CCI Network News
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CCI Australia plans conference
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CCI-Australia held a planning meeting in Adelaide on Friday 13 February 2009.
Convenor Kevin Vaughan reports that people came from Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane with apologies from Port Pirie and Bendigo. "We are especially pleased that Ann Norman from Brisbane and Geraldine Crane from Canberra, author of the book, Ordinary young women doing extraordinary things, the story of the Girls movement in Brisbane 1945 1970, were able to attend and make their contributions.  The meeting confirmed that the CCI Australia National Conference will take place on the 9,10,11 October 2009 at Cardijn College Adelaide. "Every effort will be made to attract as many people as possible who have had an association with and or who are interested in the Cardijn mission and method," Kevin Vaughan said. "We plan to meet again in June to finalise our arrangements for the conference," Kevin said. |
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CCI backs new appeal to Sri Lankan president
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People's Network to Promote Sustainable Social Harmony 58, Chinna Kulandai Main Street, Maduma Nagar, Perambur, Chennai-600 011, India E-mail: people4harmony@gmail.com Website: www.people4harmony.org Media Statement
Passionate plea to Rajapakse works, at least momentarily
While political parties vie with one another in condemning the Sri Lanka government in strongest terms, a non political people’s forum has made a passionate plea to President Rajapakse to end hostilities and to protect the Tamils in the island nation.
In a message addressed to the President of Sri Lanka on February 3, People for Harmonyforum stated “we are disturbed and distressed to hear news reports that hospitals and civilian areas are being shelled by the security forces resulting in loss of lives of medical staff and civilians”.
“Through this appeal, we request the President of Sri Lanka to take all necessary steps to protect civilians at all costs, wherever they are. We need not emphasize the fact that it is the responsibility of the government to protect its people. After all the Tamil population is also the citizens of the country”.
Referring to shelling hospitals and civilian areas, the message said only terrorists resort to such inhuman acts and that they hope these reports are not true.
“Even if they had taken place, we assume that these calamities take place without the active consent and knowledge of the President of Sri Lanka and do hope and pray that he will issue immediate orders ensuring the safety of the innocent people of his own country”.
Stating that in a normal situation the citizens will try to save their life by going to the Safety Zone but if they are not, it could be only due to reasons beyond their control, the Forum claimed. “We therefore appeal to the President of Sri Lanka to protect the lives of his own people at all cost. We make this appeal since it is a humanitarian problem needing immediate attention”.
As if responding to this appeal, in a surprise melt down move, during his nationally televised address on the country's 61st Independence Day on February 4, President Rajapakse broke into Tamil, assuring the people of the community in the embattled north and other parts of the country of their well-being and equality in status. "It is my responsibility as the head of the state to take care of all sections of people," he said.
People for Harmony forum has also appealed for UN intervention in its message sent to the U.N. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Though the President’s speech is encouraging, reports and images of civilian casualties, particularly women, children and the aged are distressing and does not reflect the assurance of the President to ‘take care of all sections of people’, according to M. J. Ruben, Convenor of People for Harmony forum. In solidarity with all the Indians, the forum wishes for peace and harmony to return in Sri Lanka.
People for Harmony forum was formed in the wake of atrocities against Christians in Orissa (India) in August 2008 by a few social activists including Cardijn Community International.
M. J. Ruben Convenor February 6, 2009 |
People for Harmony
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CCI-India is a founder member of the People's Network for Sustainable Social Harmony (People for Harmony).
People for Harmony's appeal to the President of Sri Lanka is reproduced below. People for Harmony People's Network to Promote Sustainable Social Harmony 58, Chinna Kulandai Main Street, Maduma Nagar, Perambur, Chennai-600 011, India E-mail: people4harmony@gmail.com Website: www.people4harmony.org February 3, 2009 Respected President of Sri Lanka Colombo.
Appeal to the President of Sri Lanka to protect civilians at all costs
On behalf of all peace loving citizens of India, we appreciate the statement issued by the government of Sri Lanka guaranteeing protection to all its civilians in the Safety Zone. However, we are disturbed and distressed to hear news reports that hospitals and civilian areas are being shelled by the security forces resulting in loss of lives of medical staff and civilians.
Through this appeal, we request the President of Sri Lanka to take all necessary steps to protect civilians at all costs, wherever they are. We need not emphasize the fact that it is the responsibility of the government to protect its people. After all the Tamil population are also the citizens of the country.
No civilized society can accept targeting civilian areas who have no say or control of the conflict between warring factions and more so, it is unethical to target hospitals where the injured and afflicted are being treated. Only terrorists resort to such inhuman acts. We hope these reports are not true. Even if they had taken place, we assume that these calamities take place without the active consent and knowledge of the President of Sri Lanka and do hope and pray that he will issue immediate orders ensuring the safety of the innocent people of his own country.
In a normal situation the citizens will try to save their life by going to the Safety Zone but if they are not able to go, it could be only due to reasons beyond their control. We therefore appeal to the President of Sri Lanka to protect the lives of his own people at all cost. We make this appeal since it is a humanitarian problem needing immediate attention.
We hope that peace will return to Sri Lanka soon. We appeal to all concerned to approach the issue on the basis of humanism and find amicable solution to restore harmony in the country between all sections of the people. We appeal to the President to initiate steps to end hostilities and avoid loss of precious lives.
Yours in Harmony, All the members and organisations affiliated to People for Harmony. |
Leon Olle-Laprune Website
 CCI announces that the Leon Oll-Laprune website www.olle-laprune.net is now back online. Leon Olle-Laprune was a French philosopher, who could be called the philosophical father of the see-judge-act methodology, and whose writings were read by the young Joseph Cardijn. Other websites will be coming soon. |
CCI Australia announces 2009 plans
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On Saturday 6 December the CCI-A committee met for the first time at Cardijn College Adelaide. "The major decisions reached were that we would hold a national conference in October 2009 and an organising gathering on 13 February 2009, with both events at Cardijn College Adelaide," convenor Kevin Vaughan said. "We invite those people who have responded to our publicity to attend the 13 February event and contribute their ideas and practical assistance." Cardijn Community International-Australia National Conference Cardijn College Honeypot Road, Noarlunga Downs Adelaid, SA 5168 Ph 08 8392 9500 7-8-9 October 2009 Conference Organising Meeting Cardijn College Adelaide 9 am Start Friday 13th February 2009 "Over the past five months since the July conference, My Community, we have received a large amount of correspondence from interested people from accross Australia. This fact gives us great hope for the future of a Cardijn movement for all people taking hold once again in Australia," Mr Vaughan said. "We will invite to Adelaide on 13 February 2009 all of those people involved and interested in the Cardijn Apostolate to participate in the planning and managing the conference. To date people from Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Bendigo, Tasmania, Adelaide and Perth have indicated an interest in this initiative." "On behalf of the committee I wish all a happy and holy Christmas and fruitful 2009. I look forward to meeting you in February next year and together plan our national conference." Please contact Kevin Vaughan for further details and for the purpose of catering on the day. Phone (+61) 03 9786 4463 |
Conviction and sentence against Irene Fernandez set aside
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The High Court in Kuala Lumpur today set aside the conviction and 12-month jail term of Tenaganita director Irene Fernandez for maliciously publishing false news in 1995. Irene, former member of the IYCW Asian Team from Malaysia is free after 13 years of struggle.
She had exposed the poor conditions at immigration detention centres in a memorandum entitled, "Abuse, Torture and Dehumanised Conditions of Migrant Workers in Detention Centres" which the state charged contained 16 statements that were alleged to be false. For more details, log on to:http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=27923  Irene is a typical example of how leaders formed through Cardijn movements still contribute to bring about change in the world today. CCI is proud of Irene's continued involvement with the migrant workers and congratulates her on behalf of the thousands and thousands of former leaders of Cardijn movements. In Solidarity, M. J. Ruben International Convenor Cardijn Community International. November 25, 2008 Note: See also The Star, Finally a weight lifted altho the reference to YWCW instead of YCW is incorrect. |
CCI Australia launched
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The Cardijn Community International Australia during a three day conference on "Building Communities" from 24-26 July 2008 in Melbourne.
Leaders and ex-leaders from a range of lay apostolate movements faithful to the Cardijn tradition launched a national network following a conference on community building that concluded over the weekend. Former and current leaders and chaplains from movements including the YCS, YCW joined with World Youth Day pilgrims from Australia, Asia and Europe for the conference on building communities held at St Francis Pastoral Centre, Melbourne on July 24-25, a Cardijn Community International Australia statement says. The conference was followed by a Public Forum on "International Community Development and Networking" on July 26 at Australian Catholic University's Melbourne campus. The Cardijn Community International – Australia was officially launched at the conference with Paul Rijken (Adelaide), Kevin Vaughan (Melbourne), John Bonnice (Bendigo), Mark Ager (Adelaide) and David Maloney (Melbourne) appointed to coordinate the development of the network.  CCI describes itself as an international Catholic lay apostolate network "linking all those leaders trained in Cardijn movements." It says it organised the series of post-WYD events as a follow up to the World Youth Day 2008 "to ensure an ongoing participation of young people and trained lay leaders alike in building a better world based on social justice and equality." Melbourne Bishop Tim Costelloe, SDB addressed the conference along with Dr Jacques Boulet, from the Borderland Cooperative and M.J. Ruben, CCI International Convenor. Cardijn Community International is present in Asia-Pacific, Africa, North America and Europe. The network trains leaders in Cardijn’s methodology and develops a Cardijn culture to present to the future generation. Cardijn Resource Centre established by the CCI is involved in research on lay apostolate and publishes the works of Cardinal Cardijn to promote Cardijn’s vision on spirituality and lay apostolate. CCI encourages its members to work towards sustainable development and facilitates international exchanges. Source: CathNews |