“The different forms of poverty increase day by day in the current situation in our country.” This challenges us and makes us strongly feel the need to collaborate in an effective and affective way, looking that our projects in favor of the most need be an alternative to change these diverse situations of poverty.” Faced with this situation, the following questions arise: “Why do some projects fail to transform the lives of the poor? What originates the success of some other projects? What strategies have been implemented in those projects that have been successful?” (National Council Vincentian Family Panama)

The Vincentian Family in Panama, aware of the need to serve in the best way possible our masters and lords, the poor, has asked the International Team for the Promotion of Systemic Change a day of training and sharing experiences, to take firm steps towards that answer. On behalf of the International Team, we were accompanied by James Claffey, Juan Pablo Jácome, and Argelys Vega by the Latin American Commission.

We entrust these days to God and his Divine Providence so that within this family environment we can make the most of them.

Day 1: we began this journey by placing ourselves in the hands of the Creator with the Eucharist. The morning served as the stage for us to enter this wonderful world of Systemic Change by the hand, first of all, of a real history of Systemic Change: “AGUA,” a project of San José de Ocoa (Dominican Republic), illuminating with this example that, when we attack the real problem, we can change an entire community. The morning progressed and also the development of the presentations, with a “Basic Notion” of Systemic Change, and I put it in quotes because it was a very complete and understood by the audience, which was demonstrated at the time of sharing in groups the presentations of the morning, which was concluded creatively with the presentation of the work once returned from lunch.

During the afternoon we reflected on the concept of Vincentian Spirituality in Systemic Change and what are the essential elements for work in our communities. The audience has been very receptive and participatory throughout the afternoon. We thank the Creator for the shared experiences and we hope they will be very useful for the entire Vincentian Family of Panama but, above all, for them to revert in favor of God’s favorites, the poor.

Information from Argelys Vega