Name: Nikos Kosmidis

Nationality: Greece

Church: Church of Greece

Function: Diocesan Youth and Cultural Organization

Age: 27

Participating as: advisor, ECHOS essay contest for IEPC

Ecumenical Movement experience: ECHOS member since 2008, WCC steward in 2006.

Greece is dealing with two major crises: economic situation and immigration, which is increasing dramatically, particularly from Africa and Middle East; role of the Church is to welcome every human as a living icon of God and that’s how we should see the immigrants, by providing every possible humanitarian and pastoral help, cultivate a spirit of understanding among different cultures, while preserving identity of Orthodoxy (97%) in Greece; building of mosques, religious education, public religious services; challenge to deal with financial situation and understand migration and its effects.

All around the Mediterranean Sea we are feeling the effects of climate change. Global warming is resulting in many more fires, exacerbating the deforestation problem already there; desertification as a result of declining water – Athens frequently has water shortages in  the summer; increasing migration is also putting more pressure on air and water resources; faith communities can and have participated in national and international dialogues around creation issues; Orthodox Church has a strong eco-theology based on the example of the Saints – challenge now is to translate it into practical ideas for people.

We are dealing with an ecumenical winter as many have said – issue is how to overcome this depression and lack of commitment to this critical journey we all share; for young people, it is to discover why we are together, beyond the structural and political issues. We need to recover ecumenical memory, understand its richness, learn things we should know, so we can create a better vision for the future. After the winter comes the spring. We cannot lose our hope or our commitment, for unity and justice is the work of the Holy Spirit.