![\"ADRA18](\"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/sitenews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/images_news-2018_ADRA18-group-1500.jpg\" "\\"The")
<\/a>ADRA Country Directors from Europe, together with leadership from ADRA International and ADRA Europe, came together for the annual European ADRA forum which combines their executive committee and planning meetings. Thirty European countries host active national ADRA offices and 25 Country Directors or their representatives were present at the meetings \u2013 six of them new to their role!<\/p>\nADRA Europe remodelled two years ago to bring the disparate offices under one umbrella, making joint efforts and collaborative projects among countries much easier. This new model also brought a new way of thinking and dreaming, allowing offices to accelerate their impact, especially in the areas of health and education.<\/p>\n
Access to education is becoming a leading theme for ADRA around the globe and European offices are fully joining the effort to support disadvantaged children and youth who lack access to education. Big improvements can be also seen in the area of emergency response. As the number of disasters is increasing, more professional and more coordinated efforts are bringing hope and are saving more lives than ever before. Concluding the three days of meetings, a new group of ADRA professionals continued on to an emergency training course.<\/p>\n
S Jonathan Duffy, president of ADRA International, spoke about the theology of compassion including recent global trends and the role of faith-based organisations in development and humanitarian aid. Just recently, global development experts realised that faith-based organizations are playing a significant role in solving some of the deepest issues of today\u2019s society.<\/p>\n Duffy note that more than 85% of the global population is affiliated with some form of religious organization. Religious leaders are among the most influential. If global society is serious about reaching sustainable development goals before 2030, then religious leaders are among those who are going to bring about the desired change. Duffy and his team are developing the theological basis for social justice and are active advocates for justice among faith-based organizations.<\/p>\n<\/a>uch committees expect reports on the routine but important work, and these came via Raafat Kamal who chairs the ADRA Europe board; Norbert Zens, treasurer; and Jo\u00e3o Martins, Executive Director.<\/p>\n