The 16th World Congress of the OMAEC, “United for Peace,” Concludes Successfully in Santo Domingo – By Leonor Asilis*

From April 30 to May 3, 2016, the colonial city of Santo Domingo hosted the 16th World Congress of the World Organization of Catholic Alumni (OMAEC), under the theme “United for Peace.” This event brought together delegations from numerous countries in a space for reflection, intercontinental dialogue, and reaffirmation of commitment to the values ​​of Catholic education.

OMAEC is an international non-profit organization, founded in 1967, that unites federations, unions, and associations of alumni from Catholic educational institutions worldwide. Its mission is to work, from a Catholic perspective, for the integral formation of the person, promote a culture of peace, justice, and solidarity, and mobilize alumni as agents of social change. The organization actively collaborates with bodies such as UNESCO and the UN.

Below is a summary of this important congress.

The program took place primarily in emblematic locations in the Colonial City, such as the Aula Magna of the Dominican convent, and concluded at the Cathedral of Santo Domingo with the closing Mass. Click on the link below

https://drive.google.com/file/d/143evmbNdAHwNrKSrQDYqmKqO2_UhNIsq/view?usp=sharing

Highlights included the opening speeches and the panel discussions on peace as a driver of social development, justice, faith in the contemporary world, and the ethical challenges of education today.

Speakers included:
– Ms. Raquel Peña Rodríguez – Vice President of the Dominican Republic
– Bishop Héctor Rafael Rodríguez Rodríguez, M.S.C. – Metropolitan Archbishop of Santiago de los Caballeros and President of the Dominican Episcopal Conference
– Mr. Alfonso Giraldo Saavedra – World President of OMAEC
– Mr. Guillermo Gutiérrez Piraquive – Secretary General of OMAEC
– Mr. Eugenio Martín de Palma – Rector of the Catholic University of Santa Fe (Argentina)
– Mrs. Fabiola Herrera de Valdez – Volunteer Director of the Cathedral Museum
– Mrs. María Isabel Pichardo de Valdez – OMAEC Correspondent in the Dominican Republic
– Mrs. Virginia González – Director of Communications for OMAEC
– Mr. Edouard Lotteau – Member of the COFAEC Committee (France)
– Mr. Jude Elie – Salesian alumnus from Haiti
– Fr. José Pastor Ramírez, SDB
– Fr. José Victoriano Martín, SJ
– Brother Pedro Abad Moreno
– Fr. José Alberto Hidalgo and Milton Ray Guevara

One of the A highlight of the gathering was the presentation and signing of the Manifesto of the XVI World Congress of the OMAEC – “United for Peace,” which summarizes the Congress’s conclusions and reaffirms the alumni’s commitment to more just, democratic, and inclusive societies. In this document, the participants proclaim their conviction that “without justice there is no peace” and reaffirm that peace is not simply the absence of conflict, but rather the result of respect for human dignity, the rule of law, and social equity.

They pledge to be agents of justice and peacebuilders in their professions, families, and communities, denouncing corruption, exclusion, and polarization. They also draw inspiration from the legacy of the various religious orders (Salesians, Marists, De La Salle Brothers, Jesuits, Dominicans, etc.) that cultivate individuals with critical thinking skills and Gospel values, capable of building bridges instead of walls.

Finally, they commit to concrete actions:
– To demonstrate integrity in their work and in the public sphere.
– To educate new generations in the values ​​of truth, solidarity, and service.
– To work together, within OMAEC, to address the challenges facing the region and the world.

“Peace is possible when justice is lived and taught from childhood,” the Manifesto concludes. Click on the link below

ENG-MANIFESTO-XVI-WORLD-CONGRESS-OMAEC

The closing Mass, filled with hope and strength, was presided over by the Coadjutor Archbishop of Santo Domingo, Monsignor Carlos Tomás Morel Diplán, and broadcast on the Santo Domingo Cathedral’s YouTube channel. In his homily, Monsignor Morel emphasized that true peace is born from a personal encounter with Christ and called on the alumni to be “bridges of reconciliation” in a wounded world.

The 16th World Congress of OMAEC, recently held in Santo Domingo, was a significant moment of faith-inspired dialogue. The invited participants returned to their countries with new tools and a renewed enthusiasm for working for peace and social transformation. The resident participants, for their part, felt stronger and more united than ever in these objectives and in this great mission.

*Leonor Asilis, a lay communicator specializing in Catholic issues in the Dominican Republic, works in traditional media (as a columnist for print and digital newspapers and magazines, and as producer and host of the Radio María program Eco Católico, which she has expanded through social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter). She is a leader in the Cursillo Movement and a member of the National Communication Commission of the Dominican Episcopal Conference. She holds three bachelor’s degrees: Business Administration, Communications, and Law, and a master’s degree in National Security and Defense.