The Future of Diaconal Work

Challenges as key persons retire from Areopagos

The two key persons in charge of the diaconal projects of Areopagos for more than a decade, Kari Harbakk and Li Enlin, have stepped down. Kari has retired at the end of 2009, and Li Enlin has joined the YMCA/YWCA in Nanjing. The Asia director Jon Harald Tune will take over the responsibility. At the same time the Norwegian agency in charge of development projects run by mission agencies has asked us to revise all projects so that the focus on a rights-based approach becomes clearer – rights of various groups in the local and larger community and their possibilities to exercise these rights. They are also asking for more evidence of the impact on the local community and on society. The result is that the number of diaconal projects in 2010 will be much lower than in 2009. In addition to continuing the programme on sponsorships for children, we shall carry out a project on better teaching of handicapped. This implies that 2010 primarily will be used for exploring new projects and especially possibilities of strengthening the link between diaconia and dialogue in local communities.

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