Paths of Marist Solidarity in the Americas
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico hosted the first meeting of the new Inter-American Solidarity Sub-commission, which took place from 7 to 10 February. The new members were elected at a session of the full assembly at the IV Hearts in Solidarity Meeting in June 2011. They are:
Socorro (Coco) Álvarez, representing Arco Norte; Br Miguel Orlandi, representing Brasil; Juan Carlos Pellón, representing Cono Sur; and Angélica Alegría, representing the Inter-American Mission Commission.
The central proposal of this meeting was to reflect together on how to continue on the path initiated between laity and brothers from 2004 in Bolivia, up to 2011 in Mexico, when the inter-American document on Marist Solidarity entitled “Paths of Marist solidarity in the Americas: children and young people with rights” was validated. It will become public in a few more months.
The objectives of the meeting were:
1. To draw up the operational planning of the sub-commission for the period 2012-2017.
2. To give follow-up and continuity to the process of drafting, publishing, launching and propagating the Inter-American Solidarity Document.
3. Establish agreements for the dynamization of the Hearts in Solidarity network in America.
4. Share perspectives for the 5th Hearts in Solidarity Meeting to be held in 2014.
There was a sharing in an atmosphere of fraternity of opinions and points of view on what had been done and with the participants in the IV Hearts in Solidarity Meeting. It was considered vital to continue with the great work achieved by the previous sub-commission and to keep to the challenge of sharing material giving direction to the path of Marist solidarity, in defence and promotion of the rights of children, as well as consolidating the Marist Hearts in Solidarity network in America.
A significant moment was a workshop with Br Joao Carlos do Prado, director of the Secretariat of Mission of the Institute, in which we shared concerns, ideas, courses of work and strategies to bring into harmony the proposal of the Inter-American Mission Commission and the different sub-commissions which have been formed to animate the mission in America.
The lines of work seen as priorities by the Inter-American Mission Sub-commission are:
Document on Paths of Marist Solidarity in the Americas: children and young people with rights
Promote the propagation of, reflection on and study of the Document at all levels of management and animation of the Administrative Units
Active role of children and young people in their own concerns: Formation, promotion and guaranteeing of the rights of children.
Promote listening to children and young people and enabling them to take an active role in matters affecting them, as well as formation in the subject of their rights.
New Presences
Push ahead with reflection to make concrete the mission of new presences in the Americas.
Networks
Promote and strengthen interprovincial exchanges, collaboration and agreements with ecclesial, civil society and state organizations for developing initiatives of promotion and defence of rights (advocacy), protecting the principles which undergird Marist solidarity.
Structures of Solidarity.
Promote a/o strengthen the structuring of the area of solidarity of the provinces and districts, securing human, physical and financial resources for the promotion of solidarity and defence of the rights of children and young people in accord with the criteria of the Evangelical Use of Goods.
Volunteer Service
Promotion of international volunteer service in the perspective of Marist solidarity.
Formation of animation teams in solidarity and the rights of children.
Push processes and projects of formation of formators, brothers, teachers, and directors in and for solidarity, with methodologies of participation and intervention which are based on reality.
Investigation
Investigation and understanding of the social problems of the Americas and their current dynamics to qualify the solidarity intervention.
As a work team we emphasize co-responsibility and the liking to give this service, the importance of transparency in communications and, above all, to be a group which fosters a vision from below: “looking at the world with the eyes of poor children.
“We recognize ourselves as delegates and a means to channel the concerns and the preoccupations of the Americas. We thank all our companions on the way for the confidence they show in us, and from the heart we say that, for us it is a pleasure to be in this service giving voice to so many committed to give continuity to the dream of Champagnat”.
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