Meeting of the committee for the creation of a Global Network of Marist Schools
The committee created by the General Administration for the creation of a Global Network of Marist Schools had her a plenary session in Guardamar, Spain from 2nd to 6th December 2019. This was the second session of the Committee after their maiden meeting in May 2019 at the General House, Rome.
Highlights of meeting were the feedback analysis of the global survey conducted. Over sixteen thousand (16,000) respondents gave feedback on the global survey. This represented 88% of the Institute. The survey indicated positive and favourable responses. The outcome indicated the urgency the Marist world is in need of this global network of Marist Schools.
As part of the activity and tool to actualize the network, an online platform will be created that will host key deliverables of the network. One of such deliverables is the vision to produce a Map indicating all the Marist schools in the world. To this effect, administrative units were encouraged to send the data of all their schools to the Secretariat for Education and Evangelization in Rome.
In addition, a global project on Ecology will be developed to serve as a tool to kick start the process of networking our schools in concrete terms.
Another key outcome of the meeting was the creation of a governance structure for the network. This includes the leadership and constitutional framework of the network.
As part of the strategy to get the participation and involvement of the key stakeholders of the network, an assembly has been proposed in 2020. This assembly will continue the building and co-creation of the network in an inclusive way.
Finally, we continue the process of the actualization of this network which is one of the calls of the 22nd General Chapter, to build and work as a global Marist Family.
The participants included: Br. Luis Carlos Gutiérrez, Vicar General; Br. Ben Consigli, General Councilor; Brs. Carlos Alberto Rojas and Mark Omede and Mr. Diugar Buscarini, from the Secretariat for Education and Evangelization; Br. Ador Santiago, Provincial of East Asia; Br. Henry Uzor, member of the Marist Schools Commission of the Province of Nigeria; Br. Nicéforo Garrán, Province Education in the Province of Central America;Br. Natalino de Souza, Executive Director of UMBRASIL; Mr. Frank Malloy, National Director of Marist Schools Australia;Mrs. Montserrat Giménez, Managing Director of the Cardenal Cisneros University School in Alcalá de Henares in the Province of Ibérica;Mr. Llorenç Claramunt, Director of the Champagnat Foundation of the Hermitage Province;Mrs. Ana Von Frankenberg Berger, Manuela Ferreira de Oliveira and Carolina Hermes Eichenberg, Specialists in Creativity and Innovation at the TecnoPUC Crialab in the Province of Brazil Sul-Amazônia; Br. Chano Guzmán, Coordinator of the Council of Marist Educational Works (COEM)of Mediterranea Province; and Mr. Bartolomé Gil, delegate for Education of Mediterranea Province.
This Project is an example of the implementation of the Strategic Plan of the General Administration (2017-2025) and is in line with the call of the XXII General Chapter to set up mission networks at all levels that promote innovation and renewal in our education and evangelization practices.