Rome, Italy 6th – 8th October 2022
In the second week of October, the triennial conference of the Alliance of the four Orders of St John and the Sovereign Order of Malta was held in Rome. Lord Prior Prof Mark Compton, Herrenmeister Oskar Prinz von Preussen, Commander Otto Drakenberg, Coajutor Ernst Karel Greven and Lieutenant of Grand Master Fra’ John Dunlap represented the five Orders and fostered collaboration. JOIN Chairman Mark Broughton and Vice-Chairman Christian Velten-Jameson participated in the conference.
The participants reported on the many actions undertaken following the war in Ukraine and presented the activities of the youth group that continues to strengthen bonds between members of the five Orders.
One of the upcoming joint projects will provide psycho-social care with mobile support units in Western Ukraine. Particularly vulnerable groups, such as children and young people, single mothers and people living with disabilities, will be cared for by a team of psychologists at various locations. Three vans will be converted into mobile units for children. In addition, social workers will support the staff of Malteser International to improve psycho-social care for people affected by the war and to strengthen social cohesion in the host communities in Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv.
The project was designed by the Order of Malta and the Johanniterorden, and will be implemented by Malteser International with financial support from all other Johannine Orders.
The next meeting of the Alliance of the Orders of Saint John with the Sovereign Order of Malta will take place in London in 2025, hosted by the Most Venerable Order of St John. In the interim, the joint committees will continue to work and meet.