The national level workshop on Justice, Peace Integrity of Creation, organized by VIVAT International was held in Madrid, Spain from 19-23 October 2015. Forty participants comprising 9 out of 12 religious congregations, who are members and associate members of VIVAT International namely, Divine Word Missionaries, Missionary Sisters, Servants of the Holy Spirit, Comboni Missionaries, Comboni Missionary Sisters, Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Spiritan Missionaries, Adorers of the Blood of Christ, Sisters of the Asuncion and Little Sisters of the Assumption.
The objective of this workshop was to explore the possibility of creating national VIVAT International in Spain, promote awareness among the members about VIVAT International, and identify JPIC issues in the context of Spain and draw a plan of action to address them.
Among the topics covered during workshop were, VIVAT International: History, vision, mission, activities in relation to advocacy at the grassroots and UN level; UN Systems as platform for advocacy for the promotion of human dignity and rights, poverty eradication, sustainable development, empowerment of women, climate change, culture and peace, migration, refugees, and indigenous people.
The positive outcome at the conclusion of the workshop was the readiness for starting a branch of VIVAT International in Spain based in Madrid, as reflected in the statement made by the participants:
We, the forty members and associated members of VIVAT International, from nine religious Congregations/ Institutions and eighteen nationalities, participated in the national level workshop organized by VIVAT International, and held in Madrid, Spain, from 19th to 23rd October 2015. We reflected on various issues pertaining to justice, peace and integrity of creation in the context of Spain as well as internationally and looked for ways to connect these to UN systems in the light of human dignity and rights of the marginalized.
We are deeply hurt by the violation of human rights that offends the dignity of people, pushing them to live in poverty, to suffer violence, uprooting and destroying of creation.
We recognize and value the networking with other organizations, to collaborate in our congregational mission with migrants. As members of VIVAT International and consistent with this work, we carry out joint actions of denunciation and advocacy with the governments at local, national and international levels.
We are committed as members of VIVAT present in Spain to:
- Continue working with immigrants and refugees and support them when their human rights are violated.
- Joint actions for denouncing the violation of human rights of immigrants and refugees.
- Using media and looking for a practical and effective way of organizing nationwide. The Kingdom of God urges us to work for the underprivileged “that all may have life and have it more abundantly” (Jn.10:10). We put our trust in the Spirit’s action that precedes and accompanies us.
Divine Word Missionaries; Missionary Sisters, Servants of the Holy Spirit; Spiritan Missionaries; Comboni Missionary Sisters; Comboni Missionaries; Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate; Adorers of the Blood of Christ; Sisters of the Asuncion; and Little Sisters of the Assumption.