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The International Prison Chaplains' Association (IPCA) is an association of prison chaplains. It is divided into several sections like IPCA-Europe, IPCA Oceania etc. It is a non-governmental organization and has held Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council since 2014. [1]
IPCA-Europe, the European section of the global IPCA organization (founded 1985 in Bossey, Switzerland), commenced its work with the Ecumenical Conference for Pastoral Counselling in European Prisons, held in Strasbourg in May 1992. The conference was conducted in collaboration with the Council of Europe.
The working goal (now partially achieved) is to create a network between prison chaplains of all Christian churches in Europe. The network is intended to facilitate ecumenical cooperation and mutual support. The chief aims are: maintenance of human rights and freedom of religious practice and pastoral counseling in prisons, protection of minorities and improvement of the situation of crime victims.
At regular intervals, currently every four years, IPCA-Europe organizes a pan-European conference chiefly aimed at active prison chaplains. Following the 1992 event, further conferences took place in Rugby, England in 1994, in Ystad, Sweden in 1997 and in Driebergen, the Netherlands in 2001. Each conference was attended by more than 100 participants from some 30 European countries. Between the pan-European conferences IPCA-Europe also initiates working groups and regional conferences in collaboration with regional and national associations of prison chaplains.
IPCA-Europe is an associate organization of the CEC (Conference of European Churches) and is in contact with the Committee for the Prevention of Torture of the Council of Europe.
During the pan-European conferences a steering committee is elected to prepare the next conference and to conduct business. The steering committee is itself responsible for funding its work. It elects a chairman and, generally speaking, meets twice a year. The steering committee currently comprises eight elected members and one co-opted member from various European regions and churches.
IPCA-Europe does not have a secure budget at its disposal. The work is funded through project-based ecclesiastical and state grants. This funding is particularly crucial for ensuring the collaboration and participation of prison chaplains from Eastern and Southern Europe.
The Ten Points of IPCA-EUROPE
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