Just a few weeks ago, on June 19th and 20th, nine regional delegates, two youth representatives, members of National Council and some of Development and Peace’s staff from across departments and around the country, came together for the Alternative Orientation Assembly. This much anticipated and much talked about event did not disappoint us, as we shared this privileged moment to reflect on and discuss our movement and organization’s next strategic plan for 2011-2016.
In the months leading up to the meeting, we introduced new ideas and ways of communicating with each other through the AOA blog, set up in time for the Regional Assemblies. Thus began our trek towards our “alternative” assembly. You will recall that at each of the Regional Meetings, we discussed the impact of the current political climate in Canada, the context of the Catholic Church in Canada and in the world, as well as some of the issues of concern that have emerged in consultation with our Southern partners. Each Region named a delegate and drafted a report rich with comments, suggestions and input from membership at the grassroots. Over 500 members participated in this Canada-wide discussion and consultation on the future orientations of Development and Peace.
These reports and their synthesis became the basis for the Agenda of the Alternative Orientation Assembly. We began our intensive two-day experience by hearing your voices, through the short flips (video/voice messages) which you carefully recorded in each of the Regional Meetings in April and May. This again was a way to connect people in a new and innovative way and we can be proud of the result. Your messages to the AOA were our opening comments and set the tone for the rest of the meeting. I cannot express enough how profoundly your words spoke directly to the core purpose of the gathering. You reminded us of who we are as Development and Peace, why we exist, what our message is and where our energy should be focused.
Throughout the first day, we connected with many of you through other means as well. The AOA blog became the portal of our small gathering to the outside world. We shared pictures and questions with you in real time, and received and read your comments and suggestions back through the plenary discussions. Later in the day, we joined another 20 diocesan delegates through our 8 teleconference workshops to move from strategic orientations to strategic actions. Everybody spoke of the closeness they felt during the discussions even though some of you were physically quite far away from Montreal.
On the Saturday evening, as we gathered for our liturgy and social gathering, a synthesis committee worked late into the night assembling some of the thoughts and impressions of the day and drafted a preliminary report which was presented to the assembled group on Sunday morning. We had once again the opportunity to feed back and include comments from participants outside the room. Though the final report is not ready just yet and will only be sent to you in August, we can already share with you the first conclusions and initial strategic points that emerged from this process and, which received full endorsement from all who were participated.
Vision, mission and values:
The time has come for Development and Peace to stand tall and speak proudly of who we are. Let us reaffirm our values, rooted in Catholic Social Teaching and the Gospel. Our mission and vision of social justice has sometimes not been well understood; and in recent times, we have admittedly taken a defensive stance.
We feel that going forward, we should now take on a proactive stance and never take for granted that people know who we are or what we are about.
Vision: In 2011-2016, we see ourselves reaffirming our preferential option for the poor, while incorporating a preferential option for the earth through a better understanding of eco-justice issues.
“Our message is so strong and true that we cannot fail”. “Development and Peace will emerge as force to be reckoned with” (from the members assembled at the AOA).
What are our strategic priorities for 2011-2016?
• Increasing visibility, public image and presence of Development and Peace. This means increased and more diversified use of media, both traditional and new technologies.
• Reaffirming our dual mandate (partnership and education) and strengthening our position in advocacy and public engagement.
• Strengthening and mobilizing our membership as this is our most precious asset.
• Building stronger strategic alliances and working more closely within the Church, with Clergy, the Bishops and Parishioners and all others who share our values.
Though not cited directly as a strategic priority, all agreed that we have to put energy and focus on strengthening and diversifying our financial sources and stability. Our reliance on our two traditional and historic forms of funding (CIDA and Share Lent) must be augmented by a strategy which will incorporate new ways of working and ensure more independence to our work.
A more complete and final report will tell of the strategic actions which were suggested in order to accomplish our mission in the next five years. As of the Fall, both National Council and Management of Development and Peace will work together to incorporate all of this input into an integrated strategic plan for 2011-2016.
In conclusion, there is much to be learned from the AOA and the lead-up to the event. The evaluations speak of an overall satisfaction but also of concerns on how this will all unfold. This is the key responsibility of National Council and Management: to ensure that the energy and consensus reached together translates into concrete action which we can all take on together.
Allow me to share a few final statements as we left the Assembly and headed home with this message.
“Let us be the voice for those who have none”
“We don’t have partners; we are partners facing common issues together”
“We have a shared responsibility to ensure that Development and Peace’s mandate is a living and breathing one”.
A special thanks to everyone who took part directly or indirectly in the event, those who helped us prepare, through the Diocesan Councils and Regional Meetings and all of you who ensure, on a daily basis, that our voice and message is heard.
In peace and solidarity,
Pat Hogan
President, National Council
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Good to hear that the report will be out in August. It is good to hear that Development and Peace will be looking for new ways of doing things in the next five year plan, I think it is essential that we look to diversify our funding sources. We need to learn from what happened to Kairos.
ReplyDeleteWe also must take very seriously the goal of getting our message out there. We have been very reluctant to do this in the past and we mow have to get on with the job of really creating a public profile for our movement.
I again suggest MSF Canada as a model we should follow. We need to embrace social media in a dramatic fashion.
Finally, I think it is important to take the final report 'on the road'. National Council members should present the final report at regional gatherings this fall so that all members have the opportunity to hear first hand what was concluded at the AOA.
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