Madrid, Spain. The meeting of the representatives of PROCLADE (PROmoción CLAretiana para el DEsarrollo) took place on the 1st of October 2019 at 10.30 am at the office of Fundacion Proclade at Madrid, Spain. Those participated in the meeting were Lord Winner (General Mission Procurator), Joao Luis Escaleira (Fátima), Gabriel Ponce (Fátima), Josep Roca (Catalunya), Agustín Ortiz (Euskal Herria), Francisco Carril (Santiago), Adolfo Lamata (Santiago) and Miguel Ángel Velasco (Santiago).
After the prayer and presentation of the participants, the meeting began with the discussion on the organization of Solidarity and Mission (SOMI) in the Congregation. The representatives also focused on how the Development Agenda 2030 of the United Nations can be incorporated in our projects through the framework of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The need to familiarize the SDGs among the Claretians and Mission Procurators was stressed.
The next main area taken for discussion was the collaboration between the various PROCLADEs of Europe and their relationship with the General Mission Procure, Rome. The participants expressed the difficulties in co-ordination while choosing projects, need for segregation of pastoral and social projects in CLAPNET (CLAretian Project NETwork) software and possibilities for co-funding projects while expressing their willingness to work closely with the mission priorities of the General Government.
Training of Claretian personnel working in projects should be the top priority in the coming years, asserted some representatives. Possibilities of online training and training in various continents and visit of Mission Procurators to some European PROCLADE were discussed as possible options to achieve this training objective.
While there is a need to create PROCLADE like structures in other countries where they are not present, it was mentioned about the continuation of the Mission Procurators for a long period of time. Similarly, the projects coming from the Provinces need to be part of a long-term process towards social change. So, it requires strategic planning by Claretian Organisms in the field of social development.
The future of the PROCLADEs after the reorganization of Fatima and Saint Paul is a matter which requires attention, as expressed by the participants. Lord Winner thanked everyone for their valuable contribution and commitment for the development of the Congregation through development assistance. With a plan to meet again in January 2020, the meeting concluded at 6.00 pm.
