Submitted by Kenneth Clark
“It’s going to be a magical Congress,” declared a member of the Subud World Congress organizing team, speaking to a crowded room in a hotel in the south of Greece, on the edge of the Mediterranean. And, as other members of the team spoke, perhaps some early Congress magic wafted into the meeting. Excitement and anticipation were certainly present, too.
On July 6 – 11, Subud Zone 4 held a zonal meeting at a stunning resort in Halkidiki, Greece. More than 150 members from at least 20 countries attended, with delegates from about 12 countries present. The World Congress organizing team attended in force using this time to continue Congress planning, to liaise with delegates, and to report on their progress. The team is comprised of volunteers, most with day jobs, and they have been working hard for many months now.
The World Congress will be held in Freiburg, Germany from July 28 – August 8, 2018. Freiburg is a beautiful town in Southwest Germany, with a medieval old town and a wealth of cultural activities. It is surrounded by beautiful hiking country, with excellent transportation links to the local area, to Europe, and to the rest of the world. Congress organizers have arranged transportation passes for Congress attendees that will permit travel within a 20 kilometer area, at a cost of 1 Euro a day.
Organizers anticipate that more than 3,000 Subud members will attend. The registration site will be on-line in a few months. A very wide variety of hotels and other accommodations will be available, which attendees will be responsible for booking directly. The City of Freiburg is making available to Subud a former refugee center that will house 400 persons at a very nominal cost.
Congress events will be held at a large exhibition center in the middle of Freiburg, called “Messe Freiburg.” The latihan halls are huge and will be available 24/7 for kejiwaan activities. Outdoor spaces close to the halls also will be open around the clock.
The theme of the Congress will be “one Subud.” Consistent with this theme, the venue for children’s activities and care will centrally located in the Congress site. Teenagers will be integrated and embraced, with some great program offerings and outings in the planning stages. Of course, aside from latihans and Subud work, many activities and outings will be offered.
The Congress team is working on the Congress website, which will be widely publicized when it is put on-line. Registrations fees and other details will be announced later this year. Please register as soon as you can when the site goes live – registration by as many as possible, as soon as possible will really help the Congress team with cash flow and planning. Along with early registration, the Congress team, in their presentation at the zonal meeting in Greece, also requested our continuing love, support, and prayers to help them do the best job possible.