SYNTHESIS OF THE CONSULATTION OF THE NATIONAL MOVEMENTS

SUMMARY OF THE CONSULTATIONS WITH THE NATIONAL MOVEMENTS

Conducting Training and capacity building for members and people with responsibilities
Helping members to grow spiritually through recollections, retreats, masses, and Synodal animation.
Conducting occasional or regular charitable community activities in line with our motto the preferential option for the poor: eg. donations to the needy
Organizing Conference-debates, workshops, or study sessions on the current topics.
Providing direct services to society: Civic education, Legal Aid services, Counseling services, Health services, Public forums on various issues, Entrepreneurship training (CPT), school support for children from low-income families, and support for people with mental disabilities (MCC G), Contribution to the civic awareness of the population on issues of governance, leadership and ownership of the electoral process (MIIC DRC), offering free medical checkups, audited books for the Bishops council (ZACP)
Conducting a social change radio and television program: “Pour Voir Clair” (DRC),
Mentoring and accompaniment for university students (IMCS)
Participation in political discussions and activities of the Church and civil society at the local level
Conducting Annual or biannual National Assembly (in some countries).

Pastoral topics: Evangelization in the university and intellectual milieu, compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church, Papal encyclicals.
Social and community development thematic: SDGs (Education, Health, reduction of inequalities and poverty, Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution, Food security, Climate change, migration), civic and electoral education, family, Promoting Human Rights, Culture, and Development.
Advocacy thematic: advocacy for the promotion of human rights, management of natural resources, gender equality, education system, and employability of young people,

Mobilization

Mobilization of members: unavailability of professionals due to multiple occupations.
Mobilization of new members: young graduates have different priorities (professional stability and family).
Lack of understanding and knowledge of the movement,
Geographical challenge:
- Members are in different locations, and it has been difficult to have an in-person meeting.
- Networking between national movements within the sub-regions has been difficult.

Finance and administration

Low financial support from members: insufficient financial means to inject into programs and make financial commitments to the Regional office and the International office.
Transition and Leadership,
Lack of a chaplain,
Lack of official recognition by the national conference of Bishops
Lack of national secretariat or a permanent office to facilitate meetings and archiving,
Lack of official legal status that favors direct partnerships,
Hierarchy challenge: the Church is too cautious in taking a position on a specific matter making it difficult for the movement and the members to position themselves too.
Membership structure: the provision of a direct individual membership at the regional and international level is not appropriate

Structural and administrative reform for the regional office

Formalize the movement at a regional and international level to be more of a development NGO
Restructure the administration of the movement by modeling it into an international NGO.
Set up a project team to write projects and seek funding for regional and country-specific projects.
Develop a 5-10 year strategic plan that would give direction to the movement at a regional and a national level.

Reform for the National movements

National movements are encouraged to set up a national secretariat for the coordination of the program and the mobilization of resources.
National movements that are not recognized, to initiate the Church recognition procedure.
National movements to initiate the process of obtaining legal personality (certificate of registration) and open bank accounts for their movements;

Expansion and mobilization

National activities and programs
Encourage the visit of the chapters and dioceses
Organize Chaplains’ training
Develop a team handbook: a guide for the national team and members
Encourage women’s participation at Diocese and Parish level
Emphasize the human, technical, doctrinal, and social formation of the members
Organize joint conferences with IMCS.
Open more internship opportunities for young people
Support the evangelizing mission of the church as Lay intellectuals and professionals
Develop an extensive financial sustainability and investment plan with sustainable membership dues.
Work towards the professional integration of young people by facilitating their access to employment or by promoting their self-employment through training in entrepreneurship.
Initiate monthly meetings at all levels and annual programs at a national level
Organize sub-professional meetings (eg, National Catholic Engineers, Lawyers Association Congress)
Continue with the publication of the newsletter;

International and regional activities

Maintain communication with national movements,
Continue with the regular virtual sessions and experiences sharing
Develop a common strategic plan to ensure synergy of activities
Create a permanent consultation framework and mobilization of resources
Create a strong regional hub and strengthen the ICMICA Africa Trust.
Establish a functional relationship with international agencies working within the continent
Liaise with regional episcopal structures including AMECEA, IMBISA, etc.
Ensure representation within regional bodies like AU, SADC, etc.
Create international projects for self-financing,
Initiate joint campaigns to support the respect of human rights, environmental preservation, and the fight against poverty and social injustice in conjunction with other movements.

Continue fundraising for programs geared towards human and community development.

Establish specific clusters of professionals whom will later start joint programs from National Level to International level.