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Dear friends and colleagues,

This week we are happy to announce our next Screening Religion event next week. We would also like to draw your attention to an online lecture series, an online conference and a workshop. Besides that, we have the latest update for you regarding COVID-19 health protection measures as well as a new finding.

Enjoy and have a good and healthy week!

COVID-19 latest update on health protection measures

Yesterday, the German federal and state governments have decided to prolong the current Corona measures until at least 14 February 2021. The contact restriction to one's own household plus one other person remains in place, schools and kindergartens remain closed. From now on, stricter requirements concerning masks will apply: Citizens will have to put on so called medical masks in public transport and when entering a shop. No longer permitted in those places are self-sewn fabric masks, other everyday masks and face visors.

On your walk through the city as well as at the office you are allowed to keep on wearing the masks you have used so far, no medical masks are necessary here. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Screening Religion: "Bruder Jakob" online on 27 January

We are happy to present the next film in our series "Screening Religion" as online livestream in cooperation with Cinémathèque Leipzig: The award-winning documentary film "Bruder Jakob" tells the story of a young man who is intensively looking for meaning in life and spiritual guidance. His brother Elí, the director of this film, accompanies him in this search. Jakob converts to Islam at the age of 23, shortly afterwards he turns to Salafism. The film documents observations, conversations, attempts at missionary work – and thus also irritations, conflicts and Jakob’s alienation from friends and family. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director Elí Roland Sachs. The film will be shown in German with English subtitles. Registration is not necessary.

27 January | 7 p.m. (CET)

Online livestream and discussion (Free entry, donations welcome)

Online Conference on the Importance of religion in the lives of young adults in South Eastern Europe

Our Permanent Senior Research Fellow Wolfgang Höpken points to an online conference with the title "Die Bedeutung von Religion im Leben junger Erwachsener in Südosteuropa" ("The importance of religion in the lives of young adults in South Eastern Europe"), organized by the Südosteuropa-Gesellschaft (South East Europe Society). In this discussion (held in German), young adults, staff from NGOs and political foundations share personal experiences and assessments from different countries in the Balkan region. The interlocutors from Albania and the former Yugoslavian region report on their involvement in religious communities and social initiatives, on generational differences and religious diversity.

21 January | 3:30 p.m. (CET)

Online via Zoom

More Information and Registration

Workshop "New Directions in Zen Studies"

Our colleague Nikolas Broy draws our attention to an online workshop organized by Michaela Mross, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Stanford University. The workshop on "New Directions in Zen Studies" covers two days and will take place online. A Zoom link will be sent to registered participants a few days before the workshop.

Registration deadline: 22 January

Dates: 29 January | 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. (CET)
30 January | 6:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. (CET)

Online via Zoom

If you have any content that you think suits the purpose of the weekly, please feel free to send it to us at multiple-secularities@uni-leipzig.de.