On 13th June 2008, around 120 members of the Vincentian Family here in Britain gathered in Westminster Cathedral Hall, Central London to hear keynote addresses from Fr Robert Maloney CM and Sr Ellen Flynn DC. They highlighted the work of the International Commission for promoting Systemic Change, explained its mandate given to the Family by Fr. Gay and explained how the Commission had gone about its task. The term Systemic Change is rather off-putting but put simply it essentially means engaging with the poor in ways which enable them to emerge from their poverty, tackling root causes and embracing whole systems and sets of circumstances which result in poverty, disempowerment and extreme disadvantage. Each of us, in whatever we are missioned to, desires to assist the poor to change their lives. A core Vincentian value is not only to provide relief, but also to facilitate change.
Vincentian Encyclopedia article “Systemic Change”
Tags: Advocacy
