From 12 to 16 of November 2018 a VIVAT Workshop was held in Tepotzlan, Morelos, Mexico. It was organized by the local members of VIVAT International in collaboration with VIVAT executive team in New York, Geneva and Rome. At the end of the workshop the participants made a final statement as follows:
From November 12 to 16, 2018, 56 participants belonging to eight religious congregations, members of VIVAT International, lay associates and a guest member of the Order of the Friars Minor, met in Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico to know the objectives and goals of VIVAT International.
The workshop has addressed issues of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) by sharing information about particular situations and learning how to integrate into the processes of the United Nations (UN) to transform society into a global community that respects human rights and live fraternally in justice and peace.
From our daily life and from the personal encounter with our brothers and sisters, we know, in a loud voice, the situations of violation of the fundamental rights suffered by our brothers and sisters in Mexico. From this reality we feel the call to accompany them to be protagonists of their own history and thus, to propose alternatives for a dignified life.
We have the opportunity to make visible and commit ourselves to situations of injustice in the international arena through VIVAT International that has a consultative status in the UN.
Considering that VIVAT International has as mission to work with people and groups living in poverty, to promote human rights and sustainable development, to work for ecological sustainability and the protection of biodiversity, using the legal profession to glimpse dehumanizing situations and to make an alliance to work in a network with other international organizations; we identify with this proposal to build a better world.
We declare as an urgent need, that our religious congregations and lay associates join forces and links of collaboration in networks, to strengthen the service in defense of the lives of men and women of our communities. We commit ourselves as members of VIVAT present in Mexico to:
- Continue working with migrants, against human trafficking, the environment and against land grabbing.
- Give a co-responsible service in favor of human dignity and in defense of life, as well as the desire to establish, in Mexico, a VIVAT International headquarter, as an advocacy tool to achieve the goals previously proposed.
The Kingdom of God urges us to work for the most disadvantaged “so that all may have life and have it in fullness” (John 10,10). We place our trust in the action of the Holy Spirit that precedes and accompanies us.
Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico November 16th, 2018:
Congregation of the Missionary Servants of the Holy Spirit
Society of the Divine Word
Congregation of the Holy Spirit
Comboni Missionary Sisters
Sisters of the Holy Cross
Missionary Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo
Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate
Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus
Lay Associates:
Lay Associates of Missionaries of the Divine Word
Oblate Associates
Lay Comboni
Lay people of San Carlos Borromeo
