Interreligious and environmental civil forum of Eastern Europe (IRCEF) created by 36 representatives of secular and religious institutions in Eastern Europe as a result of the international scientific conference “The Church and Society for the preservation of the environment in Eastern Europe: the protection of creation” (07-09.10.2016 Uzhgorod). The purpose of the forum is the exchange of information, experiences and joint actions in the environmental field between the churches and environmental organizations for the benefit and assistance to care for God’s creation.
Forum aims to promote the development of environmental programs and church projects, religious organizations and civil society on the basis of biblical, theological and other spiritual starting points for finding and applying the principles of sustainability in relation to one’s neighbor, taking into account our responsibility for future generations and for all of God’s creation – nature.
Our team:

Oleksandr Bokotey
Head of the organization
- Planning of the organization’s strategic activities.
- Communication with Ukrainian and foreign partners.
- General management of the organization.

Nataliya Kulya
Project coordinator
Expert in the implementation of cross-border and international projects
- Control over the implementation of projects.
- Coordination of work between project participants.
- Maintenance of project documentation.
- Reporting on projects to the grantors.
- Participation in project activities.
- Control over the preparation of project products.
- Informational and consulting support for project participants.
- Presentation of the team’s work at international conferences and forums.

Mykhailo Bilanych
Expert
- Analysis of ecological views of the main Christian denominations.
- Preparation of popular science publications on environmental protection issues (ecological and church calendars, prayer books, works on Christian environmental ethics).
- Conducting eco-educational classes with children and youth.

Bohdan Motuzenko
Sociologist, analyst
- Development of qualitative research methods, strategic analytics, and social design.
- Development of social projects, interdisciplinary and humanitarian research.
- Main interests: sociology of communications, social design, modern interdisciplinary research, social and public movements, leadership, issues of the formation of civil society in Ukraine, socioecology.

Iryna Shishkina
Communication expert, content manager
- Management of social networks.
- Preparation and editing of video content.
- Participation in the organization of CA events (trainings, round tables, conferences).
- Presentation of the team’s work at international conferences and forums.

Matthew Temple
Genetic scientist, monk of the Carmelite order, teacher at Nazareth College (Rochester, USA), head of the climate protection committee
- Management of the climate protection committee.
- Preparation of materials on Christian environmental ethics.

Polina Zabolotna
Trainee journalist
- Creation of materials for websites and social networks.
- Video and photo recording of events held by the organization.
- Communication with media representatives.
- Participation in the organization of CA events (trainings, round tables, conferences).

Yurii Tolvai
- Development, support, and management of the Institute’s website.
- Ensuring the technical functioning of the team.
Our partners

Archimandrite Adam
Georgia
Chairman of the Department of Health of the Patriarchate of Georgia, Rector of the University of Holy Queen Tamara, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor.
Member of the Board of the International Center for Christian Studies at the Orthodox Church of Georgia.
Conducts scientific and theoretical work on topical scientific issues of Christian research, including theology of Creation, Christian environmental ethics.

Markus Vogt
Germany
German Catholic theologian and professor of social ethics at the Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich.
Studied theology and philosophy in Munich, Jerusalem, and Lucerne.
Contributed to Christian social ethics with a focus on environmental protection, formulating the new socio-ethical principle of sustainability.

Igor Plevsky
Moldova
Greek Catholic priest responsible for environmental protection in the Greek Catholic Church of Moldova.
Graduated from the Uzhgorod Greek Catholic Theological Academy named after Blessed Theodore Romji.
Implements environmental and social projects within the “Optima Fide” organization.