, said Amell, <every woman will return home with an amazing richness of experiences, a broad range of new ideas and strategies. All these will be used by the women to continue their work for change within their own communities>.

Finally, Antje Roeckemann made clear that the Women's Synod movement reaches far beyond the 700 women present at Barcelona. All of them will continue to <be on the way together> as the original meaning of the term <Synod> indicates. Regional Synods in various parts of Europe are planned as well as a 3rd European Women's Synod 2008.

Press Release, 10th of August 2003