WUCT - PRESIDENT'S COMMUNICATION MARCH 2014

With great respect for all the work delivered by many prestigious and valuable predecessors, it’s with an honest pride that I can tell you that the new Executive is proving to be very effective. This Executive, in fact only operational after the Board of September 2013, appears to be a clear driving force for UMEC-WUCT. The participants are in fact a real ‘rowing team’ that believes firmly they have to row all together in the same direction for an improved, rejuvenated and more active international task.

These people are working with conviction on an exhaustive Sisyphean task, hoping to provide a notable international added value for the benefit of the Christian and Catholic-inspired teachers in the whole world. Under the benevolent but critical supervision of Mgr. Luc Van Looy, Bishop of Gent, they try, through positive initiatives, to deliver again very creative work and activities.

Soon after their election, they examined the capabilities of our permanent secretariat and its impact on the UMEC-WUCT working. On this occasion, I want to express clearly my personal and of course also the general thanks of UMEC-WUCT to miss Beatrix Klackowicz, dr. Theol., dr. Phil. and all-round translator. Looking at her age and a new, difficult commitment in her own peacemaking project FoSCA, she asked to be relieved of her duties from 1st of January 2014. UMEC-WUCT has a lot of reasons to be grateful to her. Her presence, faith, knowledge, loyalty, relationship and commitment are chiseled into our history and will continue to serve as a fixed reference point!

Finance is one of the Achilles’ heels of the organization. After a lot of discussions and meetings, also with Vatican officials, we decided to transfer our secretariat from

Palazzo San Calisto in Trastevere to the warm hospitality of the AIMC-building at Clivo Monte del Gallo. The very hospitable staff, headed by Mr. Giuseppe Desideri, was willing to receive us very spontaneously in their headquarters. To be very close to St.-Peter’s Square is also a clear advantage.

We decided also to try to get more members. With a lot of understanding of the sometimes difficult situation of our people in the world, we keep our members contribution very restricted. Anyway, everyone must realize that we have a lot of operating expenses, despite the fact that we apply a strict financial regime. Prof. Dr. J. Lydon who is very engaged and very active with international Universities and seminaries, keeps now a strict control on our finances. His not so easy job is to verify each financial issue and to get our finances as soon as possible perfect in balance.

Thanks to substantial contributions by English (CATSC), Dutch (CNV-onderwijs) and Italian members, a new start will be possible in very short time! In addition to the administrative and financial tasks, we don’t forget our real operational goals. Step by step, we try to make new international contacts for a slow but gradual expansion.

Cooperation with UNESCO-Paris and also the CCIC-UNESCO were intensified. Thanks to the sympathy of a faithful and convinced colleague, living in Paris, Mr. Pierre Greiveldinger, former French delegate, our interests are well monitored. If possible, he is ready to attend regularly the meetings when our normal delegate can’t be present.

A modern UMEC-WUCT cannot live without an official website. Thanks to the commitment and goodwill of our Dutch colleagues, they created a modern, good-looking site which is an open book with (not so often changing) information. (www.wuct-umec.info)

When we want to communicate with quick changing or urgent items or give some reports of actuality, we dispose of a fantastic blog, made by secretary-general, Giovanni Perrone. In his very regularly published and active blogs with the communication of active events and news from all over the world, he informs and more, he encourages our members and people who read these blogs to think, to participate and to take initiatives themselves…

I can’t forget to mention the personal initiative of prof. Hector Rigaldo who sends his daily (!!) mails for ‘Positive thinking’. It’s a brilliant example of encouragement, faith, positive ideas. He also regularly refers in his messages to current events. Even during recent heart surgery, he managed to keep his daily contacts intact. Ususally, such initiatives dilute very quickly and they stop after a few months of good will and commitment. Prof. Rigaldo proved effectively that he could continue. Special thanks and congratulations for this initiative! Recently, I received very positive feedback and thanks for this interesting and beautiful modern way of inspiration.

At the end of October 2014, we’ll organisze again our ‘Council’ in AIMC – Rome. We’ll talk about organizing aspects and the global working of UMEC-WUCT, also about some interesting targets and critical but positive reviews from a number of documents, such as “Gravissimum Educationis”

As you can see, we are working in the right direction with the amazing help of positively convinced colleagues!

Guy Bourdeaud’hui, president WUCT