A heart of Marist solidarity in America
The inter-American meeting of Marist solidarity brought together representatives from the Marist Provinces of America, the Bureau of International Solidarity ? BIS and the NGO Solidarity, Education, Development ? SED, to deepen the themes of social action with children, adolescents, young people, the culture of solidarity and to improve our social action. The meeting started on the evening of the 2nd May at Belo Horizonte (Brazil) and the work continued until Saturday 6th May.
At the opening, the participants were able to experience intensely the cultural presentation given by young people from the Marist Centre of CreSendo, highlighting the socio-pedagogical measures and the aid programmes in a milieu of special education. Then several welcomed the participants: Brother Vicente Falqueto, representative of the host Province of Brasil Centro-Norte, from the Marist network of solidarity ? Redemar, and from the Sub-commission of Solidarity for the Marist Mission in Latin America, Brother Maximiliano Méier from the Sub-commission and from the Continental Commission of Marist Mission, and Brother Emili Turú, General Councillor and President of the International Commission of Marist Mission. The dynamic of the presentation of the participants as well as the ceremony of blessing were conducted by representatives of the Province of Brasil Centro-Norte. During the ceremony, reflections passed on the message that it is necessary to plant good seed to obtain promising fruit, and that should be the spirit of this meeting.
On the second day of work, the group continued the discussion on an analysis of the approach to childhood and youth according to public policies, by seeking to know better the inter-American situation regarding these public policies and to see where the urgent needs are. Professor Luis de la Mora from the federal University of Pernambuco introduced and animated these debates. Then the participants discussed various conceptions of solidarity according to sociological and theological points of view, of solidarity in a Curriculum Vitae, of solidarity and popular education, of local networks such as the Ways of Solidarity and of the Rights of the Child which must be recognised, guaranteed and defended.
The daily agenda also planned for the presentation of successful experiences, the visit to social works at Belo Horizante such as the Marcellin Champagnat Marist Educational Centre, the recycling co-operative and Producer Groups of Barreiro and Região – COOPERSOLI.
The work finished on the 6th May, by defining the needs, the challenges, the principles and the actions to be undertaken. All of this was structured by the Sub-commission for Solidarity in Latin America, with the help of Redemar (Marist network of solidarity).