Castelar, 06- 12-2000

Mrs. Esther Ayerza Vivot, our national president communicated us the doubts appeared because of
the celebration of the next General Congregation's Chapter.

We agreed to answer the questions opportunely requested of each association.

 The V ELASC (Latin American Meeting of Sagrado Corazón Old Pupils) that took place in Buenos Aires last May, let us know facts we wish to be useful (not only as an statistic instrument) in order to work out agreements and future strategies.

The replies of the other countries (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico and Venezuela) permit to answer the questions opportunely asked by the General Superior, in the following way:

a- Which is the opinion about the mission and the potential today and in the future?
The Studies Committee has included the subject in the preparatory document, asking each country about AMASC's effect on community and on the church. The answer is:

 Today

 Inside the church: Unknown: 80% Relatively known: 20%
 Inside the community: Unknown: 80% Relatively known: 20%
In regard to the works that it does:

Welfare works: 40%
Educational works: 10%
Educational and welfare works: 10%

 In regard to the future:
This statistic lecture affirms that:
1.We must think over again as an association, in order to have influence in society.
2.We must design again the identity of our organization.

 And while we are looking forward, we ask ourselves:
We will be able to set to work a solidarity network that has repercussion on the proximities and around
the world?

 As an institution, we have this data and this identity. The Pope John Paul II invited us to purify
memory, so we must revise our history. We must have open arms in order to listen, to admit other
opinions, to dialogue.

We will find that our history is the history that the Lord built with us and over this history, we shall build
the other's one.

 b- Which are our priorities and our direction?

Our priority is to become consolidated as a worldwide, regional, and local network that:
1. Strengthens the members' and the organization's identity.
2. has an important social and spiritual reaching.

We mean, to make AMASC stronger in order to be a presence that give a contribution to society.

 During the Work Project of the V ELASC, we agreed to make stronger our role as former pupils and
Catholics and to be builders of a bigger participation in society, a real hope, and a possible instrument for peace.

Our direction must begin in a shared life philosophy through the years. We must be able to produce
innovations, something different, a new way to see the world without compromising our principles.

To be true to our principles, with the possibility of agreeing to achieve common goals, open to the changes of the today's world, will require:
· accepting differences in the other person
· to use communication as an effective instrument of coordinating actions

 c- What questions and hopes do we have between us through the countries?

 Our more urgent demands were the cause of an analysis and a study because of the meeting in Buenos Aires last May.

A short summary of the subjects exhibited by the lecturers showed Latin America as a weak group of countries conditioned by global economic power. These countries have insufficient funds to protect the poorer sectors of society. Faced with this reality, maybe "only the strengthening of civil society, involving multiple associations and acting in solidarity, will be able to balance extremely concentrated conomic power and, through this, to democratize the politic relationships and the state itself." (Dr. Arturo Fernandez- "Towards the Latin America future: Risks and possibilities from a politic proximity"-

06- 11- 2000 Conference, V ELASC).

 "... As women who have enjoyed a high level of education, we cannot decline from the active participation in society and the sharing of wealth. We have to employ leadership; the privileges we have had and we have in order to rebuild history, to think over again the structures and to enjoy experiences of change personally, generally and socially. We live as persons but not merely as individuals. We are thinking about a social person because nobody can do anything alone..." (Josefina Semillán Dartiguelongue: "To teach for peace"-

06- 10- 2000 Conference, V ELASC).

During the meeting, we, as member of the Studies Committee, wanted to offer the chance to think and listen to the realities of the century we are living in with regard to important subjects of our society, for example education, social problems and media.

 To think about our local, regional and Latin American problems makes us aware that we belong to a worldwide organization, that we have to share an identity and that we must work right now.

We have talked about priorities and directions and we ask ourselves: how do we reconsider our view of welfare?

We have to prevent our tendency to resort to charity . To pay attention to prevention will demand fairer legislation.

As a conclusion, we can assure that reality make us choose a change, a new reason for our future.As Christian women, we are engaged not to serve ourselves; we have to work for the world. We must work together, to achieve a fairer and a more fraternal world.
 Possibly, it is time to come back to utopias. By other, different or maybe the same ways?

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