“So, there are no differences between Jews and Gentiles, between slaves and free men, between men and women;
you are all one in union with Jesus Christ” (St. Paul, Gal. III,28)
THE CONTEXT WITHIN WHICH B.O.Y.A. WAS FORMED
Within the context of the changes in Europe in the early nineties, the very existence of the Β.Ο.Υ.Α. was a result of the will of the young Orthodox to take advantage of the newly gained freedom of expression and communication, in order to CO-ORDINATE their activities, EXCHANGE experiences and material as well as moral assistance, and to face in the limits of their possibilities the common problems.
Although coming from different backgrounds, and social systems, despite the barrier of different languages often separating them, the young people-founders of the Β.Ο.Υ.Α. were realising every day that their affiliation to the Orthodox Church was a bond between them, much stronger than divergences and prejudices of the past.
The peoples of the Balkans, for years have been brought one against the other with tragic consequences. Tίme had come to rediscover οur Orthodox identity and to realise one by one οur common points due to our common Orthodox legacy. Το realise that our common Orthodox Tradition is our only real common bond, able to bring us closer one to the other.
We bare in mind that the Church is our common Mother uniting us all, and not a mere annex of any particular nationalism.
We do not intend to make of Orthodoxy an ideology of refusal and exclusion of our neighbours, neither a mere relic of the past.
Orthodoxy is ever living and always modern, the only solution for our time.
MAIN STEPS FOR THE FOUNDATION OF B.O.Y.A.
Since the late eighties, Orthodox young people all over the Balkans meeting each other in various occasions had been expressing the necessity of the co-operation between the Orthodox Youth Movements in the Balkans. These meetings were followed by:
MAY 1992; Inter Balkan Conference of Orthodox Youth in the Holy Monastery of Penteli in Greece, held under the blessing of Archbishop Seraphim. Participants from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Serbia/Montenegro adopted a resolution concerning the foundation of the Balkan Orthodox Youth Association.
APRIL 1993: Meeting of the preparatory committee in the Holy Monastery of Klisura, Bulgaria. Preparation of the General Assembly and adoption of a Constitution draft.
AUGUSΤ 1993: 
1st General Assembly in Neamtz, Romania under the auspices and with the blessing of his Holiness Daniel, Partriarch of Romania and at that time Metropolitan of Moldavia and Bucovina. His Beatitude Ieronymos, Archbishop of Athens and whole Greece, at that time Metropolitan of Thebes and Levadia, participated in the Assembly. Election of the first Board in which the regions of Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Serbia/Montenegro were (and have been so since then) equally represented and adoption of the Β.Ο.Υ.Α. Constitution.(PHOTO ON THE LEFT: THE FIRST BOARD OF BOYA). Since then, another four General Assemblies have taken place.
AUGUSΤ 1996:
2nd General Assembly ίn Evangelistria, Greece under thee auspices and with the blessing of His Beatitude Ieronymos, Archbishop of Athens and whole Greece, at that time Metropolitan of Thebes and Levadia.Election of new officers and amendment of the Constitution. (PHOTO ON THE LEFT: PLENNARY SESSION IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS BEATITUDE)
]ULY 2000: 3rd General Assembly ίn Novi Sad, Serbia, under the auspices and with the blessing of His Eminence Irinej, Bishop of Bachka.
AUGUSΤ 2006: 4th General Assembly in Trebinje, Bosnia-Herzegovina, under the auspices and with the blessing of His Eminence Vassilije, Bishop of Herzegovina.
AUGUST 2011: 5th General Assembly in Hadjidimovo, Bulgaria under the auspices and with the blessing of His Eminence Nathanail, Metropolitan of Nevrokop.
The General Assemblies are not only important for the functioning of the Association. They are equally important as major events of inter- orthodox exchange.
THE STRUCTURE OF THE ASSOCIATION
Membership. The Association is consisted of member-movements that should have, among others, a blessing from the local Bishop. The affiliate members come from the ΒΟΥΑ regions of Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Serbia/Montenegro.
Τhe General Assembly is the supreme administrative body of the Association. It is consisted of the delegates of the member-movements.
Τhe Board is elected by the General Assembly and administrates the Association for a term of 4 years, till the next General Assembly. It is consisted of the President, Vice- Presidents, the General Secretary and members at large. It has become a custom that all regions are equally represented ίn it. The Finance Control Committee , also elected by the General Assembly, controls the finances.
Τhe Central Offίce is located ίn Athens, where the General Secretariat is functioning. The Association “Sillogos Allileggiis Orthodoxon Valkanikon Neoleon MARTYRIA", is representing and helping the ΒΟΥΑ in its work. There are Regional Secretaries in Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria, elected by the General Assembly
ADDRESS OF ΤΗΕ CENΤRAL OFFICE: Gladstonos 5 Athens, 106 77 GREECE, phone/fax: +30-210-3301695 e-mail: b This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
THE BALKAN ORTHODOX YOUTH ASSOCIATION RELIES ON THE BLESSING OF THE LOCAL ORTHODOX CHURCHES…
Ιn order to plan her activities, the Β.Ο.Υ.Α. is always seeking for the blessing of the local Orthodox Churches of the Balkans:
ECUMENICAL PAΤRIARCHAΤE: His ΑΙΙ- Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos has blessed the Activities of the Association through many warm messages. He has officially received the Board of the Β.Ο.Υ.Α. which has met twice ίn Constantinople under His auspices and is represented in the General Assemblies and major events.
SERBIA: The Holy Synod of the Church of Serbia has honoured the Association by attributing the Order of St Sava in 1996. (On the left)
ROMANIA: His Holiness Patriarch Daniel as Metropolίtan of Moldavia blessed the important 1st General Assembly held ίn Neamtz.
BULGARIA: Under the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Maxim many events were hosted ίn Bulgaria. Among them were the preparatory committee of 1993 and the 1st festival of the Β.Ο.Υ.Α in 1994.
CHURCH OF GREECE: The foundation and first steps of the Association are active support of His Beatitude the late Archbishop of Athens and Whole Greece Seraphim, who blessed and put under His Auspices the Conference of Penteli in 1992. The blessing was renewed in written in 2000 by His Beatitude the late Archbishop Christodoulos, while the Archbishop Ieronymos has been close to the first steps of the foundation of our Association.
ΑLΒΑΝΙΑ: With the blessing of Archbishop Anastasios the Orthodox Youth of Albania has been actively participating in the activities of the Β.Ο.Υ.Α. since the beginning. Major B.O.Y.A. events, as the Durres conference in 2004 and the pilgrimage of 2009 have been organised.
In order to organize an event, B.O.Y.A. always seeks for the blessing of the local Bishop.
…AND THE LOVE OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD
In order to finance her activities and to keep her independence toward international networks, the B.O.Y.A. edits every year Christmas and Easter cards sent to subscribers in Greece. Thousands of friends receive the postcards and contribute financially to our work. Nevertheless, without active blessing from local Churches, it would have been impossible to fulfil the programmed activities.
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