MADRID, Spain
An Intercontinental Forum on "International Organizations: Opportunities and Challenges for the Teresian Association (TA)" took place from August 28-30 in Los Negrales, 40 km from Madrid. The General Secretariat and the Council for Culture of the TA organized it.
Maite Uribe, General Directress of the Teresian Association, opened the Forum by stating that the current guidelines of the Teresian Association "ask us to boost our evangelizing activity with creativity in all our presences and with transformative actions. To achieve greater impact and effectiveness in a world that knows the strength of the union, we want a better articulated Association among ourselves and with others, more sensitive to the richness of multiculturalism, more able to take advantage of the international character and make fruitful the internationality of its presence by enhancing participation in various platforms."
She also said that "the task of supporting the United Nations becomes more urgent and clear from the perspective of a preferential option for the dignity and rights of the excluded, vulnerable and marginalized and because of our call to new forms of articulation among ourselves and other organizations, thus strengthening networking and promoting our international character."
Maite Uribe stressed, "the maintenance of peace, based on justice and international law, as well as the ability to create friendship among nations, based on equality and freedom, are always crucial goals that are constantly threatened, as is international cooperation work, the resolution of conflicts, the search of sustainable development and respect for human rights."
She recalled that the call of the Teresian Association "to this kind of platform started from the very beginning in our Association. Pedro Poveda, who died nine years before the birth of the United Nations, dreamed and worked for a society with values that go well with what would be the programmatic texts of the UN. He proclaimed peace with his words about tolerance, gentleness and nonviolence but, above all, through his life and death. He believed in the dignity of all people and worked tirelessly in support of the fundamental rights of the poor. He believed in a special way in the potential of women and tried to provide them with the means to develop their capabilities. To him, the heart of the development of each person is education and to this end he devoted his best energies.
His eyes, open to understand and discern where life was born and developed, enabled him to discover in the society in which he lived the good and the beautiful that he would support and help grow: everything human at all levels, and across all borders."
Later, the General Directress of the TA highlighted some of the lines of work that would be developed in the Intercontinental Forum: "Identify the challenges that are already happening or will happen, given the strength of the present moment and the calls that we have to listen to at this historic moment." We need to identify "those that are most relevant, have the most creative power, and those we can address given our ability and characteristics. Then we have to study the effective strategies that generate life."
In her words, Maite Uribe appreciated the need of thinking about strategies and ways of doing things. The strategies will guide the route to the concrete realities and to the floor where they will be discussed and analyzed in order to determine appropriate implementation plans.
She highlighted some: "Collaborate with others, looking clearly at the objectives and without wasting energy on sterile protagonism. Welcome any idea that can generate projects that humanize and support many people, seeking development and implementation. Promote programs that develop people and generate hope and promote moving forward. Seek honest solutions, assuming our own limitations and welcome help with projects. Encourage generous articulation, creative ability, serious investigation of solutions, impacts and risks."
Finally, Maite Uribe stressed the importance of "the preparation of a specific plan that includes that which has been discerned so that we may be able to design methodologies for our action through the next five years, while making adjustments as we go, according to the dictates of our experience. "
PARTICIPANTS AND DYNAMICS OF THE FORUM
The Forum members had already participated in accredited International Organizations such as the UN, UNESCO, and ECOSOC, CEPAL. They shared their experience and illuminated the concerns and questions of the participants.
The morning of August 28th was focused on analyses and illuminating reflection related to the "world" of these international organizations. The discussion explained how to link to existing platforms, the relationship of NGOs with these platforms, and the strategies to be considered for effective linkages with these agencies.
The dialogue that resulted allowed participants to learn more fully the nature and implications of their presence in international organizations. The afternoon of the first day was a roundtable in which members of the TA shared lessons learned and possible contributions from their continent of origin, as well as the most important challenges for the TA in these areas. There were representatives from Africa, America, Asia, and Europe.
At the end of the first day three themes were identified to work on and deepen in the next years from 2014-2019. These are: Education, Youth and Women.
August 29-30 were focused on the reflection on the topics agreed upon and on developing a sketch to develop further in local and international realities. Dinorah Garcia, president of the Council of Culture and Julia María González, Secretary General of the Teresian Association, coordinated the event.
Queti Zuñiga, Forum participant, expressed that "this experience was the collective search for consensus and significant challenges for a joint significant plan in different organizations and presences that allow us to work towards a different world where justice and peace are possible."
TOPICS AND SPEAKERS
International Organizations in the World Stage: Introduction, reality, and prospects, by Pilar Canedo, Luis Gordillo, University of Deusto. Carmen Azaustre conducted the presentation and coordination.
The United Nations - ECOSOC: Contributions, dilemmas and challenges in building a sustainable and peaceful world, by Ricardo Espinosa, Chief, NGO, Liaison Office, Geneva. Lourdes Figueiral was responsible for the introduction and coordination.
The United Nations - ECOSOC: What issues and what strategies? by Alessandra Aula and Alfred Fernandez, from Geneva . M ª José Rivera was responsible for the presentation and coordination.
Roundtable: Presence of the Teresian Association in International Organizations:Lessons learned, contribution, and challenges. Presented from the perspectives of Latin America: Dinorah Garcia; Asia: Nenita Tenefrancia; Africa: Marcel Banza; Europe: Berta Marco. Elisabeth Münzebrock coordinated the roundtable.
Report and final debate: Isabel Pincemin and Queti Zuniga.
Meaning of an identifying image
The logo that identified the Intercontinental Forum was designed according to traits of the mission of the TA: It is the world map. At the top, the initials of the Teresian Association show the perspective from which to look at the picture of the world. On the continents are scattered points, which resemble lights or fireflies. They are meant to identify groups, projects, persons that have identified themselves with light, even in times of darkness.
They could also be seeds spread throughout the world, keeping the seeds of innovation that could bring us life unexplored, or may be bits of fermenting yeast. Another possible interpretation may identify these points with handfuls of salt, humble, insignificant, almost invisible, which is diluted to heal, to anticipate, and to give flavor.
Full speech delivered by Maite Uribe , general directress of the TA.
Maite Uribe's speech.
Info.IT
Information by Queti Zuñiga