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REPORT OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL

- NOVEMBER 2016- NOVEMBER 2017

This report summarizes a year of work that we consider very important for the development of UMEC-WUCT, both for activities within the UMEC and for external relations.

It's a team effort, where everyone has done their best. according to his or her possibilities.

The main goal of UMEC-WUCT is helping Catholic teachers (and school principals too) to witness the Gospel in school and society. We know that they lend their precious educational service in different environments and different situations. Some teachers are lucky enough to work in Catholic schools and universities, others (maybe most of them?) work in secular institutions, and even in schools that are not at all Catholics. Some teachers are lucky enough to join large Catholic teachers' associations, and others are more isolated.

Many and complex challenges concern teachers and schools (individualism, globalization, new forms of communication and learning, secularization, multiculturalism, migration, poverty, marginalization, the fragility of families and relationships, different ways of violence, uncertainty and fear of the future, ....). We must take this into account and try to support and help all of them!

The Church, at the world level, and at the national level, has repeatedly highlighted the opportunity for Christian educators to associate in order to share ideals, skills, problems, resources, longlife education, and to enrich one another , " helping each teacher to open up to reality and transcendence,"helping educational institutions to be true educational communities where you can find"education of brain, heart and hands" (Pope Francis ).

It is hoped that all local churches will promote and support Catholic teachers' associations. So, there will be a great asset to promote the quality of education for children and young people and to support the great, difficult and valuable work of teachers and headmasters.

The pillars of the UMEC-WUCT are the values, the relationships, the competence in the service of the wholedevelopment of the person and the quality of each school or university institution: "The real school must teach the concepts, the habits and the values. When a school is not able to do all of this as a whole, it is because that school is selective, exclusive, and reserved for a few. .... The challenge is to grow in humanity, intelligence, values, habits, so that they (the students) can go forward and share with others experiences they do not know "[1] 1.

OUR PRESENCE IN THE WORLD.

A positive cooperation with different organizations and associations, at international, regional and local level, in Europe and other continents is to be found.

  With Latin America there are frequent exchanges of documents. Our cooperation with UNESCO is requested and appreciated.

We are often invited to participate in congresses organized by other associations. Normally we ask the nearest member to go. For example, the President has participated several times in UNESCO meetings in Paris; the Treasurer has participated in meetings at UNESCO Paris, Rome and in different countries of the world; Professor Belen Tangco participated in the UNESCO meeting in Paris (30 October-8 November 2017) and in several Conferences in Asia; Gertud Rieger has participated in several meetings in Germany; Hector Rigaldo publishes daily his "positive thoughts", rich in news and reflections. These "thoughts" are sent to

many interested people. He also participated in the Congress of the Catholic School in Latin America (January 2017) and in the 6th International NGO-UNESCO Forum in Mexico (November 2016); Father Albert Kabuge (Congo) has participated in several meetings in Africa and was appointed Provincial of the Salesians of Congo DR; Justine Ndayisaba (Burundi) has been confirmed as Regional Manager (Central East Africa) of Catholic Teachers; the Secretary-General went to Rome several times to attend meetings at the Vatican, meetings organized by the C.E. Congregation, and for the opening of the ICCS office .

We must not forget that each meeting can hold a valuable opportunity to introduce UMEC-WUCT and to recruit new members.

A PATH OF 'FRIENDSHIP AND SOLIDARITY'

"The Church is called to go out of herself and to go to the peripheries, not only geographical, but also those of existence .. Charity is not a product of our heart but a gift of God ... The charity received and shared is the pivot of the history of the Church as well as the one of our history for each of us". Pope Francis.

In recent years the Papal Foundation has allowed the UMEC-WUCT to carry out projects of assistance to schools and to educational environments in disadvantaged situations. For us, it is a concrete way to show the solidarity of the Union and of the members to those who need help. The UMEC-WUCT is not rich in money, but it wants to be rich in heart.

We thank the Papal Foundation, who has had and has confidence in us, and we also thank the members who supported solidarity projects. We hope that between the members of the Union more and more solidarity and subsidiarity will grow. In fact for the life of an association, exchanges and solidarity are precious resources encouraging everyone to support one another, in a climate of fraternal reciprocity. The other is not a stranger or an enemy, but a loved one, with whom we share dreams, hopes, fatigue, business, life.

PROJETS

2016-17

Burundi – Aide for Catholic Schools Ceal – Bujumbura

Burundi – National Session of teaching teams in Senegal

Armenia – Help to young people giving opportunities to study after the earthquake

Romania – Linguistic Lab Lycée Greco-Catholique – Oradea

Congo RD – Projet for disadvantaged young people – Vinemont – Kalebuba

Congo RD – Industrial School Holy Family – Mwene-Ditu – Kinshasa

2017-18

South Sudan – Scholarship for disadvantaged students

Romania – A continuous training for teachers and school principals in Oradea and Eastern Europe

Philippines - Support for pupils and schools in poor areas.

TRAINING COURSE IN ISRAEL

At the request of the Catholic Congregation, UMEC-WUCT has got in contact with the Israeli Embassy in the Holy See. A training course was organized in Jerusalem on the problems of the Holocaust. The delegation of UMEC-WUCT (twelve teachers, guided by the president) will go to Israel from December 9 to 15. This first experience may be repeated every year. We thank the Ambassador and his staff for their kindness and availability.

SECRETARIAT OF UMEC-WUCT

The secretary general worked in cooperation with the President and Treasurer, both during Executive Committee meetings and by telephone and e-mail.

As far as the secretariat is concerned (thanks to the links via internet and email), he has taken care of the daily correspondence, sent news and answered messages.

It should be noted that the UMEC-WUCT has no employees, there are only volunteers who work for free and with a lot of commitment for the Union.

Almost every day we have published information from the Holy See, international organizations, associations, members to inform members and also to make better known the work of the UMEC-WUCT.

In fact our secretariat also responds to letters, requests for information, questionnaires, suggestions given by international organizations (UNESCO, CICC ...).

The Blog () - (from November 2015 until October 2016, we published 144 messages!) (See attachment).

The blog is followed by many people in Europe, America, Asia, Africa and even Australia. In international meetings often the UMEC receives congratulations for his blog.

Each week a message with the list of articles published on the blog is sent to members of the Union, friends, representatives of the Holy See and international associations, bishops, universities and schools, etc. We hope that the members who receive these messages will spread them to partners and interested parties, to encourage further dissemination of news from UMEC.

But we must encourage the cooperation of member associations and individual members as to improve this blog (eg with the news of the life of associations and schools, documents of members, suggestions on educational problems ...). So the blog will become more and more lively and effective.

We have had frequent contacts with the Holy See, particularly with the leaders and staff of the Congregation for Catholic Education, both by telephone and email, and by individual presence. Whenever the Secretary went to Rome, he went to the Congregation and had personal contacts with the leaders. He has always had the opportunity to confront himself on educational and organizational themes.

The Secretary-General has had frequent contacts with Congo and Romania, and he has asked other organizations to join UMEC-WUCT. He also had contacts (and exchanges of documents) with the CIEC (Confederación Interamericana de Educación Católica) and the OIEC (International Organization for Catholic Education).

Normally, several times during the week he had contacts with the President to organize the work, to confront, organize initiatives, answer emails, give information, exchange opinions.

Many articles have been written about current educational and social problems proposed by UNESCO, the Holy See, and other bodies.

News releases were prepared and distributed on topical issues.

Much of the work has been done at home, but the Secretary-General had to periodically go to Rome for:

the office work of the UMEC - WUCT;

meetings with the Congregation and the Holy See;

participation in training initiatives, seminars, etc. ;

participation in the Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee met in Rome (17-21 February) and Oradea (3-7 June).

CONSIDERATIONS

Each year, the UMEC-WUCT 'takes breath'. It is more and more known and appreciated. This year in particular there has been an intense work with Romania (thanks to the welcome and encouragement of the

Bishops of Oradea and the precious cooperation of the priests, delegated by the Greek Catholic Bishop, and the school headmasters).

Thank to the Salesians of Congo (to the Father Provincial, mainly), we had regular contacts with them. We welcome the presence at our Council of the Director of the School of Economic and Political Governance.

With the commitment of all these members we cannot stay and rest: we must move forward. Each member must feel fully responsible for the life and development of UMEC-WUCT.

More and more we need a Union that can think and act without delay (the world is changing fast!).

On a regular basis, the opinion of the UMEC is sought on important topics (eg by the Holy See, ICAC-UNESCO, schools, press); UNESCO asked to contribute to the document "Education 2030"; the E.C. Congregation asks to contribute on several educational topics. The current events and the problems of today never leave us .

If we are able to "talk", to look far ahead, to understand the problems, to study and give adequate answers, to support educational and carry on solidarity projects, then the UMEC-WUCT will show even better its vitality and its usefulness and will be appreciated even more.

We are all part of the UMEC-WUCT, not only the members of the Executive Committee, who are of course responsible for the Union, but do not form the whole Union!

Our blog and our website should be richer in ideas, spiritual, cultural, educational and didactic contributions; they must "talk" about the life of member associations and schools; they must promote the exchange of teachers and schools; they must publish a summary of activities, conferences, seminars etc. which are carried out at continental, national and local level. The blog publishes articles that are not long, but are quick and easy to read, but you can link more complex articles or publications.

The UMEC-WUCT needs a blog and a website that is even more "alive" and rich! We renew the request to regularly give a personal contribution (ideas, news ...).

PROBLEMS / OPPORTUNITIES

Our way of working and getting involved needs a lot of commitment, a lot of personal work, and money (many people support some or all of the cost of travel and participation out of their pocket). We must pay attention to these problems, and give adequate answers.

The money problem prevents a strong recovery of the UMEC-WUCT; we must work in a spirit of solidarity and subsidiarity; everyone has to do their best, and the richest should help the poorest. We thank the Papal Foundation, which gave economic support to the UMEC, in recognition of the good work UMEC-WUCT is trying to do. We also sincerely thank the member countries that pay more than the normal membership fees, ie England, Holland, Germany, Belgium. Thanks also to AIMC for providing the offices in Rome to the secretariat office and the archives.

But the UMEC-WUCT must have more resources: just look at the budget to understand that many costs are not there. They are supported by each of us, in person or by the association to which we belong. Owing to these problems, it is not always possible to respond to all invitations and participate in several events organized in different parts of the world.

It will also need to find regional leaders who know how to guarantee a real global presence of the UMEC-WUCT and know how to promote the development of the Union, not only to have more members but mainly to give the UMEC more boom, more vitality and efficiency. As far as members are concerned, we could encourage the dissemination of individual members (the UMEC is a "union of teachers"!) Wishing to support the path of the Union, we could implement solidarity projects, twinning between schools and / or associations, exchanges of teachers, we could organize seminars on educational topics.

All the responsibilities in the UMEC-WUCT are places of service, not of prestige. We are not looking for medals, but the personal satisfaction of being the humble servants at the service of education, of the Church, of the world. We are called to witness to charity, to competence, especially for the weaker ones.

We would like to distribute documents in multiple languages. We do what we can, thanks to the generous commitment of different people from UMEC-WUCT and other friends. Giving the opportunity to understand is a precious personal service, especially to all those who do not have the chance to speak several languages, moreover when we want to reach the peripheries of the world.

We must avoid the temptation and the peril of getting entrapped in the "single thought" or in the predominant cultures or in the culture of money and personal success.

The Spirit invites us to look far and up, to what is valuable - and not to what shines. We dare to come out of the house to meet the world, a world full of challenges and changes.

Each association , school / university or individual member as a part of the UMEC-WUCT has different resources and characteristics. These are the riches of UMEC-WUCT that can help to create harmony.

In fact, each member brings us more vitality and more professional, spiritual and cultural wealth. New members are a precious new challenge, generating new vitality. That's wonderful !

We are moving towards the next Congress and we must concretely think about the future of the UMEC. We must have confidence in the UMEC-WUCT, and everyone must feel responsible for its vitality. With the help of God and yours, we will go forward with a lot of courage and hope. Hope, commitment, solidarity, and witness are needed today.

Pope Francis has repeatedly called on educators to have courage, to take risks, to witness the mercy of God, to "become protagonists in the service", to mature the competence of reception, dialogue and cooperation.

In this way the UMEC-WUCT will be able to walk towards the next day of the man and the society.

The future challenges us. It will not be easy. Together we can try to travel through the many different roads of the world, without losing ourselves, without losing others, without losing the direction and the goals that give meaning and value to the existence of the UMEC.

Thank you to all of you, dear Friends and Colleagues.

Thank you to the Congregation for Catholic Education for the support it gives to the UMEC-WUCT,

Thank you to Bishop Dollmann for the spiritual assistance that helps us to work well.

Thank you to the President for his kindness and his incessant, wise and valuable activities.

Thank you to the Treasurer for his impact, his commitment and his efforts.

But above all, thanks to God. Without Him, our work would be useless.

Thank you for your friendship that supports the work of the Executive.

Finally, forgive us for our lacks and limitations.

November 12, 2017

Giovanni Perrone, sg

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[1] Pope Francis, SPEECH BY POPE FRANÇOIS TO PARTICIPANTS IN THE WORLD CONGRESS ON EDUCATION, ORGANIZED BY THE CONGREGATION FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION, November 21, 2015

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