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ICDM 9th Alumni Conference Opens in Ho and Accra, Focuses on Post-COVID-19 Health Responses

The 9th Alumni Conference of the Institute for Diaconic Management (ICDM) commenced on October 14, 2024, and will run until October 18, 2024, taking place at Sky Plus Hotel in Ho, Ghana, and Wisconsin International University College in Accra. The conference, themed “Universal Health Coverage and Welfare (SDG 3.8): Towards Post-COVID-19 Responses; Challenges, Key Strategies, and Role of Health and Religious Institutions within Global Contexts,” is a collaborative international event aimed at tackling healthcare challenges exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Professor Dr. Christian Oelschlägel, a renowned professor of Diaconic Studies at Bielefeld University, Germany, delivered the keynote address. He emphasized the global need for sustainable solutions in healthcare systems post-COVID-19, stating that while operational issues were managed locally during the pandemic, there is still a lack of structural measures for long-term resilience. He underscored the conference’s goal of facilitating an international exchange of knowledge, strategies, and research to better understand and develop sustainable healthcare practices.

Prof. Dr. Oelschlägel, representing the Faculty of History, Philosophy, and Theology of Bielefeld University, conveyed greetings from the institution’s Dean and Prof. Anika Albert, Director of the Institute of Diaconic Studies and Diaconic Management. He also highlighted the involvement of key partners like the United Evangelical Mission (UEM), Brot für die Welt, the Protestant Church in Westphalia, and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), all of whom contributed to the successful organization of the event.

The conference holds significant importance as it not only discusses health and religious institutions’ roles in achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.8, which seeks to ensure universal health coverage and access to quality healthcare but also celebrates the graduation of the 5th cohort of ICDM’s Master’s Programme in Diaconic Management. Graduates presented their theses on diverse topics, addressing social issues such as poverty alleviation, teenage motherhood, microcredit initiatives, and sustainable farming, highlighting the broader impact of diaconal work beyond academia.

Some of the highlighted research projects included:

Donkor, Makafui: “Exploring the problem of drop outs in rural basic schools in the Ho municipality and ways forward for a relevant diaconic ministry of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church Ghana”
Niyitegeka, Deogratias: “Microcredit initiatives and socioeconomic empowerment of church ministers: A case study of PPID in Presbyterian Church in Rwanda – EPR”
Rajagukguk, Emmy: “Poverty Alleviation and Community Empowerment: A Case Study in Kelurahan Asuhan East Siantar District of Pematangsiantar City in Indonesia”
Samwel, Neema: “Assessment of the challenges of teenage motherhood in the Arusha region and the diaconic role of the church”
Girsang, Sarmen: “SUSTAINABILITY DIAKONIA: Interdisciplinary Approach of GKPS – Church in Transforming Farmers from Chemical Farming to Organic Farming in Simalungun.”
Kasereka, Jonathan: “THE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CBCA AND THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OF NORTH KIVU PROVINCE FOR THE SOCIAL IMPACT IN THE REINTEGRATION OF EX-REBELS INTO CIVILIAN LIFE.”
Shardow, Andrew: “Human Dignity and Social Welfare: Socio-Economic and Ethical-Theological contextual analysis and Models for Inclusion – The Case of Old Fadama in Greater Accra.”
The conference provides a platform for critical reflection on healthcare systems post-pandemic, exploring the intersection of health, social welfare, and religious institutions. It further seeks to forge partnerships between academia and practitioners to strengthen international collaboration towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

As the world continues to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ICDM Alumni Conference stands as a beacon of hope for advancing sustainable healthcare and welfare solutions across the globe.