A new structure to help with the preparation of the General Chapter
Readers who looked for information on the XXI General Chapter on our web-site were able to access a page which offered news on the Chapter, the logo, information about the preparatory commission and the resources used to energize the communities from the beginning.
To deal with present issues, we have developed a new communication platform dealing with the next General Chapter, both for habitual users and for the brothers who will be taking part in these activities. This means that, starting from 12 December 2008, changes will take place in this section of the www.champagnat.org web-site
The new service
The characteristics of this new service which we will describe shortly, have a double purpose: an information service open to all readers of the web and a reserved area dedicated to the brothers involved in the chapter. The open section will highlight any information of interest to the whole Institute. In this section there will appear news, statistical, maps, pictures, etc. and relevant documentation dealing with the Chapter. The reserved section will only be available to the capitulants using a personal password.
Characteristics of the reserved area
This space is designed so that a large group of people, dispersed throughout the world, can share activities, opinions and decisions through the internet by means of computer programmes which they will be able to use from their personal computers.
Through the reserved area, the preparatory Commission will be able to send official statements to the capitulants to help organize activities with them or with regional or provincial groups. Likewise, there will be a voting system, which will be used for agreeing on organizational topics, agenda, procedure or any other relevant topic. This system will enable the capitulants to give their views on questions outlined for them by the preparatory Commission who will be able to proceed with the organisation of the assembly, having gathered the information and advice in this way.
It will be possible to exchange documents in diverse formats (Word, PDF, JPG, etc.) by means of a simple procedure that allows the insertion of files or text, directly.
Also at the planning stage are discussion forums on topics which can be clarified before the capitulants arrive in Rome, and a space where useful contributions can be placed dealing with activities that are in progress.
This service wishes to make use of the resources offered by electronic communication to facilitate the work of the Chapter and, where possible, to avoid the excessive use of paper, which will be a contribution to the ecology and sustainability of our world.
This new communication service will be available starting from 12 December 2008.