Agenda:
1. Opening of the meeting by the Chair
2. Activity report for 2025
3. Financial report for 2025
4. Report by the auditor
5. Election of the new Board of Directors
6. Election of the new auditor and thanks to Patrice Picart
7. Provisional budget for 2026
8. Setting of membership fees for 2026
9. Any other business
1. Opening of the meeting by the Chair
The Chair of the Ad Pacem servandam association, Claude Pantaleoni, welcomes the board and members present for this 9th AGM at the Willibrord Parish Centre in Bascharage (L). He apologises for the absence of two members who are unable to attend due to illness.
The President presents the agenda, which includes the 2025 activity report, the 2025 financial report, the auditor’s report and the provisional budget for 2026, with an ‘Any other business’ item at the end.
The President proposes himself as chair and Renaud Cecconi as secretary. All agree.
The Chair emphasised the importance of being well-informed. This is because many media outlets provide only partial, or even incomplete or distorted, information about reality. He cited the example of an Iranian friend who, two days ago, had told him of the severity of the massacres perpetrated in Iran by the regime against its own people, who were demonstrating in the streets to demand political change.
According to this friend, the Iranian military has killed at least twice as many people, including inside hospitals and prisons, than has been reported in the Western media. To commemorate these innocent victims who died for freedom, the President calls for a minute’s silence. During this minute, the symbol of the Iranians fighting for the restoration of a free and democratic country is projected onto the screen.
The President continues his introduction. After the Second World War, there were some thirty years without wars or major conflicts in Europe and the surrounding region. But since the 1980s, a cycle of wars has begun, including Russia’s wars against Chechnya, Georgia, Moldova, Syria and Ukraine. In the 1980s, the US invaded Iraq, and the Balkan Wars took place in the 1990s. Other wars broke out in Africa and Asia. These wars have brought widespread destruction, death, poverty, famine and refugees.
With ongoing globalisation, Europeans, like people on other continents, are witnessing these wars unfold in real time. The UN is unable to stem the situation, which continues to worsen. Those responsible for the conflicts are rarely brought to justice by the International Court. The production of conventional and nuclear weapons is increasing in Europe and worldwide.
A key question is whether, in the face of this erosion of global peace, NATO is capable of defending the European continent with the US considering withdrawing from the North Atlantic alliance.
The President concludes his introduction by stating that it will be vital for the countries of the European Union to continue living together in peace and to avoid wars in the future.
2. Activity Report 2025
2.1 Internal work of the Board of Directors
During 2025, the committee met eight times. Detailed minutes were drawn up for each of the meetings.
Eight newsletters (nos. 38 to 45) were sent to members to inform them of the association’s activities.
Articles from the Sélection Ad Pacem were sent to paying members on six occasions.
On 3 March 2025, an agreement was signed with the Catholic Faculty of the University of Sarajevo (BiH) providing for the award of scholarships to three students from the Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian communities for interfaith and intercultural studies over two semesters. These scholarships will primarily cover half of their tuition fees for the two semesters of study. The aim of this initiative is to promote inter-ethnic reconciliation and inter-religious dialogue in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
There were also the preparation and organisation of a visit to Fermont (near Longwy) to see an underground section of the Maginot Line and a day’s cycling in the Saarland (Bike for Climate – Bike for Peace).
In the spring, the committee launched an appeal for donations to fund costly medical procedures for two Ukrainians, Valery Sokolov and Valery Matjushenko, who had been released from Russian prisons where they had been tortured. A letter of thanks was sent to all donors.
A decision had to be made regarding which war to feature in the Ad Pacem 2025 calendar. The war that took place along the Gothic Line in Italy from 1943 to 1944 was chosen. It was decided to use the proceeds from sales to help Ukrainian women who have been victims of violence and torture by Russian soldiers in the occupied territories.
A letter of thanks was sent to our member Anna Umbach, who lives in Koblenz and has supported our scholarship recipient Susanna Aksenkova from August 2019 until she completes her university studies in Kharkiv in 2025. Over the years, she has contributed 20,000 euros in support.
Our committee’s IT specialist, Mr Laurent Tran Van Mang, who was responsible for the programming and security of our website, has resigned. We are looking for a replacement to ensure the security of our site in the future.
2.2 Activities in the Greater Region
On 15 March 2025, Mr Nicolas Tenzer gave a talk at the Book and Culture Fair, focusing on the theme “The Return of Mass Crime”.
On 29 March, the 8th General Assembly took place in Bascharage.
The “Bike for Climate – Bike for Peace” event took place in Saarland on Sunday 11 May.
On two occasions, we were invited to Neunkirchen in Saarland by a Catholic parish community.
1. For their “Peace Day” on 20 September, a dozen of our members, together with Germans, visited monuments across the city that recount events of the Second World War and the consequences for residents, foreigners and prisoners.
2. On 16 November, there was a second invitation to take part in an interfaith gathering centred on prayers and testimonies for peace. Five different religious traditions took part in this event. Each explained how and why peace is important to its members.
On 5 October, we held our annual cultural outing. Around twenty of our members met at 9.30 am at Fort Fermont, near Longwy, for a guided tour of a section of the Maginot Line. The guide took her time to explain in detail to the group how the fort was built and how the soldiers were organised there. We travelled through it on an electric train at a depth of 30 metres.
It was a very informative visit.
From October 2025 to January 2026, the Ad Pacem 2026 calendars were sold door-to-door and in parishes in the following dioceses:
Nancy-Toul (F), Verdun (F), Metz (F), Luxembourg (L), Trier (D), Ancona (I), Fano-Fossombrone-Pergola-Cagli (I). The sales figures for the four editions are as follows:
Number of Italian 2026 calendars: 250
Number of French 2026 calendars: 750
Number of German 2026 calendars: 350
Number of Ukrainian 2026 calendars: 50
We took part in the commemorative day for peace between the French and Germans in Bouzonville on 20 December 2025. It took place at the foot of the Monument of Europe erected on the Franco-German border. On two occasions we were able to present our initiative for peace and against war and sell our calendars.
2.3 Activities outside the Greater Region
On 18 January 2025, the President and Vice-President attended the Arms Observatory Symposium in Lyon to mark the organisation’s 40th anniversary. The aim was to find out:
– how the leaders of this association gather information on the production and sale of arms in France. And what recent trends there have been in these sales and to which countries.
– to hear their views on pacifism and security in France and Europe with a view to preserving peace.
In August, the President and Vice-President organised a party with a meal in Italy to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary. A collection taken up amongst the guests to help the victims of the war in Ukraine raised €1,585. This sum was donated to the SEMA organisation to help Ukrainian women who have been victims of torture and violence at the hands of Russian soldiers.
2. 4. Practical aid for Ukraine
In 2025, the Ad Pacem association’s commitment to supporting the victims of the war in Ukraine continued through numerous initiatives.
The proceeds from the Ad Pacem 2025 calendar were donated to ‘Hospitaliers’, a Ukrainian association of volunteer doctors and paramedics who help save lives immediately on the front line. Thanks to this money, we were able to fund the purchase of Fusiomats devices as well as four batteries for ‘Saros’ oxygen devices, thereby helping to improve medical care for the seriously injured.
A call for donations was also launched in the spring to support Valerij Sokolov and Valerij Matjushenko, former prisoners of the Russian ‘Izoliatsia’ concentration camp in Donetsk. This appeal helped fund dental implants essential to their health and quality of life after they had lost all their teeth as a result of the torture they endured.
The association’s support was also directed towards shelters for internally displaced persons within Ukraine. In Ivano-Frankivsk, a shelter for women and children benefited from plumbing repairs as well as the delivery of parcels containing clothes and shoes.
In Chernivtsi, the ‘Misto dobra’ centre, which cares for orphans and mothers with seriously ill children, received two oxygen machines, a fridge for its ambulance, as well as medicines and specialist medical equipment, including tracheostomy tubes suitable for children in palliative care.
The military hospital in Kyiv received several shipments of medical supplies, including medicines, dressings, disinfectants, orthoses and other essential equipment.
The association has also supported reception centres for people displaced within the country due to the war. In Dnipro, several parcels of clothing, shoes and bed linen were distributed. In Berezhany, targeted aid was provided to a group of refugee children from the Greek Catholic parish.
Furthermore, the Ad Pacem association has encouraged local initiatives with a social and therapeutic focus, such as an art therapy group. Thanks to our association’s support, pupils in Kropyvnytskyi – mainly children from displaced families – made trench candles for soldiers at the front.
The SEMA association, which supports women who have been victims of sexual violence during the war, received a donation of €1,585, raised during the celebration of Claude and Natalya Pantaleoni’s 20th wedding anniversary. This contribution helped fund medical treatment for four women who are members of the association.
Our scholarship programme has also continued. Two scholarship recipients completed their studies in 2025: Susanna Aksenkova, a medical graduate from Kharkiv University, and Dmytro Kmetko, who holds a Master’s degree in Management from Kyiv University. We are currently supporting three scholarship recipients: Vitalij Pichugov, a biology student in Kharkiv, and Stefan and Yakiv Muhovskyj, who are studying at the Greek Catholic seminary in Lviv.
Finally, we have provided individual assistance to several victims of the war – Olena Lazareva, Andrij Kochmuradov, Kateryna Kabanova and Svitlana Shukh – by purchasing essential medicines and covering the costs of medical treatment required as a result of torture and inhumane imprisonment in Russia.
2.5. The Ad Pacem servandam website
Christian Welter, treasurer, presented an update on the association’s website. He prepared this brief presentation in collaboration with the IT specialist Laurent Tran Van Mang, who has since resigned.
During October 2025, the association’s website became temporarily inaccessible. An automatic update had caused a PHP version conflict, resulting in a crash. Laurent was able to resolve this issue.
He has also implemented additional security measures which have since blocked around 200 malicious attacks targeting the Ad Pacem website. These attacks originate mainly from automated bots, which often appear to be located in the United States. However, this does not mean that the perpetrators of these attacks are actually there, as they conceal their real location.
The website now features dual protection, including a backup system on an independent server, enabling it to be restored in the event of destruction.
In addition to security measures, various sections will be reorganised over the course of the year to better highlight the association’s objectives.
In 2025, the website recorded around 300 monthly visits, made by some 100 unique visitors. A drop in visitor numbers is observed during the summer period. A third of visitors come from Luxembourg. The majority of visitors limit themselves to browsing the homepage. The most frequently visited sections are those dedicated to the committee and to aid initiatives for Ukraine following the Russia-Ukraine war.
2.6. Approval of the 2025 Activity Report
The Chair reminds the meeting that, in accordance with the association’s articles of association, donor members are associate members and, as such, do not take part in the vote; they nevertheless confirm the validity of the procedure. Only full members have the right to vote.
The Chair asks all those present if there are any questions or comments regarding the activity report. He then puts the 2025 activity report to the vote as presented. The 2025 activity report is unanimously approved and discharge is granted to the Board of Directors.
3. 2025 Financial Report
3.1. Presentation of the 2025 Financial Report
The treasurer presents the 2025 financial report. This report is intended to be more concise than that of the previous year.
All administrative costs, the association’s operating costs, website costs and those related to other activities (inviting speakers, venue hire, etc.) are covered by members’ subscriptions. In 2025, one hundred and twenty-one (121) members supported the association by paying their annual subscription.
All donations are allocated directly to aid for war victims and to the association’s scholarship holders. The association has been able to assist numerous beneficiaries, notably many victims suffering from the consequences of the war in Ukraine.
As with the 2025 calendar, the funding and revenue from the 2026 calendars span two financial years.
3.2. Approval of the 2025 financial report
The Chair asks if there are any questions regarding the presentation of the financial report. A vote is then taken. The financial report is approved unanimously and the Treasurer is discharged.
3.2. Approval of the 2025 Financial Report
The Chair asked whether there were any questions regarding the presentation of the financial report. A vote was then taken. The financial report was approved unanimously and the Treasurer was granted discharge.
4. Auditor’s Report
4.1. Presentation of the Auditor’s Report
Although Luxembourg legislation on associations does not require small associations such as Ad Pacem to appoint an auditor, the committee decided, in the interests of transparency, to maintain this practice.
Patrice Picart, re-elected as auditor at the previous year’s general meeting, has verified all income and expenditure recorded in the 2025 accounts. He certifies the accuracy of the accounts kept by the treasurer and notes no irregularities. He has confirmed his approval of the report in writing.
4.2. Approval of the auditor’s report
As no questions were raised following the presentation of the auditor’s report, a vote was taken. The report by the auditor, Patrice Picart, was approved unanimously.
5. Election of the new Board of Directors
As the Board of Directors’ term of office expires after three years, the Chair proposed proceeding with the election of the new Board of Directors before the presentation of the provisional budget for 2026.
The Chair proposes setting the number of positions to be filled on the new Board of Directors at four. This proposal is approved.
The following stand as candidates for the new Board of Directors:
· Claude Pantaleoni, for the position of Chair
· Natalya Pantaleoni, for the position of Vice-Chair
· Christian Welter, for the position of Treasurer
· Renaud Cecconi, for the position of Secretary
The full members then proceeded to vote. The candidates were elected unanimously and re-elected to their respective posts for a term of three years.
6. Election of the new auditor and thanks to Patrice Picart
As the current auditor, Patrice Picart, was not standing for re-election, the election of a new auditor took place. A nomination was put forward for Melvyn Mainini.
The full members proceeded to vote. Melvyn Mainini, who was present at the general meeting, was unanimously elected as treasurer for the 2026 financial year. He accepted the position and the president thanked him.
Patrice Picart has served as Ad Pacem’s auditor since the organisation’s second year He has carried out this role with reliability and integrity. The chair extends his warmest thanks and presents him with gifts on behalf of the association.
7. Provisional Budget for 2026
7.1. Presentation of the Provisional Budget for 2026
The treasurer then presents the provisional budget for the year 2026. Expected income includes membership fees, calendar sales and donations.
Expected expenditure covers the association’s activities, including in particular the organisation of events such as conferences, cycle tours, as well as cultural visits and outings. It also includes administrative and operating costs, notably costs related to the website, postal and banking charges, as well as the costs of producing the 2027 calendar.
The budget also provides for the dispatch of aid to victims of the war in Ukraine, to refugee centres, and to hospitals treating the wounded and suffering refugees.
The treasurer also informs the meeting of a new measure introduced this year, namely the opening of a savings account in the association’s name, into which funds are deposited pending their allocation to aid or other expenditure.
A donor member enquires about the reasons for depositing funds into a savings account. The treasurer replied that this would largely offset the bank charges thanks to the interest generated (amounting to less than 100 euros per year).
7.2. Approval of the 2026 provisional budget
The chair put the 2026 provisional budget to the vote. The 2026 provisional budget is approved unanimously.
8. Setting the 2026 membership fee
The annual membership fee remains unchanged and is set at 15 euros for the standard rate. A reduced rate of 5 euros applies to young people, school pupils and students.
The Chairperson refers to Article 6 of the association’s Articles of Association, according to which the Board of Directors may, in certain situations, grant a partial or total exemption from membership fees. Such a measure may, in particular, apply to people wishing to get to know the association for a certain period, refugees, or people who find themselves (temporarily) in a difficult situation.
The meeting approves the aforementioned membership fee amounts.
9. Any other business
The Chair informs the participants at the General Meeting and invites them to take part, on the weekend of 16 and 17 May, in a cycle ride (‘Bike for climate – bike for peace’) organised in the south of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department, near Toul.
The association is also planning a forthcoming visit to the former Nazi labour camp at Thil, near Villerupt. A forthcoming newsletter will provide further details on this.
Following these announcements, the chair thanked all participants for attending this ninth general meeting and invited them, after the group photo, to join in a toast.
