A challenging but necessary question ...

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Christian
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A challenging but necessary question ...

Post by Christian »

This was a discussion in the GC:
A challenging but necessary question ...

Post by Christian » 02 May 2019, 09:37
I open this discussion with a big hurt in my stomach because it can get out of control if we handle it without care. The topic will touch the whole community and it's a fundamental question.
And believe me, I would not push on this topic if I would not expect that it will reach us someday in the future. But then with much more effect.
Therefore you have to know that it is far away from me to destroy anything we have built up until today. My biggest concern and wish is good and fruitful development of our international community and every member feels home in it. So I ask you to stay cool and think objective without bigger emotions because we need a viable solution for the future.

Now - with all necessary care and respect - to the topic.

I went through the remarks of the dicastery more times you will imagine really and at the special points where it is spoken about to find more a true red line from the General Committee down to the national boards. There is the wish or requirement of the dicastery to bring the whole structure from the top until the ground in one line. You can see it in the request that the processes of finding persons for the leadership teams and the votings have to be more or less in the same on all levels.
I agree with that and have no problem with it but I see a problem with our name "International Community of the Devine Savior". I agree with that have no problem with it but I see a problem with our name "International Community of the Devine Savior". The question or challenge is the word "international". Do we need that really or doesn't it bring more confusion and resentments from the local to the general level? - I used here the words "local" and "general" in full awareness because according to the requirement of the dicastery we have to overcome our national groups.

Let me explain the current situation from my point of view, please. We have several "national" or local communities partially with own names and structures. The task is to bring them all together into one community with one name and one common structure. In my opinion, this has to happen first with an everywhere common name. There can not be a difference in principle if I'm speaking about the Lay Salvatorians in the US, in Belgium or in Colombia - for example. I think we from the GC will agree with this thought.
But as long as we are still talking about an "international" community and a "national" community we will split the community - intentionally or not intentionally. It will never become one community. There will be every time the question, does this have an effect on the international level or does this have an effect on me in my group here. And the international level is (somewhere) far away - and with that without much more interest (it does not touch me really).

And not to forget: How do we name or what is the name of the unit? For example ICDS-Venezuela? That does not make sense to me because there is a contradiction in it.

That is the reason I'm thinking about the suggestion to change the name from "International Community of the Devine Savior" to simple "Community of the Devine Savior". If we look at our brotherly/sisterly branches they do not use "international", too, because it's not necessary. They are SDS, if in the US or in Tanzania.

My intention with these lines is not to instigate a revolution, please. But to think about the name and his effect to each simple member - and the question: Who I am as Lay Salvatorian? Where do I belong to? I'm part of which community? - And according to that which community will have my support? Wich one is my home?

What are you thinking about this challenge?


PS: These thoughts are published only here in the GC forum to get clearness first between us.
Re: A challenging but necessary question ...

Post by Ken Drake » 09 May 2019, 16:47
That is a good question/thought. I will have to take some time to think about it.
Re: A challenging but necessary question ...

Post by Ken Drake » 05 Jun 2019, 17:27
I my mind, the word “international” brings us TOGETHER as worldwide Lay Salvatorians. I think it would be detrimental to the overall good to change the name of the ICDS since we are only now becoming an established and accepted organization. Individual units could still use their local name such as "Lay Salvatorians, USA" and on anything official, say "a unit of the ICDS)". Also, since the name ICDS was the decision of a General Assembly wouldn’t a change have to be voted on by the units at the next General Assembly?
Re: A challenging but necessary question ...

Post by Christian » 06 Jun 2019, 09:15
Yes - of course, this is a question for the following General Assembly, we can not decide this here. What I had in mind was only to sharpen the view of the point. It would be a good idea if this kind of thinking in a broader way would take place more in the units. As I noticed above: Often the ICDS is for some people in the units something in the air, far away from the local challenges and problems - and with that something of less interest. And here we have to change the direction.

And with all that is also the weak point of the conversation connected.
Re: A challenging but necessary question ...

Post by SABINSABIN » 11 Jun 2019, 03:54
1)Since the ICDS name was accepted by majority voting in all units, every unit must put in their local statutes (because until now we manage local statutes and international statutes) that we are this "XXX" (name) community and that we are part of the ICDS.

2) Every unit could have any local community name related with salvatorian Family (for example: "f Jordan", "Mary of the Apostles", "Mary Mother of our Savior"...) and the unit name be "ICDS Venezuela" (even if you think it has no sense), or "Venezuela Lay Salvatorians-ICDS" always linking with ICDS in the UNIT name

Another corporative example: in Venezuela we could work on a local insurance company with local name ("Seguros Sudamerica") and be a part of a bigger international insurance famous group ("Zurich Insurance"). Then we will write and communicate we are: "Seguros Sudamerica-Zurich Insurance"; or a local brand name bank as part of an international group: "Banco Provincial-BBVA"(Real examples).

3) Dicastery is helping us to eliminate the distant feeling of an "abroad far away international ICDS organization", because it´s asking us to put in ONE statutes document all the international an national level organization. It means that once approved, everybody, every unit, will need to adopt this one and only statutes to governance. Then every unit member will have to read it and follow it and put any other local norms in local ROPs.

4) The international name at this moment I think, it's not an obstacle to move forward but the approval of new statutes is fundamental for promoting the unity internationally

Hugs
Sabin
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