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LinkThis is the on-line version of Link, the bimonthly newsletter of Fimcap.Edition April 2002
World Youth DaysThe 17th World Youth Days are approaching! Fimcap is ready. The World Youth Days will take place between the 18th –28th July 2002, in Toronto Canada. Fimcap has already been present for the past years at the World Youth Days, together with many of its member organisations. In fact, Fimcap has asked to organise a Fimcap evening during the WYD youth festival, and this has been accepted with some conditions. Through this Fimcap evening it is possible to meet Fimcap friends in a Fimcap atmosphere. In fact an evening of this kind took place during the World Youth Days in Rome two years ago. Young people from Zak (Malta), Chiro Southern Africa (South-Africa, Botswana and Lesotho), Foi (Italy), Chiro Philippines (Philippines) and CYO (Ghana) were present. We also had a visit from individual WYD-participants from DUK (Denmark), SUK (Sweden), Jong- Nederland (the Netherlands), Chiro (Belgium), Patro (Belgium), Blauring-Jungwacht (Switzerland), KJG (Germany), and Xaveri (Rwanda). As soon as the programme, date, time and venue are known, you will get more information. Have a regular look at the WYD website: www.wyd2002.org and look at “events”. Bert van den Bossche  Luc Van Looy, convalescent after a road accident.The participants at the International Chaplains‘ meeting in May 2001 in Rome surely remember Luc Van Looy, Vicar of the Salesian Superior General of Don Bosco and speaker at the Chaplains‘ meeting. He has been seriously injured in a road accident. He was knocked down by a car causing serious injuries and a complex fracture of the pelvis, when on a bicycle trip. He is now recovering quite well. All our good wishes for a speedy recovering. Burundese solidarity with the victims of the volcano eruptions in GomaAfter the last volcano eruptions in Goma (Rép. Démocratique of Congo) in February 2002, activists of some non-profit-making associations felt very concerned and wanted to take action and help. NDUWAMAHORO, Active Non-Violent (the family of the Peace Workers) started raising money together with the Xaveris, the Guides and the Scouts to help the Congolese people in the disaster area. This is not an easy task since losses are enormous. However we are doing our best and soon we will donate the first sum which has been collected. T. Mbonabuca Is a South-South partnership possible?At the last Fimcap General Assembly, we had a long discussion on partnership. Although the Xaveri Movement of the Rép. Dém. of Congo were not present, the Xaveris of Uvira took up the initiative to partner with them. Between the 6th –7th April 2002, they met in Gatumba, in a parish near the border of R.D.C. to exchange experiences and ideas. This visit followed the one which occurred between the 17th –18th April 2001 where Xaveri Congo considered how they could support the Uvira Xaveri in their undertakings. In this sense, they offered that Bujumbura could supply Xaveri material like foulards, flags and other distinctive signs. If financial means are available, they would provide the Ulvira Xaveri with the newsletter “Charité” that is published by Xaveri Burundi. Such initiatives should be encouraged. T. Mbonabuca In memoriam Bandira BonaventureOn 30th January 2002, Mr Bandira Bonaventure, one of the first Xaveri activist passed away at the
military hospital of Kamenga. He was elected Xaveri national Chief in 1968, while studying at the
Bujumbura University. He was very close to the Xaveri Movement through his family and professional
life in spite of the difficult political situation. T. Mbonabuca ChileThis year, our Jupach friends are working around the theme „I want to feel and to discover the good
wave of life“.  On the Road… to Connecting – 23-25 March - Malta 2002After being one of the leaders during EuroContact 2001, in Malta, which was my first working experience in FIMCAP, I had the opportunity to meet some of the leaders from different organizations which make-up the FIMCAP Europe. Leadership training was the main theme of the seminar, and it was discussed, using different approaches. The first-day presentations (together with the following days’ formal and informal discussions), offered us (the participants) the opportunity to appreciate the professional and fully organised leadership training courses, which are held by different organizations in FIMCAP and also to experience the style that is used by the leadership training school in Olde Vechte, in the Netherlands. The second day was based on hands-on experience and was led by Arjen (a professional trainer from Olde Vechte). It served to set the basis for various discussions that took place in small groups, throughout the remaining parts of the seminar. Arjen’s approach gave the seminar a “training event“ atmosphere and helped to stimulate discussions about the various methods, approaches and ideas, adopted by FIMCAP organizations, for their leadership training courses. The third and last day of the seminar was the final step of a build-up to discuss the possibility of having an international leadership-training course organised by FIMCAP Europe. The small-group discussions we had on this day, helped me to appreciate a large variety of ideas about leadership and leadership training and also the different needs of the different organizations. However, one should point out the importance that all organizations, working with youth, help their members to become citizens of the world. For sure, organizations such as FIMCAP offers a great deal of help in bringing together youth from different countries and helping them open themselves for different ideas and new experiences. I will not forget the great experience I had during the formal moments, but the moments I enjoyed most were the informal moments we spent together, during meals and in the evenings. It was great to get to know the presidents and the representatives; from more informal aspects… after all they are all humans like me, even if they have responsibilities in organisations, which are by far, larger than ZAK Malta. At the end of these few thoughts about ‘On the way… to connecting’, I would like to thank, all the participants for everything they shared during this event, this experience helped me to learn a lot of things and above all, get more involved in FIMCAP. The active participation of more youth in FIMCAP, will surely make FIMCAP more rich, for the benefit of our organizations. Through FIMCAP we can be one large organization, working for the interest of our youth in a unified Europe and in a unified World! Josef DeBono Spain, Catalonia"The education of young people. A statement at the dawn of 21st century" is a document about education that the international organisations IFRC, WAGGGS, WOSM, YMCA, YWCA have published to present the educational work of the youth associations. Four of the Catalan educational associations, the confessional scouting, the “Minyons Escoltes Guies Sant Jordi de Catalunya”, the non-confessional scouting "Escoltes Catalans”, the association of confessional leisure centres “Coordinació Catalana de Colònies, Casals i Clubs d'Esplai" and the non- confessional leisure centres "Esplais Catalans" have agreed to publish a little booklet that present the statement, but moreover present the priorities and the characteristics present in the educational work these associations realize. Like other international organisations, we have also asked other educational organisations to adhere to this document. Practically all of them have agreed to make a commitment. This document was publicly presented at a session of the Catalan Parliament, chaired by the President of the Parliament Mr Joan Rigol and Mr Federico Mayor Zaragoza, who praised the work that has been realised by the educational associations during leisure time. By offering an educational space next to family and school, these associations contribute to the holistic growth of young people, empower youth to work for peace, make them critical and thoughtful and encourage them to commit themselves to build a better world. Moreover, next to the public presentation, the document has been distributed in all youth centres, libraries, presented to university professors and principals, to politicians and other Catalan authorities. The four associations who took up the initiative aimed to publicise the document and at the same time promoted the recognition of the work realised during leisure time. This initiative enabled us to share difficulties and catalysed a new way to work together which would not have been possible without this project. Coordinació Catalana de Colònies Casals i Clubs d’esplai Chiro leaders in KosovoFive Chiro leaders went to Kosovo with the organisation BIX, whose aim is to stimulate youth work through projects in different East European countries. The purpose of this visit was to organise a week of games for children and youth in Shtime. We spent eighteen unforgettable days. Here are some of our impressions:
Before starting our week of activities, we visited some little villages in the mountains nearby Shtime. We organised some activities with the children. Dreadful things happened in this area during the war and many children still suffer severe traumas. The welcome in the villages was just as great, We were immediately surrounded by about 30 children. The children were pleased as much as us since we had never experienced such a great gratitude. The week in Shtime was successful although we expected more commitment from the local young people who were supposed to help us. This showed their lack of experience as they had never heard about youth work. We organised different sports games, a Flemish fair, a camp fire, a big game in the village, a typical Chiro afternoon. The children and the youngsters were enchanted that something was organised for them. At the end of our stay, we found some young people who agreed and promised to organise an afternoon of games once or twice a month, with our help (through Email). We were very happy to find them, as this was also the aim of our visit. Our experience was fantastic and unforgettable, however the project does not end here. We will keep in touch with the young people of Shtime for further collaboration. We really hope that the seven young people will keep their promise and organise the monthly recreational afternoons. We hope to go back and visit them next year to move a step forward. The long-term aim is to implement basic youth work not only organised by ourselves, but by the young people on the spot. Another way forward would be to invite these seven young people for some weeks in a Chiro group in Flanders or to make them participate in a basic training course. We hope that further collaboration will be successful. We will support them with our enthusiasm and persistence. This project is very important for each child and each youngster. Many thanks go to Kurt, Johannes, Sara, Kristin, Steven, Enis, Shpressim, Florent, Zejn, to those of Bix and the Balkan Action for this fantastic experience. Thank you Shtime for this great hospitality in spite of great poverty and the help we got during our stay. Thank you Fahri, Enis, Flamur, Rrezarta, Dashurie, Lendita, Bonjamin and Mervete. We are sure that you will do your best to organise a good youth animation in Shtime. Sara Bernaert, Kristin Wairy, Janna Van Tomme FIMCAP people present at the vice-versa event in BelgiumThe project Vice-versa of Broederlijk Delen (3-16 March 2002) in Belgium was very successful. People who know Fimcap know the Third World Aid Organisation. This Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) has been for many years a partner of Chirojeugd Flanders, of Fimcap and many of its member organisations in the South. From the 3rd –10th March 2002 about 50 international guests were hosted for this exchange project in Broederlijk Delen centres, parishes or host communities, spread over the five provinces. Each international guest was hosted for one week in a community . Guests got the opportunity to get to know the Flemish society. The main purpose was that partners of Broederlijk Delen get a realistic look on the daily reality in Flanders, see how Broederlijk Delen runs campaigns and share their daily life. Shaun Dunn (Chiro Southern Africa) and Terence Mbonabuca (Xaveri Burundi) stayed for one week in the Province of Limburg, and one delegate from Cameroon was hosted in West-Flanders. From 11th –15th March the international guests took part at the vice-versa seminar in Oostende,
together with about 150 Broederlijk Delen collaborators and other guests. It was a creative encounter
of people, with different points of view and an number intuitions beyond continental borders.
Broederlijk Delen wanted to determine the crucial challenges for the coming years. They reflected on
issues that are central in the solidarity work of Broederlijk Delen. Bert van den Bossche  |
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2002, and almost ten years to the day since I became engaged in Fimcap at the General
Assembly in Bruges in October 1992. I have been international chaplain for ten years; important years
for me which took Fimcap over the turn of the millennium. I’d like to share some memories with you,
combined with thanks and wishes for the future.