FMSI invites the Marist NGO?s of the American continent
This is not the first time that it happens: in 2004 (when FMSI was an office of the Marist General Administration) there was a meeting in Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia), which was the origin of the network Corazón Solidario (Solidarity Heart), which up until now functions regularly at the level of the Marist provinces, in different countries and even at continental level, as can be seen from the meetings held in Belo Horizonte (2006), Belem (2009), Mexico City (2011) and Quito (2014).
During the meeting in Belem in 2009, promoted by the present Superior General Br. Emili Turú, Dominick Pujia and Sara Panciroli represented FMSI and already at that time there was talk of an international network of Marist NGO’s and organisms of solidarity with a global perspective in mind.
According to what was developed in the American continent, the moment has arrived for FMSI to create a global network, at Marist level.
In fact, it is foreseen in the nest months to have four meetings for large geographic zones, reserved to those responsible for the NGO’s and to the Marist Provincial Offices.
The place and date of the first two meetings have already been fixed: in the city of Guatemala, from 17 to 19 of August 2015 for the American continent and in Rome, from the 5th to the 7th of October 2015, for Europe. FMSI is now in dialogue to fix the place and date of the other two, foreseen for 2016: one for Asia-Oceania and the other one for Africa.
The objectives of the encounter are multiple: from knowing one another and exchanging experiences up to the opportunity of opening our horizons in the whole Marist world, perfectly in harmony with the commitment of the Institute to make effective its internationality. Three documents will be studied, deepened and shared: one on “our idea of solidarity” in connection with the promotion of the rights of children; a second document on “the policy of protection of minors” that can serve as inspiration for Marist organizations; and a third one to study the establishment of an international network of Marist NGO’s, objective of FMSI for 2017.
We will begin with the meeting in Guatemala, in the Marist Center of Formation in that city, where it is foreseen that there will be 25 persons: some are responsible for ten non-governmental organizations legally recognized, others represent diverse Marist Offices of solidarity of the administrative units and others represent organisms of the Marist Inter-American Network, such as the Sub-Commission of Solidarity and the Commission of Mission. Manuel Mendoza and Mario Meuti, directors of the Offices in Geneva and Rome will be at the meeting for FMSI, accompanied by Vicente Falchetto and Alvaro Sepulveda, who is responsible of the FMSI of Cono Sur (Southern Cone).