Marist Solidarity Mission

The goal of the Marist solidarity mission that has been taking place in the Province of Brasil Centro-Sur since 1985 is educating for solidarity, within the perspective of mutual learning and dialogue, through immersion in social challenging situations, especially social vulnerability.

Young people aged 16 and from different groups (students and alumni of private schools, social units and the university) participated.

In the last solidarity mission, in January of this year, it is estimated that around 450 people took part, including youths, collaborators and Marist brothers.

In general, the activities of solidarity mission are: visits to the places of the residents in the neighbourhoods so that missionaries and families share their life; educational workshops for children, adolescents and youths; rehabilitation of some common space, as a form of compensation to the community for the reception of the solidarity mission; and moments of spirituality and formation, centred in the exchange of economic analysis, public politics and the guarantee system of rights.

The big wish of the Marists of the Brasil Centro-Sur Province with the promotion of an activity of this type is that participants incorporate solidarity when they return to their own environment, each time with more intensity to their daily life: be it through a change in behavior; incorporating it to their life project; in formation as a humanised professional; collaborating with non-governmental organisations; participating in social movements, or even in other projects of volunteer work that are taking place in the whole world.

It is also hoped that a critical reflection is made to discover a lot of “whys” like, for example, the mechanisms that generate poverty or inequality and how to fight against them.