240 Marist educators took part in the formation offered by the Gregorian
From 1 to 4 June, a meeting was held in Alcalá de Henares (Spain) to evaluate the agreement between the Marist Institute and the Center for the Protection of Children, CCP, of the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. The Marist Foundation for International Solidarity (FMSI) signed this agreement in 2017 with the aim of implementing training courses for the prevention of sexual abuse in universities and other Marist institutions.
To date, in addition to those trained at the Gregorian itself, 240 Marist educators from 12 countries have participated in this training. Brothers and laypeople from Spain, Portugal, Romania, Greece, France, Hungary, China, Lebanon, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Brazil and Chile have followed the training given by Cardenal Cisneros University Centre (Spain), Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná-PUCPR (Brazil) and the Marist Sector of Chile.
In order to evaluate the development of this course, between March and May 2019 a survey was carried out among the participants. In addition to this survey, the meeting at the beginning of the month brought together those responsible for the implementation of this Gregorian course in the Marist Sector: Inmaculada Maillo (Europe – Asia), Bárbara Pimpão (Brazil) and Marcela Hormazábal (Chile). Álvaro Sepúlveda, of the Child Rights Unit of FMSI, was present as facilitator of the meeting.
The positive evaluation of this experience is a good basis for its extension to other Provinces of the Marist Institute. The Marist University of Merida (Mexico) and the University Notre Dame de Marbel (Philippines) will soon participate in this project.
The meeting was also an opportunity to meet Brother Gabriel Villa-Real, responsible for the Policy of Child Rights of the Province of l’Hermitage and member of the European Team for the Child Rights. Videoconferences were also held with other Marist Provinces interested in the course. There was also the opportunity to get to know the initiatives already under way in the Marist world: the campaign of the “Guardians of Rights” and the recognition given by UNICEF to the schools of the Province of Ibérica; the campaign “Defend yourself” and the National Guidelines for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child in Brazil; the “Never Again” Forum” and Youth Council of the Marist Sector of Chile.
As part of the program, the publication "Breaking the Silence" was launched in Madrid, a book that brings together testimonies of Marist people committed to the protection of children.