1. Appeal for donations for Valerij SOKOLOV and Valerij MATJUSCHENKO

Since 2015, Russia has occupied Ukrainian territories and set up concentration camps modelled on those of the Soviet Union. Prisoner exchanges have been taking place for several years between the two warring countries, and among the Ukrainians released, there are those who have spent years in concentration camps such as ‘Izolyazia’, located in the Donetsk region.

Our association, Ad Pacem Servandam, supports several former prisoners of the Russian concentration camp ‘Izolyazia’. They are mainly civilians who suffer from serious after-effects of regular torture. After their release, we help them by covering their medical expenses, which are often costly for people who cannot afford to pay for treatment. They have lost everything or had to leave everything behind in the occupied areas. This is the case for Valerij Sokolov and Valerij Matjuschenko.

=> To learn more about their stories, click here.

We are making an APPEAL to help them.

You can help by making a donation to the bank account
IBAN LU28 0099 7800 0064 0276 (CCRALULL)
of our association Pour la Paix et contre la Guerre asbl
with the reference ‘Help for Sokolov and Matjuschenko’

or via Payconiq (Benelux States only)

2. Report on the 8th General Assembly

On Saturday 29 March 2025, from 9.30 a.m. to 12 noon, the 8th General Assembly was held in Bascharage (L). Here is a report on the activities and assistance provided by the association during 2024, as well as its plans for the future.

=> Click here to read the details.

With best regards,
Claude Pantaleoni
Chairman Ad Pacem servandam

1. European Summer School in Sarajevo from 1^st to 15 July 2025

We are pleased to announce the first edition of the European Summer School in Sarajevo from 1^st to 15 July this year.

Our association ‘Ad Pacem servandam – Pour la Paix et contre la Guerre’ supports this initiative thanks to an Agreement that it signed at the beginning of this year with the three faculties of theology in Bosnia and Herzegovina that are behind the European Summer School Sarajevo: the Catholic Faculty of Theology, the Faculty of Islamic Studies and the Orthodox Theological Faculty of Saint Basil of Ostrog.
=> Convention Ad Pacem – Theological Faculties Sarajevo

Thirty years after the end of the Balkan War (1992-1995), the three major religious communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina know that living together in peace requires the contribution of everyone, including and especially the followers of these religions.

The European Summer School in Sarajevo allows believers of the three religions to get to know each other better so that they can each play their part in building peace.

At the same time, it is open to those from Bosnia and Herzegovina and abroad who want to learn about the important religious traditions of this country and its multicultural characteristics.

We therefore invite you to read the programme of events on the attached flyers, which clearly explains everything related to the studies as well as the more touristy part. Among other things, you will discover important and magnificent places in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
=> 2025 Summer School Sarajevo Flyer
=> 2025 Summer School Sarajevo Program

If you are interested, don’t hesitate to plan your stay in Sarajevo now!

2. Bike for climate – bike for peace on 11 May

You are all invited to take part in our next bike ride on Sunday 11 May in Saarland.

You will have the opportunity to cycle through this beautiful landscape of our Greater Region, to experience the benefits of cycling for health and group interaction. 

By clicking on the attached link, you can discover the route and its cultural side. Everyone will need to bring their own lunch for the midday break. Several intermediate breaks are also planned.
=> Ad Pacem Bike Tour 8 (Merzig-Losheim-Saarschleife)

The departure is at around 9:00 or 9:15 am from the car park in the city centre of Merzig, where we will leave our cars and pick them up again at the end of the day.

You are all cordially invited to join us. We will be carpooling. Please let us know in advance by email ([email protected]) or by calling us on +352 621 280 850 or by text message.

Hoping to see you at this bike ride,
the whole Ad Pacem team wishes you a Happy Easter.

On behalf of the committee,
Claude Pantaleoni
Chairman Ad Pacem servandam

1. Invitation to the 2025 General Assembly

Dear members, dear friends,

On behalf of the committee of the association ‘Ad Pacem servandam – For Peace and against War’, I invite you to our 2025 Ordinary General Assembly.
It will take place on Saturday 29 March from 9.30 am to 11.30 am at the St. Willibrord Parish Centre, 27 rue de la Résistance, next to the church in Bascharage (Käerjeng, Luxembourg).
Free parking is available behind the church.

You will be informed of our association’s activities for 2024, the cash report and current projects for 2025.

After the meeting, the committee invites you to a drink offered by the association.

The agenda will be as follows:

1. Opening of the meeting by the chairman
2. Report of activities 2024
3. Financial report 2024
4. Report of the auditor
5. Provisional budget 2025
6. Miscellaneous

2. Reminder: Invitation on 15 March 2025 to Mr Nicolas Tenzer’s talk at the Salon du Livre et des Cultures in Luxembourg City

The association ‘Ad Pacem servandam – For Peace and Against War’ invites you to come and listen to Mr Nicolas Tenzer at the Salon du Livre et des Cultures in Luxembourg-Kirchberg. His lecture will take place on Saturday 15 March, from 3pm to 4.30pm in room 2a.

The subject of the lecture will be:

‘Our war and the return of mass crime’

A former student of the École normale supérieure (Ulm) and the ENA, and a graduate of Sciences Po Paris, Nicolas Tenzer is a senior civil servant and expert on strategic issues and the author of the blog Tenzer Strategics. He is also the author of several books including: Notre guerre, Le crime et l’oubli : pour une pensée stratégique (2024); Le monde à l’horizon 2030 (2011); Quand la France disparaît du monde (2008); France : la réforme impossible (2004); Les valeurs des modernes (2003).

Dear members, I hope to see many of you at these two meetings,
best regards!

Claude Pantaleoni
Chairman Ad Pacem servandam

1. Invitation on 15 March 2025 to the talk by Mr Nicolas Tenzer at the Salon du Livre et des Cultures in Luxembourg City

The association ‘Ad Pacem servandam – For Peace and Against War’ invites you to come and listen to Mr Nicolas Tenzer at the Salon du Livre et des Cultures in Luxembourg-Kirchberg. His lecture will take place on Saturday 15 March, from 3pm to 4.30pm in room 2A.

The subject of the lecture will be:

‘Our war and the return of mass crime’

A former student of the École normale supérieure (Ulm) and the ENA, and a graduate of Sciences Po Paris, Nicolas Tenzer is a senior civil servant and expert on strategic issues and the author of the blog Tenzer Strategics. He is also the author of several books including: Notre guerre, Le crime et l’oubli : pour une pensée stratégique (2024); Le monde à l’horizon 2030 (2011); Quand la France disparaît du monde (2008); France : la réforme impossible (2004); Les valeurs des modernes (2003).

2. Support for the Vorzel psychiatric hospital thanks to the profits from the sale of the 2024 calendar and other solidarity initiatives

All the proceeds from the sale of the 2024 calendar went to the Vorzel hospital near Kyiv, where most of the patients – civilians and soldiers – suffer from deep trauma caused by Russia’s war of aggression in eastern and southern Ukraine.

The association has thus financed the renovation of an intensive therapy room and paid for three large purchases of medicines. This aid can be seen on the association’s website, under the heading ‘Russia’s War Against Ukraine’ on the following dates: 17 July 2024, 30 August 2024, 30 September 2024 and 24 December 2024.

During 2024, this hospital also received help from several donations and other actions by the association. See the links under the same heading on the dates indicated:
For the purchase of medicines on 1 Sept. and 24 Oct. 2024; for the solidarity concerts on 23 Aug. and 24 Oct. 2024, following calls for donations on 30 Oct. and 14 Nov. 2024, thanks to subsidies from the cities of Differdange and Dudelange on 15 April 2024 and thanks to a donation made by the KIWANIS Club of Luxembourg on 15 July 2024.

Many thanks go to the vice-president of the association who organised all these activities and to the numerous donors.

Dear members, best regards to you all!

Claude Pantaleoni
Chairman Ad Pacem servandam

1. Ad Pacem 2025 calendar

Every year, we visit places in Europe that have been marked by major wars in the past. We collect documents and take photos, which are then used to design the calendar for the following year.

The 2025 calendar, available in French, German and Italian, illustrates the four main Allied landings (Sicily, Gulf of Salerno, Normandy and Provence). These events, which liberated Europe from the Nazi yoke in 1943 and 1944, are detailed through photos and information gathered on the spot. QR codes accompanying each month’s photos provide access to additional historical information.

You can view the cover page of the calendar here:
Aperçu Calendrier Ad Pacem 2025

Knowing about past wars is important for understanding the value of Peace today.

Proceeds from the sale of the 2025 calendar (€10 + postage) will be donated in full to the Ukrainian medical association Hospitallers. This organisation intervenes rapidly to treat wounded soldiers and civilians near the front line. In order to prevent deaths on the battlefield, the wounded are transported as quickly as possible to hospitals in the major towns, using all-terrain vehicles and a bus equipped for operations and first aid.

To order a calendar, make a transfer of €16 (calendar + postage) to our current account IBAN: LU28 0099 7800 0064 0276 (BIC: CCRALULL).
Don’t forget to include your surname, first name and postal address, as well as your preferred language. The calendar will be sent to you by post.

2. Christmas Market in Differdange

This year, our association will be present at the Marché de Noël in Differdange, from 29 November to 22 December.

We have invited an internal refugee from Ukraine who is currently living with her family in the west of the country. Visitors to the Market will have the opportunity to discover her magnificent handmade Christmas decorations, which she makes herself. The purchase of these decorations helps all her family and friends to cope with the difficulties faced by internally displaced people and refugees. Part of the proceeds will also be donated to a home for displaced children.

The Christmas market is open from 2pm to 8pm from Wednesday to Sunday, and until 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays. The market remains closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

To find out about all the items available (sizes, prices, etc.), click here:
Assortiments décorations Noël 2024
They can be purchased directly at the market. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us on (+352) 621 280 850.

Best regards!

Claude Pantaleoni
Chairman Ad Pacem servandam

1. ‘Peace’ in the Balkans – Conference by J.-A. Dérens

2. Ukrainians under Russian missiles and bombs:
Report by our Vice-President who has been to Ukraine

3. ‘Bike for climate’ around Lac du Der on 28 and 29 September

Dear members,

This Newsletter provides information on the situation in the Balkans, which were ravaged between 1992 and 1995 by the Balkan Wars. The situation has improved since then, but there is still no real peace, because the underlying conflicts are still there and could explode, for example between Kosovo and Serbia, or in Bosnia-Herzegovina between the Srepska Republic and the Bosnian and Croatian communities.

The summaries of the Salon du Livre 2024 conference with our guest, Jean-Arnault Dérens, and the video of the entire conference on YouTube provide an up-to-date analysis of the situation of the peoples of the Balkans.

=> Jean-Arnault Dérens: “The Balkans, a marginalised periphery of the European Union? Old unresolved conflicts and new players”

In July, our Vice-President Natalya visited some of the projects for victims of the war that we support in Ukraine. Unfortunately, the situation for the Ukrainians remains very difficult and a ceasefire, or even peace with Russia, is still impossible. Russia continues, with impunity, to kill its own soldiers and Ukrainian civilians and soldiers defending their country. You can read the report on the trip below.

=> 8 July 2024 – Ivano-Frankivsk Shelter

=> 9 July 2024 : Misto dobra

=> 15 July 2024

=> 15 and 16 July 2024 : Concentration camp “Izolyaziya” in Donetsk

=> 17 July 2024 – Vorzel Hospital

=> 30 August 2024 – Vorzel Hospital Therapy Room

After the Second World War, peace was built within the European Economic Community through a common economic policy. This was based, among other things, on the exploitation of fossil fuels, mainly coal, oil and gas. The transition to renewable energies, which has been envisaged since the start of the new millennium, requires us to abandon the exploitation of fossil fuels in the medium term. The aim is to avoid the disasters predicted by all the current studies on climate change. However, the major oil-exporting countries, such as Russia and the Gulf States, are refusing to make the transition to an ecological economy. Wars (in Ukraine, Gaza and elsewhere) are therefore (also) becoming a means of preventing this transition. Since 2022, we have seen how ecological projects, movements and parties have struggled to gain a foothold or have been thwarted. Governments are stopping or putting the brakes on ecological transitions that aim to replace the causes of air pollution with CO2, the gas primarily responsible for climate change.

We’re organising our next ‘Bike for climate – bike for peace’ event around France’s largest artificial lake, Lac du Der, on the border of the Marne and Haute-Marne départements. Come and experience the benefits of cycling from the morning of Saturday 28 September to the afternoon of Sunday 29 September. On the evening of the 28th there will be a discussion on the theme of ‘fundamental ecology’.

You are all cordially invited to join us. We will be carpooling. Please let us know in advance by email ([email protected]) or by calling us on +352 621 280 850 or by text message.

=> Ad Pacem Bike Tour 7 (28.09.)

=> Ad Pacem Bike Tour 7 (29.09.)

Best regards,

Claude Pantaleoni
Chairman Ad Pacem servandam

90 shipments of aid to Ukraine

Dear members of Ad Pacem,

This newsletter gives an overview of our aid to the victims in Ukraine of the Russian military aggression which, since 22 February 2022, has put the east and south of the country (20% of Ukrainian territory) to fire and blood.

In the first few weeks, we were inundated with spontaneous aid from members and neighbours who were sending supplies (medicines, clothes, blankets, linen, etc.) that Ukrainians, fleeing with their children in the face of the advancing barbarism, might need. In April and May 2022, refugees arrived on our doorstep and we tried to accommodate them.

Many of the donations we received throughout 2022 paid for all our shipments to the hospitals in Stryj, Kharkiv, Kramatorsk and Vorzel (psychiatric clinic for traumatised civilians and soldiers) and to the internal refugee centres in Dnipro, Pidgorodne, Berezhane and Chernovitz in Ukraine. Some of this money was sent directly by Western Union to trusted development workers who bought equipment, medicines and food on the spot.

Some of the donations were used to fund emergency operations for injured civilians and refugees who could not pay for them themselves.

From the outset, our approach has been to be transparent, with photos of our aid taken when it was sent and when it was received. For each item of aid, you will find on the website the date, the place where it was sent and received, the content of the aid sent and, in most cases, the people who were helped and/or who received it. This is also the case when money has been sent: the photos document the purchases made and distributed to those in need.

To date, ninety items have been sent to Ukraine.

See the direct link: Russia’s war against Ukraine

All the proceeds from the sale of the Ad Pacem 2023 calendar have been used to fund a field hospital that a dozen doctors decided to set up behind the Ukrainian front lines. It enables them to intervene quickly with seriously injured soldiers. We bought them sleeping bags, inflatable mattresses, bullet-proof waistcoats, medical equipment, medicines, dressings, etc.

A doctor and a nurse from this team wrote to us saying that they had been wounded by Russian bullets when they went out to recover wounded soldiers. From their hospitals Oleg (December 2023) and Oleksander (January 2024) texted us that it was thanks to the bullet-proof waistcoats we had bought them that their lives were saved. A ray of light in this horrible war!

I would like to thank all our members who, through their subscriptions and donations, are making it possible to help the victims of the war in Ukraine.

Special thanks go to our vice-president Natalya Pantaleoni, who organises all this aid.

Claude Pantaleoni

Chairman

7th General Meeting – Bike for climate – Outing to Verdun

Dear friends, dear members,

The Board of our association “Pour la Paix et contre la Guerre – Ad pacem servandam” called its members to the 7th General Meeting, which was held on 23 March 2024. You can consult the report of the GM by clicking on the following link:
=> Report on our 7th General Meeting 2024

Bike for climate – bike for peace

This is the third year that Ad Pacem has organised this peaceful initiative on two wheels. Cycling is good for individual health and reminds us of the many advantages of a policy that promotes cycling as part of our daily mobility (cycle paths in and around our towns, cycle parking facilities, etc.). Some of the wars currently being waged (notably in Ukraine, Sudan and Syria) are wars in which the aggressors appropriate energy resources to consolidate their dictatorial powers. Added to this is climate change, which calls into question our erroneous travel habits.
These arguments, combined with the pleasure of seeing you again, mean that we are delighted to invite you to our 5th cycle tour, which will take place on Saturday 18 May 2024. The tour will start at 9am in front of the church in Elvange, Luxembourg, where you can park for free all day. We plan to return to the same place at around 5pm.
The route, of around forty kilometres, will take us mainly along cycle paths in Luxembourg and Saarland.
The programme includes a number of interesting visits: the European Museum in Schengen, the Roman villa at Borg, and the Roman mosaic at Nennig, the latter two being among the largest and best preserved north of the Alps. We will also pass by the Remerschen nature reserve and the Remich esplanade, all set in the heart of the Moselle landscape and the surrounding vineyards.
All visits are free of charge for participants, as they are paid for by the association. Please bring your own provisions for lunch, in the form of a packed lunch.
To take part, please confirm your attendance by e-mail to [email protected] before 15 May.
You can find out more about the route by clicking on the following link:
=> Ad Pacem Bike Tour n. 5

VERDUN: “Des Flammes à la Lumière” show

Ad Pacem also invites you to take part in its outing to the “Des Flammes à la Lumière” show, which recalls the First World War battle at Verdun, on Friday 28 June 2024 (from dusk until around midnight).
It’s one of Europe’s biggest shows on the 1914-18 War. 250 actors, 1,000 spotlights and 2 hectares of stage space will immerse you in the sounds and sights of combat and life in the trenches.
For more information on the show, visit the following website:
=> https://spectacle-verdun.com/
We will organise the purchase of tickets. If you are interested in seeing this unique show, let us know before 25 May by emailing [email protected].
To make travelling easier, we are organising a car pool. If you are coming with your own car, let us know please if you have room to take other people with you.
The departure time from Esch-sur-Alzette will be communicated to you a few days before.

Best peace regards,

Claude Pantaleoni
Chairman

Peace above all

Dear friends,

As in all wars, the war between Israel and Hamas is mainly killing innocent civilians. Once again, we are witnessing the powerlessness of the world’s leaders to stop it or impose a ceasefire.
But as long as the Israeli and Palestinian leaders do not join hands to live in peace in two neighbouring states, recognising each other, the region will remain an area of conflict.
Our association supports any initiative that stops the war and leads to lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Publication: Ad Pacem 2024 calendar

Our new Ad Pacem calendar for 2024 has been available for a few days now. To produce it, this summer we travelled between Verdun and Reims, along the Western Front of the First World War. More specifically, we visited the sites of the great battles of the Meuse, Champagne, and Marne. And we compare this front to the Russian-Ukrainian front, which has been bogged down and stagnant for months. QR codes and a leaflet inside the calendar provide additional information and photos.

Proceeds from the sale of the calendar will go to help the psychiatric hospital in Vorzel, north of Kyiv, which our Vice-President visited last July. Director Tetyana Ponomarenko explained to her how the hospital was ransacked by Russian soldiers in March-April 2022. Today, the hospital is mainly short of medicines to treat the soldiers and Ukrainian civilians traumatised by the war, who are constantly flocking there.
You can order our Ad Pacem 2024 calendar by paying €14 into our account LU28 0099 7800 0064 0276 (CCRALULL), clearly specifying your full name and postal address.

Thank you

I would like to thank all our members who responded to our appeal for donations in Newsletter 27 to organise the purchase of essential medicines for the psychiatric clinic in Vorzel. These were handed over to the Director on 14 November 2023.
=> 14 November 2023. On 30 October 2023, the Vorzel psychiatric hospital in Ukraine received the medicines purchased thanks to donations received following our appeal in Newsletter 27. The hospital obtained antidepressants, neuroleptics, anticonvulsants, hynoptics and anxiolytics.

Best wishes for peace!

Claude Pantaleoni
Chairman

War in Ukraine – Appeal for donations

Dear friends,

During the first months of 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, we made several appeals, via our Newsletter, to help Ukrainian refugees inside their country and those arriving here.
You were generous enough to bring us sheets, blankets, clothes, shoes, food and medicines, which we sent to Ukraine in successive consignments to our development workers, who distributed them to those in need.
Many of you have made donations by bank transfer, with which we have purchased in Ukraine throughout the year what the refugees in the various reception centres and the wounded soldiers in the hospitals in Kharkiv and Kramatorsk needed, with whom we remain in contact.

The “Russia’s war against Ukraine” section of our website brings together all our direct aid actions. You can find out where, when and by whom this aid has been received.
=> Russia’s war against Ukraine

Psychologically traumatised people –
the forgotten victims of this war

Today, we are coming back to you with this URGENT APPEAL to help a psychiatric clinic in Vorzel, north of Kyiv, which our vice-president Natalya Pantaleoni visited at the end of June – beginning of July 2023.
This hospital, which is overloaded with civilian and military trauma patients, can no longer accommodate any more, although patients continue to arrive in large numbers.
There are not enough qualified staff or adequate medicines, as the Ukrainian government is mainly supporting military offensives and the physically injured.

What’s more, the clinic in Vorzel was ravaged and badly damaged by Russian soldiers who occupied it in March-April 2022. To date, it has not been possible to repair the damage due to a lack of funds.
Our vice-president’s interview with the director Tetyana Ponomarenko explains everything.
=> Interview

You can help by making a donation to our bank account
IBAN LU28 0099 7800 0064 0276 (CCRALULL)
of our association “Pour la Paix et contre la Guerre asbl”
with the mention “Help Vorzel”

or by using => Payconiq (only Benelux)

All our actions are documented and can be seen on our website.

If you have any medical equipment (crutches, walkers, medical corsets, wheelchairs, etc.) that you no longer need, we can collect it and send it to hospitals in Kharkiv and Kramatorsk.
Contact us by email at [email protected].

On behalf of the war victims and traumatised patients at Vorzel hospital,
many thanks!

Claude Pantaleoni
Chairman

Dear friends,

The longer the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine goes on, and the more Russia’s rulers continue to proclaim that they are waging a justified war, the more important it becomes to unmask their rhetoric and false motives. This is why the committee of “Ad Pacem servandam – For Peace and Against War” has organised several conferences in 2022 and 2023 given by specialists who are familiar with Europe and the Ukrainian, Russian and (post)Soviet worlds.

Our two guests at the Salon du Livre et des Cultures in Luxembourg-City in 2022 and 2023 were Jacques FAURE and Manfred SAPPER respectively. The former is a French diplomat who was also ambassador to Kyiv, and the latter has been the director of Osteuropa, the oldest Eastern European journal founded in Berlin in 1925, since 2002.

Their lectures can now be accessed on our website via the following links:
Jacques FAURE: What peaceful policy for Europe in the face of Russian military aggression against Ukraine?
Manfred SAPPER: Test Case Ukraine – Russia’s War, the West and the Paths to Peace
By clicking on the “The whole conference” link, you can discover the transcript of the entire conference. Clicking on “Summary” will take you to a text summarising the main points.
You can also listen to and watch the full lecture on YouTube:
Jacques FAURE : Quelle politique pacifique de l’Europe face à l’agression militaire russe contre l’Ukraine ? (YouTube)
Manfred SAPPER: Testfall Ukraine – Russlands Krieg, der Westen und die Wege zum Frieden (YouTube)

The truths you will read or hear are well-founded and will help you to understand this war, the European dimension of which increases every day.

If you have any questions about these two conferences, please contact our committee at [email protected].

Wishing for a just peace for Ukraine,

Claude Pantaleoni
Chairman

Dear friends, dear members of Ad Pacem,

The rediscovery of cycling symbolises the ecological and energetic alternatives that men and women must (re)discover for their own well-being and that of future generations. The cycle paths created or rehabilitated in recent years are there to help us change, at least in part, our habits of locomotion. In addition, we can (re)discover the nature of our countryside and forests and the well-being of unpolluted air.

Our Ad Pacem committee invites you to pedal together
on Saturday 20 May from 9.30 am to about 5 pm
on a looped route that we have chosen,
starting from the car park of the train station in Bettembourg.
You can discover the route by clicking on the following link: Ad Pacem Bike Tour 4.

There is the possibility to arrive by train or to leave the car on the car park during the whole day. Each participant will bring a packed lunch. A list of tips will be sent to participants two days before the event. You can notify us of your participation by e-mail at [email protected].

Cycling is good for your health, for the climate and for peace!
So don’t hesitate to join us!

Please also remember the date of Saturday 17 June for our visit to the Bastogne War Museum, where we will have a guided tour in the morning.
More information will follow in a future Newsletter.

Greetings of peace!

Claude Pantaleoni
President of the asbl
“For Peace and Against War”