The 1st South European Education Conference of ISSE-SE took place in Italy from 1st to 3rd of November 2019 at the Mother Sai congress center, in the splendid building surrounded by the green of the trees in Varallo Pombia (Novara).

The event was attended by many teachers, educators, trainers and facilitators from Croatia, Greece, Israel, Italy, Serbia, Bosnia, Slovenia, Switzerland, who over the years have deepened their grasp of the Sathya Sai Education programme in Human Values ​​and carried out various projects, seminars, educational activities in school, community and children classes.

After the welcome greetings to all the participants of the various countries and the deep gratitude expressed to the director of the ISSE-SE Institute, George Bebedelis, for having given life to the realization of this event, the referent of ISSE-SE Italy, Fabiana Laruccia, introduced the activities of the weekend, highlighting the multiple objectives of this significant meeting, which from the beginning was filled with so much enthusiasm, love and zest for participation.

The objectives were highlighted on several dimensions:

• coming together of the people of the different participating countries
• sharing ideas, projects and mutual inspiration to spread an educational model based on human values and oriented to spiritual awakening
• group reflection on the strengths, challenges and opportunities to promote greater awareness and an ethical and value-oriented way of acting
• "connection of hearts", to tune in and resonate together creating a flow of goodness and joy to spread to the entire planet

The key words that accompanied the three days were: Unity, Joy, Harmony

"The whole world is one single tree, the different countries are its branches, its root is God; human beings are the flowers, happiness is the fruit and the bliss of Self-realization is the sweet juice therein»                                Sathya Sai Baba

The quotation guided us to introduce the principle of Unity, to perceive ourselves as flowers of the same tree, to feel connected, with Joy and Harmony, in the mission of promoting Sathya Sai Education to Human Values ​​in the world and called to foster a transformation of humanity for the sake of the whole planet.

The program of the two following days has been full of multiple project presentation activities, musical moments, workshops, practice of Human Values ​​and yoga.

On Saturday morning, after the prayers and meditation, the work started with an introduction by George Bebedelis, who illustrated the structure of program "Education Sathya Sai Human Values​​" and the motivation that supported the creation of the new Institute logo based on the profound meaning of the word EDUCÆRE, the basis of the Sathya Sai educational philosophy, and the important links with the teachings of the great philosophers Socrates and Plato.

The following presentation was presented by Tina Gatalica and Esma Gadzo-Bursic of Croatia under the title "Sai Challenges - Sai Bloossoms: Spreading Human Values ​​in Croatia” highlighted the numerous projects carried out in the community and with the community and characterized by consistency, continuity and quality.

Works have continued with Theodora Avgerinopoulou on "SSEHV Classes in Greece". She spoke about the activities carried out in Greece that are developded since 1990 in the Sathya Sai center in Athens and then at a beautiful house with a garden near Athens.

With the presentation of Krishnanand Padmanabhan of Israel the attention went on the theme of "Sathya Sai EDUCARE & Environmental Care". The relevance and uniqueness of Sathya EDUCARE in solving environmental challenges, spreading attention and inspiring actions for the protection of our planet. 

www.sathyasai.org/environmental-sustainability;

www.valuestransform.org/en/value-environment/action-inspiration

The presentation of Switzerland "Human Values in schools, business and children classes" - done by Gertraude Greub, Susanna Moebius, Ines Claudia Loeliger has focused educational activities based on human values carried out ​​in recent years in schools, bussiness place and community.

The following presentation of Italy was entitled: "SSEHV in Teachers training courses, community programmes and children classes in Italy", which covered projects implemented in recent years and specifically promoted by ISSE-SE.

The presentation was delivered alternatively by Fabiana Laruccia, Elisa Turatti, Maria Casertano, Ester Campoli, Cinzia Lutti and Pamela Stroppa, who presented the projects carried out in the school, in the community and in children classess.

The "Sai Vivere" Project of the Italian Sathya Sai Organization for the dissemination of Human Values was also presented. This project aims at organizing conferences, workshops, events, exhibitions, concerts and publishing articles on the various topics of well-being, nature and ecology, creativity, Education to Human Values, spirituality and philosophy, selfless service etc. (www.saivivere.it)

The day's activities continued with a session on "Human Values ​​through Yoga practice" led by Samuel Contarini. It was a wonderful experience that involved the body, the head and the heart in a harmonious way.

After dinner a moment of relaxation and music with Luca June’s concert pleasantly completed the evening. The notes and words of his music touched the hearts of all present. Great appreciation for some songs also sung by Pinuccia Soffientini who with a splendid voice created a wonderful musical atmosphere of love, involvement and participation.

On Sunday morning after prayer and meditation, activities continued with a presentation from Serbia and Bosnia on "Human Values workshops with children and youth”, carried out from 2012 to 2019 and presented by Verica Sekulić Opačic.

The subsequent presentation of Slovenia "Public Outreach through Sathya Sai Education" introduced the project developed by Ferry Stepančič and Irena Krzan with the EDUCARE Institute - Gnoti Seauton (Know Thyself) for the promotion of Human Values ​​in education with activities aim to children, parents and educators

The next session of the meeting was dedicated to Suzanne Palermo's presentation of the ISSE Handbook "Sathya Sai Education in Human Values ​​- EDUCÆRE - Education for Life". The Handbook is intended to provide teachers and parents a focus on value-based education and introducing the philosophy and underlying principles of Sathya Sai Education in Human Values, also known as Sathya Sai EDUCÆRE. It was a moment of great joy for everyone to see the printing of this collective work, which lasted several years.

The programme ended with a presentation by Adriano Bratovic, who is renewing the ISSE-SE Institute website (www.isseducare.org). This is a great resource for communicating ISSE-SE activities, where one can find useful information on didactic and informative materials, projects and good practices developed over the years in various countries, and get inspiration for developing future projects.

The meeting concluded with deep love, appreciation and a sense of gratitude for all those who committed themselves in communicating their experiences, in being present with all their heart, in sharing the intention to contribute to the dissemination of EDUCÆRE, and in being together with Joy and Unity as a part of a universal project of evolution and transformation for the progress of humanity.

Fabiana Laruccia – referent ISSE-SE Italia