The first international Meeting of "Doctors of Charity" will take place in Volos from June 30 to July 2,2000 under the hospice of Archbishop of Athens and whole Greece Mr. Christodoulos.

"Co-Workers in Health and Charity" or simply "Doctors of Charity" is a new effort of the Holy Diocese of Dimitrias (Volos/Greece). It is a movement, founded in 1998 which wants to activate doctors, dentists, and other medical and pharmaceutical professions on a voluntary basis of charity and diaconia.

Our aim is to support the missionary programs of the Orthodox Church, although we have also ecumenical dimensions. We want to provide humanitarian help in case of wars, catastrophes and other difficult situations. We also want to build up programs of a preventive medical system, with the help of a mobile medical unit, as well as the care-taking of the poor, who do not have any assurance of their own.

This effort has already a great echo in our region and is getting established more and more. In co-operation with the Hospital of Volos, the Doctors of Charity of our region are working on themes of preventive medical care and have realized common humanitarian missions to Serbia and especially to Branije, where a local group of Doctors of Charity is already been founded. In other regions there is already an interest shown up, like in Russia, Georgia, Roumania, but also in Finland and Africa.

In this common effort for activating as much volunteers as possible for a better organization and co-operation, as individuals or institutions, we are organizing the First International Meeting of the Co-workers in Health and Charity. The Meeting will take place in Volos from June 30 to July 2, 2000. The program previews lectures on the subject and the aims of the Doctors of Charity, and there will be information about their work and discussion for a common mission and methods of international work. The keynote-speakers will be: Dr. Mirodrag Zdravkovic from the Serb group of Doctors of Charity, Rev. Anastasios Pogiatzis, doctor and missionary in Africa and Rev. Nikolaos Hatzinikolaou, President of the Committee of Bioethics of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece. We have also invited representatives from Serbia, Georgia and other countries.

For more information please, feel free to contact us at the following address and telephone-number:

Friday, 30.6.2000
07.30 Breakfast (Hotel)
08.00 Transfer to the Conference place, Registration of participants
09.00 Opening -Greetings of officials
11.00 Coffee break
11.30 1st Report: Mirodrag Zdravkovic, Member of Serbian "Doctors of Charity": An Orthodox approach to human pain". Discussion
13.30 Meal
14.30 2nd Report: Rev. Anastasios Pogiatzis, Doctor: "Medicine and Mission". Discussion
17.00 Free time
19.00 Vespers (at the Holy Church of Saints Anargyri)
20.30 Dinner

Saturday, 1.7.2000 (+Saints Anargyri).
07.30 Breakfast (optional)
08.30 Holy Liturgy at the church of Saints Anargyri
11.00 Transfer to the Conference place, coffee
12.00 3rd Report: Rev. Nikolaos Hatzinikolaou, President of the Committee of Bioethics of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece, "Bioethics, problems and dangers". Discussion
14.00 Meal
15.00 Presentation of the representatives
17.30 Free time
20.30 Dinner

Sunday, 2.7.2000
07.30 Holy Liturgy at the Church of Saints Constantine & Helen
10.15 Transfer to the Conference place, Breakfast
11.00 Working Groups
14.30 Meal
15.30 Working Groups (continuation)
17.30 Coffee break
18.00 Plenary: Evaluation, Conclusions
20.30 Dinner

Monday, 3.7.2000
08.00 Breakfast. Optional daily excursion to Meteora