The Salvation Army: EU Affairs Office

FACTFILE

N • There are 503 million

people living in EU member states. If it were a country, the EU would be the thirdlargest in the world (by population) behind China and India.

Countries indicated in the same colour belong to a combined territory or command. The countries in colour but not named are also part of The Salvation Army’s Europe Zone.

• The largest EU member by The European Union flag features 12 yellow/gold five-pointed stars (known in heraldic terms as mullets) on a dark blue background.

The flag was orginally designed in 1955 for the Council of Europe but was adopted by the EU in 1985.

When the flag was adopted by the EU there were 12 member nations, but this was simply a coincidence.

(The Council of Europe had 15 members when it first used the flag.) The stars represent all the peoples of Europe – including those who have yet to become members of the EU.

THE EU

• In 1950, just four years after

the end of the Second World War, the European Coal and Steel Community began to unite European countries economically and politically in order to secure lasting peace. The six founder countries of the European Union (EU) were Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and The Netherlands.

• The Treaty of Rome in 1957 created

the European Economic Community (EEC) – or ‘Common Market’.

• Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom joined the EU on 1 January 1973.

• From 1979, citizens of EU countries were able to vote directly for their EU representatives.

• Greece became the 10th member

of the EU in 1981, followed by Spain and Portugal five years later.

• The fall of the Berlin Wall in late 1989 led to the reunification of Germany in 1990.

• The fall of Communism brought

about new freedoms across Europe. The 1993 Maastricht Treaty created the basis for the completion of the Single Market, with its ‘four freedoms’ of movement of goods, services, people and money.

• In 1995 the EU gained three more new members – Austria, Finland and Sweden.

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• ‘Schengen’ agreements – named

after a small village in Luxembourg – gradually allowed people to travel throughout the mainland Europe part of the EU without having their passports checked at borders.

• In 1999 the common European

currency – the Euro – was introduced in 11 countries (Greece joined in 2001) for financial transactions. Denmark, Sweden and the United Kingdom decided to stay out for the time being. Notes and coins entered circulation in 2002.

• Each nation can produce its own versions of Euro notes and coins but, regardless of design, all are accepted in every eurozone country.

• On 1 May 2004, eastern and

western Europe joined together as never before when Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia became EU members. Later, Cyprus and Malta also joined.

• The most recent additions to the EU were Bulgaria and Romania (January 2007) and Croatia (July 2013), bringing the total membership to 28 countries.

Nineteen of these nations now use the Euro.

area is France. The largest by population is Germany.

• The EU is often confused

with the older Council of Europe, an international organisation promoting cooperation between European countries in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural cooperation. The Council of Europe was founded in 1949 and has 47 member states with 820 million citizens. Its best-known body is the European Court of Human Rights.

The Salvation Army in COUNTRY The Salvation Army is officially at work in 21 out of the 28 EU member nations (see map): Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

From 1879, when The Salvation Army first began to spread beyond the UK, within 10 years it was established in eight countries that are now EU members.

The most recent EU member to become officially home to Salvation Army ministry was Greece, on 1 October 2007.

All 21 of the EU member states in which The Salvation Army is officially at work are part of the Europe Zone, along with a further 12 countries, independent political entities and dependent political units. The most confusion arises around Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, which are part of the EU due to their relationship with the UK, which is responsible for their international affairs and defense. Their inhabitants are British citizens but the three islands are not part of the UK. For Salvation Army purposes, the three are part of the United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland.

The Salvation Army in EU countries comprises a total of: 3,767 officers (active and retired) 38,377 senior soldiers 12,878 adherent members, 4,340 junior soldiers 1,276 corps, societies and outposts Taking into account worldwide figures, the EU is home to around one in every seven Salvation Army officers, but only one in every 31 soldiers!

THE EUROPEAN UNION

INFLUENCE

At the heart of the EU Having taken up a new appointment as one of The Salvation Army’s Officers for EU Affairs, Major Mike Stannett explains to All the World what the new role entails – and why it is important for the Army to have a presence at the very heart of the European Union.

I

N June 2014 The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters (IHQ) decided that a European Union (EU) Affairs Office should be established in Brussels, Belgium. This was a natural development from the foundations laid by previous EU Affairs officers. However, it was felt that the Army needed to become more engaged at the heart of Europe by having a permanent office in Brussels, which is host to the European Commission and sometimes to the sessions of the European Parliament. My wife, Major Ruth Stannett, and I were asked to set up this new office.

has involved networking and cooperation with many other EU countries and EUlevel organisations. But working and finding a ministry within the political corridors of the EU and European organisations was a new ‘ball game’ to us.

Daunting task

Supporter of the EU or Not?

On one level it is a daunting task to start with almost a blank sheet of paper and create something new. We wondered – were we qualified for the task? Are we bright enough?! Is The Salvation Army ready to meet the challenges which EU engagement requires, both at IHQ and on a national level?

For most of our officership we have been involved in Europe, with appointments in places such as The Netherlands, the Czech Republic and eastern Europe (including the Russian capital, Moscow). Much of our ministry

Whether you are a supporter of the EU and its ideals or not, The Salvation Army in Europe is represented in 21 of the 28 nation state members. Additionally, the Army works in countries bordering the EU, and is present in some countries who are in the throes of becoming members of the EU. Therefore we need to understand the EU, learning how to work within it and how to make better use of its structures and resources, especially to support our mission and values. We need to know how better to represent the people in A P RI L – J UN E 2015 | ALL THE WORLD |

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THE EUROPEAN UNION

our care but also to protect our Christian freedoms, rights and influence in society.

Growth

Since the collapse of communism in Europe and the fall of the Berlin Wall, The Salvation Army has experienced a ‘growth spurt’, opening or reopening in countries within Europe at a faster rate than at any other time in its history.

It could be argued that the Army has grown in Europe as a direct result of the growth of the EU and its influences in wider Europe. Eastern European countries continue to be influenced by the EU in various ways – the present unrest in Ukraine, for instance, has its links to some people in the Ukraine wanting stronger ties to the EU. This leads to an interesting mix of old and new members of the EU and old and new Salvation Army territories. As many of the Army’s commands/territories within the EU celebrate 125, 130 and even 150 years of ministry, the younger ones are celebrating 20 or 25 years – and still new ones are being added.

Unique Role

The Army has a unique role to play as we span across the entire continent and beyond. We do have a valuable contribution. We represent hundreds of thousands of people. Just within the EU we have 20,000 employees, more than 65,000 volunteers, 757 social projects and 1,518 community centres, serving some of the poorest and most excluded members of society. When we speak, we represent all these people. Our voice needs to be heard, especially against policies that condemn people to poverty and exclusion.

Present EU Crises

The EU Office is in an ideal position to voice concerns on particular issues, such as severe cuts to public service finances due to the economic crisis, so as to help protect the most vulnerable. We can also highlight current EU priorities, such as youth training and unemployment, or quality of life issues faced by an aging population. Identifying these priorities helps the Army to plan its responses in a more cohesive way and identify the appropriate funding.

Partners

As EU Affairs Officers, we represent the Army on several leading EU-level platforms, such as the EAPN (European Anti-Poverty Network), Eurodiaconia (a network of Christian organisations serving people in need), FEANTSA (European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless). We also

‘How can we make an impact? How do we best represent those who have no voice, those whom we serve, those who come to us for help?’

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link in with many other organisations and EU bodies, including working with MEPs (Members of the European Parliament).

All of these bodies feed into the EU Parliament and its structures for dealing with EU policy.

It is part of the EU constitution that there is civic involvement in the process of making and commenting on EU policy. However, the EU has little understanding of how its policies affect people on the ground. We have to inform them.

Our partners are delighted that the Army is to be more involved. They want to hear our voice, discover our thoughts and learn about our practices. They want us to really contribute with hard evidence, concrete proposals and feedback. The effectiveness of The Salvation Army at EU level is going to be directly related to the quality of the information we are able to share.

We also work closely with several of the European networks overseen by the Europe Zone at IHQ – such as the Social Services network, anti-human trafficking network, Roma task force – seeking and providing information, offering advice, and identifying funding possibilities. The EU Office will also cooperate with the International Social Justice Commission – an IHQ office based in New

THE EUROPEAN UNION

Above: Majors Mike and Ruth Stannett in their office, standing in front ot the European Union, Salvation Army and Belgian flags; main image: examples of Salvation Army ministry across the EU

York, USA – and with other Salvation Army EU representatives.

The task ahead So how do we engage? How do we play our part? How can we make an impact? How do we best represent those who have no voice, those whom we serve, those who come to us for help? How do we move the Army from a fringe voice to a voice to be reckoned with? How do we ensure that the Army

is not just another subcontracted service provider but an integral part of the Christian fabric of civic involvement within the EU? Potential

The potential and the possibilities for the Army within the EU are there for us to make the most of. We need to build up a knowledge base and prepare people with the skills to take advantage to be effective at EU level. This should go hand in hand also with a clear Army strategy for a

cohesive engagement in the EU. This, then, is our primary role as we build this ministry – to find the answers!

And in this we need the prayers of Salvationists and friends from Europe and beyond.

As we read in The Message paraphrase of James 1:27, through the EU office we will endeavour to ‘reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world’.

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church.

Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by love for God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and meet human needs in his name without discrimination.

What is The Salvation Army?

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