AIC International Assembly – Monday Report

Report on the Activities for Day 2 – MondayTRANSFORMATION OF THE ASSOCIATION

For the preparation of this Assembly, we started with the conviction that the ideas that were born during these last years, mainly during the international assemblies, in Queretaro and in Assisi, must continue their way, towards a real practical application, since there are, partly, in their theoretical phase.

In this assembly, new ideas must be born, that know how to receive, within a prophetic spirit, the positive signs that can be developed. But, in the same way, a new dynamic must be given, in order to speed the concrete application of the transformation topics.

For this reason we have thought to develop a practical part, experiences, methods, etc., in order to respond to the concrete demands for formation pertaining the Guide Lines.

Mr. Houtart told us that nowadays, more than ever, peace is conditioned to the distances that exist among the social groups either national or internationally. In fact, lack of equality, poverty and exclusion are sources of injustice and therefore of conflicts.

Mr. Houtart encouraged us to detect all we could do as volunteers and to elaborate a strategy so the AIC turns into a transformation motor through the creation of co/responsibility nets and interaction in society, and, in the first place, with the beneficiaries of AIC ‘s actions. This corresponds exactly to our three Guide Lines.

This is the reason, taking into account the demands made by the national associations and the answers to the preparatory courriers, it was necessary to dedicate three days focused on the application of today’s Guide Lines.

– Transformation of the association
– Transformation before poverty
– Transformation of society

Each day there will be a presentation of the topic, prepared by experts, among them (AIC’s volunteers) and we’ll have workshops geared to practical formation.

Today is dedicated to the transformation of the association. Patricia de Nava will show us the Institutional Empowerment process, carried out by the AIC, in which all national presidents participated. Later on there will be four workshops, one of which will present one facet of the association’s transformation.

1. Institutional Empowerment. Two associations that have done this process, France and Guatemala, share their experience and their knowledge, since they both have started practicing co-responsibility within the AIC.
2. The work in the form of projects is always fundamental for the transformation of the grass root actions. The workshop will follow the new document made by Patricia de Nava with an attractive presentation and done with simplicity.
3. Leadership. This is an important point in the formation of formers, demanded during our last assembly in Assisi. AIC Peru has accepted to put at our disposal their knowledge and collaboration in this respect.
4. This fourth workshop will be dedicated to twinning, that form of solidarity and collaboration that was born spontaneously after the Queretaro assembly and that has shown it is a real achievement for the development and reciprocal transformation of the associations that integrate the AIC. It is not only about financing a project. The end of twinning is to carry out a true partnership based in mutual learning and mutual interrelation. Six associations will share their experiences; successes and difficulties so we can better understand the meaning of those exchanges.

All the workshops have as objective to make known the methods to obtain a real transformation of the association.

In the afternoon, Mr. Merklen, expert from the UNESCO, will present evaluation as an indispensable instrument to achieve the progress of any action and thus arrive to a true transformation. In the workshops, he will guide us towards the concrete application of this type of evaluation.

Yesterday afternoon we had the Formation Documents Fair. This is a novelty in the frame of exchange of competencies among members of the AIC. We have asked different countries to bring the formation documents they have and to make them available for other associations interested in using them. It is possible that everyone finds what it is needed and that others can use other’s experiences and thus avoid duplication of work. Yesterday, you saw the documents; therefore, you need not hesitate. Make contact with other associations and ask them the information you need.

As you know, one of the assembly’s objectives is to formulate the new Guide Lines that will set the way the AIC must follow during the next four years. These Guide Lines will come from the work we do together these next few days. In every workshop there will be a black board in which, everyday, the ideas you wish to include in the Guide Lines will be written. For this end it is necessary and to take notes about all you think, even during the presentations.

At night we shall have a recreation spell. We shall listen to the Choir of la Colle sur Loup. We thank them in advance, since music is something that favors the union and peace for which we work in this assembly.