European Association of Jesuit Alumni/ae

Working for others

"En Todo Amar Y Servir"

Presidents' Conference, Gdynia, 12-13 March 2005

Minutes of the Gdynia meeting on March 12th and 13 th 2005

Members present:
José Maria CABEZUDO, SP, P. Cristóbal SARRIAS SJ, SP, Filipe GARRIDO, PT,
Gianpaolo MARINI, I, Bernard KOTTRUP, D, Paul ROGERS, GB,
François Xavier CAMENEN, F/WU, Eric de LANGSDORFF, F, Sabine PERREAU, F ,
Gonçal Fábregas ALEGRET, SP, P. Fernando MESEGUER RUIZ S.J, SP, Enrique REBES, SP,
Hermann v. BRAUNMÜHL, D, Louis COOREMAN, B, P. Luk ARTS SJ, B,
P. Maurice PILETTE SJ, B, Alain DENEEF, B/WU, Martynas LUKOSEVICIUS, LIT,
Nomeda MISELYTE, LIT, Wojciech ROBAKIEWICZ, PL, Henryk GANOWIAK, PL,
P. Florian PELKA SJ, PL, Grzegorz SZYMERKOWSKI, PL, Meigdalena MIGOT, PL,
Daminan PACZYNSKI, PL, Maciej RATAJ, PL, Malgorzata PRZYTARCSA, PL

Excused:
José Maria MENÉNDEZ, SP, Bernard THOMPSON, GB / WU, P. Götz WERNER SJ, D,
Sascha MOSER, D, John MCCABE, GB, P. Pierre SALEMBIER SJ, F, Frédéric BUXTORF, F, Denis LARCHER, F, Olivier MARTIN, F, P. Uberto CERONI SJ, IT, Olivier WOUTERS, B,
Ciro CACCHIONE, IT, Giuseppe MARIANO, IT, Vioncenzo GALLINONI, IT,
P. Dave STEWART SJ, GB, Hervé CARRERA, FR, Alain BAYARD, B, Hans PORTISCH, A, Wolfgang WILDNER, A, Simonas KRIVOSCENKA, LIT, F, Stephen GATT, MT,
Gabor NAGY, HU, Tamás SERES, HU, Andras TOTH, HU

1. Opening – prayer – meditation with P. Sàrrias SJ

2. Welcome provided by Father Wojciech Zmudzinski SJ, Director

It's the first time in its history that the school welcomes an important group of alumni/ae from different countries. After having been closed by the government, the college could reopen in 1994 on the initiative and with the support of the alumni/ae. 450 pupils are on the school roll today.

3. Approval of the minutes of the Rome meeting:

Remark and correction made by François Xavier CAMENEN : the meeting taking place 2006 in Boston is not the World Congress, but a meeting in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the global union. The Congress will take place in Cameroon 2008.
It was noted that no mention has been made that at the meeting in Rome would also give the opportunity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the European confederation. This is a mistake of the secretary who makes his apologizes.

Wojciech ROBAKIEWICZ asks for more exchange of ideas among the youth and asks for a platform on Internet giving them the opportunity to exchange and to correspond.

Presentation of the project « Magis », organised by the Jesuits, a preparatory meeting of the World Youth Day in Cologne. It is asked to spread the information in the federations and associations.
www.magis2005.de 

4. The Congress in Lisbon: July 2005

Organisational questions

The Congress will be held in the College São João de Brito, where the meals will also be served.
Every document giving information has to refer to the fact that the meeting takes place under patronage of the European Confederation, which had not been done. Filipe made the corrections.
From March on, there will be an web-site on the Portuguese homepage. It will be regularly updated.
Father Salembier will conduct the pilgrimage.
A lump sum will be asked for the pilgrimage, including accommodation and meals for three days, as well and transport costs.
You'll find a program for the accompanying persons on the web site. These persons can attend the meetings if they are interested , even though they are not participating as delegates. The lump sum is calculated on the basis of 200 delegates.
We'll evaluate the number of participants per country In Lisbon.
Different organisational modifications will be made:
- the Congress subject, determined during the meeting, will be added on the first page of the Program.
- the accommodation for young delegates in the College São João de Brito will be free of charge, but also with rudimentary comfort.
- a mass will be celebrated at the beginning of the Congress.
- the general Assembly of the federation will take place on Friday, July 29th from 9 - 10.30 a.m.
- a CD containing all information will be sent to all members (week 12).

Themes of the Congress

Round table about the objectives and the intentions of the Congress

Chema (José Maria) would like to put an accent on the importance of the presence of the alumi/ae in their social, political and economical environment and their presence in the field of education: as teachers in the colleges, as parents in different fields of the educational environment of our children. - Hermann reminds us what Father Sarrias said in Rome: be strong, be yourself. So lets be as we are and the company will show interest in us.
- Gianpaolo asks in the name of Ciro to discuss the relationship between our different associations, our alumni/ae and the company to enable us to create an appropriate network. We have to intensify the exchange of ideas and opinions.
- P. Pilette : To seek the dialogue with the European Union. To invite personalities of the European institutions to the congress and to discuss with them during the workshops could allow us to reach our goal.
- Louis :
Proposal for a text to be discussed during the Congress :
» alumni/ae and education »
1- Can alumni/ae be of any help in the schools ? Where can they be active? Is this cooperation of any advantage for both sides?
2- Do we really want to put our knowledge, experiences at the disposal of others?
To be more precise, do we really want to contribute to pass on and to promote continuing education to perpetuate ignatian education? Do we want to be witnesses?
3- What do we offer schools and alumni/ae? How to expand the scope of our activity?
The question is:
-Can we discuss and decide upon this question without the presence of the headmasters of the schools?
- Should we make a difference between the individual and the organisation of alumi/ae?
Concerning the goals of the congress:
Create favourable conditions promoting meetings, awakening, providing food for thoughts and joy to develop visions through ignatian spirituality.
Constitute little groups which will favour reflection about good questions, based on evidences ;
Restate the text « En Todo »
Chema (José Maria): The theme of the Congress should not be EUROPE, but the "involvment of alumni/ae in our society". As Father Kolvenbach said, Jesuits want to educate young people, so that they are responsible, competent and involved in their environment.
P. Pilette: see document distributed before the meeting started
Wojciech: If we are to have a discussion we first have to be sure, who are the persons we want to exchange with and what are the benefits for them.
For the young people, the question is how alumni/ae belonging to an association can get in contact with those who are not organised, how can they make their values known and how can they increase awareness.
Martynas: The Lithuanians reckon with an important participation of the youth. It is much more important for them to actually meet other people, to have an exchange, than to have a debate about a particular question.
Paul: Each of us should personally benefit in one way or another from the meetings and discussions during the Congress.
Eric: We have to take aim at something which is as universal as possible; Europe is for sure appropriated, as many alumni/ae are working for or involved within the European institutions.
Questions we have to address:
- do we want young alumni/ae to measure the progress we did theese last 50 years
- do we want young alumni/ae to realize what it means to get involved for European integration
- do we want them to appreciate the abundance of our diversity
- do we want to make them want to get involved as well in European integration
Build Europe's future together, an urgent need, faithfulness, a chance, a challenge, an engagement..
Gonçal:: there not many young alumni/ae who join the organisations of alumni/ae. The associations have to be more active. The different nationalities have to exchange much more and to improve relationship between the individuals.
Alain:: doesn't expect a lot from this Congress.
We have no time anymore to invite other competent participants to address the Congress.
We are not able to determine our goals. We are too inert. We should think about a "restructuring" congress.
Our goals are not those of modern time and of young people and especially not of the youth of eastern countries.

5. Presentation of a databank of members

Presentation of the open-BC system by par Hermann v. Braunmühl and Alain Deneef
The following discussion dealt with the costs and the financing.
The establishment of the web site would cost 2000.- €, the maintenance 600,- € a year. Our problem is, that the national federations don’t have the financial means, so that it would be necessary that the associations share these costs. This in turn would mean, that we would have to convince all the school associations of the benefit to have such a global system. This seems to be difficult.
Another point is the question of protection of personal data. In many of our countries it is forbidden to transfer existing databanks into other systems and to make them accessible to everyone. Each individual has to give its agreement.
To launch this project, we will ask a few people and begin with some local associations. If the results are conclusive, the others may see an advantage to cooperate.

6. The theme of the Congress

After a round table discussion we defined the following themes:

1. PRESENT IN EUROPE
2. LIVING TOGETHER IN A NEW EUROPE
   - international meeting from an ignatian point of view
   2 bis  LIVING TOGETHER IN A NEW EUROPE
   - international meeting of alumi/ae and their friends
3. EUROPE: A WAY OF COMMUNICATING FRIENDSHIP AND SOLIDARITY
4. COOPERATION FOR A BETTER SOCIETY
   - what can we do together?
5. BUILD THE FUTURE OF EUROPE TODAY
6. BUILD THE EUROPE OF SOLIDARITY AND FRIENDSHIP
7. WHAT KIND OF EUROPE DO WE WANT
   - WHAT CAN WE DO TOGETHER?
8. WHAT'S THE GOOD OF EUROPE?

Grzegorz Szymerkowski: Why must the theme have something to do with Europe?
He suggests: back to the roots !
After discussion a consensus seems to emerge as follows:

TOGETHER IN A NEW EUROPE
- following ignatian tradition

Results of voting: 9 in favour, 0 against, 3 abstentions

7. General discussion

Louis asks to add the keywords as subtitle, to make the intentions of the Congress more clear.
P. Pilette: Publish these subtitles for the beginning of the Congress.
Paul: Avoid platitudes in the title, it would serve a better understanding, if a program and the goals of the workshops would be distributed at the beginning of the Congress.
Wojciech: Stop that discussion and hand a piece of paper around, to give each person the opportunity to note its suggestions. The Portuguese organisers will than make a synthesis out of it to fix the final program.
Louis questions the preparatory work of the Congress and asks if one continues to prepare the Congress.
Animated discussion
Filipe states that the preparatory work is finished and the organizers ready.
Louis raises an objection; he has the feeling that the Congress has mainly be prepared by the Bureau without much consultation and participation of the assembly, although this is of great importance. . He ask for a consensus qui reflects the feeling of the assembly concerning the subjects to be discussed.
José: after his election in Paris, he presented a program, which was adopted and we since have been working on the basis of these suggestions.
Louis takes an issue over that point: In Rome, an alternative program was discussed during a meeting in the after-noon, everybody didn't attend and which has not been taken in consideration.
José: Hervé and Nacho worked a lot for their group Ethics and Education. Nacho has prepared a questionnaire he sent to all European colleagues. He only got 40% returned.
Hervé wrote us a 14 pages fax with his thoughts.
Hermann: The results of Nacho's work have not been send around yet and only a few amongst us got Hervé's fax before taking the plane, in other words quite late.
José: asks for more confidence in those, organising the Congress.
Louis: asks to plan a workshop for the young people, who will decide the subjects spontaneously once they have arrived, as it was suggested by Grzegorz.

José : 5 workshops are planned under the moderation of:
- Ethics Hervé Carrera
- Education: Nacho Menendez
- European integration José Maria Cabezudo
- Communication: Hermann v. Braunmühl / Bernard Kottrup
- Youth: Olivier Martin

Eric: According to the words of Father general, the pilgrimage will make the Congress a success. It is necessary to mobilize as much young people as possible for the pilgrimage, as this event will be at the heart of the Congress.
Alain: Criticises the lack of work of the Bureau, the results have not been communicated.
Filipe did his logistic duty, but concerning the conceptual work under the responsibility of the President, nothing has been done.
P. Sarrias: Asks to invite father Rotsaert to the Congress. This has to be done by the President.
Eric: suggests a 6th workshop, which would discuss the relationship under the alumni/ae and the Jesuits.
Father Sarrias will look into that case with Ciro Cacchione and inform us about the results.
Wojciech: suggests to organise only one meeting a year in the future, to reduce individual costs.
There could be a discussion on Internet at fixed dates. It is necessary to better organise the electronic communication.
Suggestion to be discussed at the next meeting in Lisbon.

8. Financial situation

See the attached document: Financial situation

9. News from the World Union

The Bureau meets regularly. The Counsel used to meet every 6 years but will meet twice between the world congresses.

10. Next meetings of the European Cconfederation

- General assembly at the Lisbon Congress with election of the Bureau (president and vice-presidents)
- No meeting in October as there wouldn' be much time in-between.
- March 11th and 12th 2006 in Bruxelles, which would give the new President the time to organise .

Other meetings to remember:
World Youth Day in Cologne, August 15th - 15th 2005
Jesuit Pre-Meeting « MAGIS » from August 9th. - 14th near Cologne

Thanks

The Confederation wishes to thank the Polish Federation for the very warm welcome in GDYNIA.

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