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This is the on-line version of Link, the bimonthly newsletter of Fimcap.

Edition February 2006

General Information

General Assembly of the ICOs in Jerusalem [top]

The International Catholic organisations held their General Assembly in Jerusalem last November. The theme for this Assembly was “ For a culture of Peace, today and tomorrow, here and in the whole World”. With this theme and the chosen venue, we wanted to support the Christians in Palestine since we were well aware of the difficulties they are confronted with both on a social and economical level. The Conference aimed to join them for public action, where young people played music while the ICO expressed their points of view on the situation of woman, youth, media, aid organisations and peace. During the General Assembly, several Church authorities came to meet us, like the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Mgr Michel Sabbah, the Nuncio in Holy Land Mgr Pietro Sambi (who has just been appointed Apostolic Nuncio in the United States) and several Bishops. Mgr Miguel Delgado, representing CPPL reminded us of the urgency to present the modified statutes as OIC, a process that Fimcap should conclude next year. During the Assembly, different working groups presented their conclusions:

• The Youth OICs presented a document on youth at the World Youth Day in Cologne.
• Another group presented interesting material on the struggle against violence towards women.

In language groups, we reflected on the mission of the Conference. We had the Chart of Quito as the basic document. Some conclusions of the working groups were:

• The conference of the ICOs must be a place of dialogue, of exchange and a co-operation network.
• A privileged place where ICOs can concentrate efforts.
• The work of the ICOs must go together with the local and universal Church, having the same identity but open for new ideas.
• The ICOs must try to keep quality in their actions, being aware of the reality and show professional know-how.
• We have to work on a balanced presence of women and men, of continents, of young people and adults.

Elections: A new president should have been elected, but Mr Ernst König has been appointed for the third term. Unfortunately, the candidate from Pax Romana died a week before the General Assembly. Let us pray and show solidarity with Pax Romana. They lost a very worthy member.

New ICOs have been elected members of the Co-ordination Committee.

• JECI (International Young Catholic Students)
• Caritas International
• UCIP (International Catholic Union of the Press)
• CICM (International Catholic Migration Commission)

ighten ICO’s future. Fimcap, which was represented by Olivier Heyen, will participate in this working group. Moreover, we set up a group of ICO Youth to set up a co-operation network. Fimcap will be represented there as well. Another group was set up to develop a document on the role of the ICO, the Church, Migration, Development and Peace. There is another work group to support the Catholic organisations in Sarajevo. We also voted on the resolution on education and the transmission of values in a globalisation context.

Alveiro Vasquez

General Assembly of Fimcap Africa in Bujumbura December 2006 [top]

The General Assembly of Fimcap Africa was held 10-14 December in Bujumbura, Burundi. Nine organisations were present: Kiro Burundi, Xaveri Burundi, Xaveri Rwanda, Xaveri Uganda, Chiro Southern Africa, CYO Ghana, CYO Sierra Leone, Xaveri Congo and Kiro Congo. We were 22 participants, among them the chaplain of Chiro Burundi, Alveiro Vasquez, International Fimcap Chaplain, Fimcap General Secretary Tine Cornillie, the outgoing president Zénon Manirakiza and Bert van den Bossche, former Chiro member and vice-president of Fimcap Europe, now volunteer in Fimcap who took care of the translation. In his opening speech, Zénon said that it was the first time that Fimcap Africa had so many participants. Only Nacayul Namibia was missing.

The two most important points on the agenda were:

1. The Study theme: Protecting the environment also protects the children and the youngsters.
2. The Statutory part: Restructure of the Afroconference bureau and elections of a new bureau.

1. About the study theme:”Protecting the environment also protects the children and the youngsters” - three communications have been made by a panel consisting of the delegates from Xaveri Uganda, Chiro Burundi and Chiro Southern Africa. These communications are about the long tradition of protecting the environment in Africa and of the preservation of nature. Some interdictions in African traditions aimed at protecting the environment and nature preservation. Everybody knows that these traditions were very strictly respected in the traditional African society. In the modern society, these traditions and rules that protected the environment in the past, are not so strictly respected anymore as they were by our ancestors and today they are not efficient anymore because most of the time they are disregarded. Environment in Africa is suffering. The situation in towns, villages and in the African bush is a clear illustration. It is clear for the African organisations that it is necessary to find other strategies to protect the environment. These are organisations for children and young people. The main orientation taken by the Afroconference for the next three years for the different organisations of Fimcap Africa and their year programmes is: “The protection of the environment”
2. Statutory part:
   The Bureau of Fimcap Africa will consist of 3 co-ordinators from the South, West and Central-East regions. One of the co-ordinators is also president of Fimcap Africa. This is the only important change that was followed by the modification of statute of Fimcap Africa. The elections were held on 14 December. There were 2 candidates: César Bamwepela from Chiro Congo and Jean-Claude Minani from Chiro Burundi. 8 of the 9 organisations had the right to vote. The assembly elected César Bamwepela as the new president of Fimcap Africa, with 5 votes from 8. He is automatically the co-ordinator of the central-east region. George Fianku from CYO Ghana was appointed co-ordinator for the West African region after a short consultation amongst the organisations of that region. Finally, the only candidate of the southern region, Zungu Thembile, was appointed co-ordinator for his region.

We also had opening and closing celebrations with the Chiro Burundi chaplains and the Fimcap chaplain.

César Bamwepela,
President of Fimcap Africa

New presidium of Fimcap Africa [top]

President

Dear friends, my name is César Bamwepela Ntambo. I have been National Secretary of Kiro Congo since August 2001. I have been active in Kiro since 1980, first as member and then as leader. I have studied medical sciences and techniques at the University of Lubumbashi. I am married to Lucienne Musenga (also in Kiro) and we have three children, a girl (Christie)and two boys (Dan and Edi). At the Afroconference in Bujumbura in December 2005, I was elected President of Fimcap Africa for 3 years. I thank all organisations present for their confidence and for entrusting me with this responsibility. I wish to address special thanks to Chiro Burundi for hosting this Afroconference, to George Fianku of CYO Ghana and Zungu Thembile of Chiro Southern Africa, respectively co-ordinators of the West-African and Southern region of Africa. I promise a sincere collaboration and wish us all a good working term. I am open for all proposals that can make things move within Fimcap Africa and international Fimcap. My best wishes for 2006 to all of you.
César Bamwepela

Co-ordinator for the West-African region

I am 47 years old, born on 6 December 1958. I have three children, Marcellinus - 12yrs, Alexander – 10 yrs and Ann - 2yrs. I am the current National Chairman of Ghana Catholic Youth Organisation (CYO). I have been in the Organisation since 1981. I expect FIMCAP Africa (FA) to improve on communication as an efficient working tool and FA to look for funds to organise more leadership courses, speak in one voice and have more discussions with the Church.
George Fianku, CYO Ghana

Co-ordinator for the Southern Region of Africa

My name is Thembile Zungu and I'm currently at my early thirties. My hobbies are listening to music(any type as long as is good), going to the Gym, watching TV and travelling. I started Chiro in 1989 as an ordinary member and by 1992/93 I became the leader. Since then I never looked back and in 2002 was elected the vice national chairperson. Throughout my leadership I managed to travel to Rome(WYD), France, Belgium and Burundi(recently). To leaders out there: never give up as youth work is a mammoth task. It needs perseverance, determination and dedication. Good in all the things you do. Hope you'll hear from me soon.
Yours in Chiro
Thembile Zungu

Africa

Long live Fimcap [top]

I could not wait to represent Xaveri Uganda in the Afroconference of Fimcap Africa between the 10th-14th December 05 in Burundi-Bujumbura

I was with my fellow Xaveri Frank Semukuye. The conference was a very good experience because people from different cultures, though with similarities, came together, lived and discussed all as if, one family. All the activities throughout the conference were depicting wholeness and humanness.

Thanks to Fimcap international, particularly Ms Tine Cornillie (Secretary General), Rev. Fr. Alveiro Vasquez (international chaplain) and Mr. Bert van den Bossche (our translator) who have worked hard to organise this conference. Fimcap Africa is grateful for your time, finances material and moral support. Thanks also to the outgoing president Fimcap Africa Mr. Zénon Manirakiza for the work he has done so well.

Amahoro (peace be with you in Kirundi)

Regina Nasseremba,
Xaveri Uganda

Xaveri Congo [top]

The two delegates of Xaveri Congo, Camille and Donatien, who participated in the Afroconference came back home quite satisfied of the theme, the contacts, the resolutions taken, etc. They are now busy improving Xaveri actions on environment in Kivu. This question is very important as the climatic changes and pollution affecting the African continent at the moment are quite bad. Springs dried up, hydroelectric power stations stopped or are in bad working order because of the lack of water. The average temperature is higher than before in Kivu. In January it rained less than the years before. The measures to protect the ecosystem that provides us with rain are not really priorities for the political authorities. However in many towns of R.D. Congo, Xaveri people are focusing on activities for the protection of the environment. In the Kivu region, it is calm again after the attacks in the North Kivu province a week ago. We worked hard to prepare the elections, which we hope will be free, democratic and transparent. The young people are the biggest group in the Congolese population. It is a hard but good work to educate them in citizenship. The biggest problem at the moment is to find finances to organise training session on citizenship.

We received also good news: the Xaveri movement that started in South Africa has just been officially recognised by the Church authorities. We have just received the official documents signed by their Archbishop. We have sent information about the Xaveri Movement in Africa to him as well as to the Xaveri movement and our best wishes. Also the Xaveri from Tanzania sent us their activity report and asked for Xaveri badges. We hope that the Fimcap family will keep on growing...

Many greetings to our Fimcap friends.

Gustave Lunjwire

Kiro Haiti [top]

Dear friends,

The upcoming presidential and legislative elections foreseen on 7 February 2006 will determine our life in Haiti. These elections are the conditions for restoring the right of State and the democracy in Haiti. In spite of the insecure climate in our country, especially in the capital city, many efforts have been made to enable these elections in the hope that they would bring the social, political and economic stability. Concerning the Kiro Movement, we worked to re-structure the national office working since 22 August 2005, and we set up a provisory team to assure the contacts with the local groups and dioceses. On 1st November 2005, a new Kiro year started with the feast of Christ-King a feast day for all Kiros. This feast has been celebrated in all groups in the whole country. The general theme for 2005-2006 is “Let’s look at Jesus”. Through this theme, we commit ourselves to create harmony in our relationship with our fellow people and the environment. At a national level, we started a reflection on the 50th anniversary of our movement in the country. We want to reflect on the contribution of the Kiro movement to society, and than program activities to inaugurate this event on a local level, a diocesan and a national level. We will have our national meeting in February to evaluate the functioning of the movement in the dioceses and than fix dates for the next training camps for leaders of the 9 dioceses.

Alexandre Kakolo,
Kiro Movement of Haiti

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