Collaboration between administrative units for mission in Africa
The African Mission Commission met with the Conference of Superiors of the African Continent (CSAC) for the first time in Nairobi on Feb. 10 with the hope of greater collaboration between the administrative units to improve the mission in Africa.
“The encounter was excellent,” said Br João Carlos do Prado, director of the Secretariat of Mission. “The meeting with the provincials was very positive and it allowed the harmonizing of the future vision on the Marist mission in Africa and the processes required to get there.”
The encounter with the superior provincials was in the context of the African Mission Commission meeting from Feb. 8 – 11.
Three members of the Institute’s Secretariat of Mission participated – Brother João Carlos do Prado, the new project coordinator, Patrizia Coppola, and the advisor of the New Models Project, Luca Olivari.
The African Mission Commission met in Nairobi to discuss the strategic plan of 2017 – 2022 with the aim of encouraging greater collaboration between the administrative units.
The aims of the Commission are formation of leaders, children’s rights and protection, sustainability and vitality, and Marist youth ministry.
“The challenge is that the projects are growing in complexity which requires more structuring and also the project’s financial sustainability,” Br João told the general house press office on Feb. 15. “The challenges of Africa are not only of Africa but of the whole Institute because we are a global body.”
The meeting with the provincials took place at the Marist International Centre, or the MIC, and included two sessions, one on the strategic plan and another one on the formation programme of educators titled ‘New Horizons.’
Angela Petenzi partipicated on behalf of FMSI from the general administration to monitor the progress of the first phase of the New Horizons programme and to identify possible funding agencies for its second phase.
The goal of the New Horizons programme is “to develop school leaders who will contribute to the realisation of authentic, transformative leadership in a new Africa.”