“One Cloth Many Threads” – systemic change and culture

One of the things that we are going to encounter as we engage in Systemic Change is working with diverse cultures. It is important to understand some of the elements of culture that will help us to truly and effectively meet the needs of the people whom we serve. We often live in cultural silos where we think everyone is like us. In “One Cloth Many Threads”, Sr. CJ Wille, SC opens up new perspectives on  how the cultures we were born in affect our understanding of unity and diversity.  VinFormation presents it here in both video format, and audio-only format for those who prefer to listen on an iPod or computer. There are four parts to the presentation, around 10-15 minutes each. A slideshow version is also available on SlideShare.

First and last words from the presentation

In the beginning…

“In the beginning the creator created four races, one for each of the four directions: Yellow, Black, Red and White. Each race was given a way of knowing the world and a way of understanding a piece of the truth.”   - Lakota and Cherokee Traditions”

Your world…

“The world in which you were born is just one model of reality. Other cultures are not failed attempts at being you; they are unique manifestations of the human spirit.”    -Wade Davis”

See her related presentation Catholic Social Teaching, Millennium Goals and Systemic Change

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In September 2013, Roger Playwin, CEO of the St. Louis-based National Council of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, will step down after 10 years in the position.

Playwin spoke with NCR about his tenure and the work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

NCR: Given the recent election of Pope Francis and his tenderness and love of the poor, what are your immediate impressions of the new pope?
Playwin: I’m impressed. I like his humility and he has sensitivity to those living in poverty. His heart and mind are in the right place. He reminds me of the founder of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Blessed Frederic Ozanam, whose bicentennial of his birth we are celebrating this year, who understood poverty and who was way out in front of what we know today as Catholic social teaching. Blessed Frederic was light years ahead of everyone. Blessed Frederic is one of my heroes because he was a young adult, a lawyer, a history professor and he has a special place in my heart.

What are your aspirations for Pope Francis?
I hope that he encourages Catholics around the world to embrace Catholic social teaching because Catholic social teaching can change the world. It is something to embrace, not fear.

As you reflect on your 10 years of leadership, what achievement stands out for you?
We’ve created a leadership program called Invitation for Renewal. It’s an intensive, four-day retreat in which we explore what it means to be a Vincentian and member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Some 500 people have been through the program. We have also executed a strategic plan that had some 100 objectives and at the end of five years, we had achieved 80 percent of our objectives. We have also made real strides in our fundraising, but we’re still new kids on the block in terms of fundraising.

What is the current state of the St. Vincent de Paul Society?
We have a lot of things going on. We’re now into our second strategic plan. We have the first woman president, Sheila Gilbert … whose vision is to end poverty by making systemic changes. This is a sea change because it implies that poverty can be eliminated. That means going forward we will continue to meet the immediate needs of the poor while working to get the poor out of poverty. In the 1970s, there were 12 million poor. Today there are 56 million. For some, all they need is a little push to get out of poverty. For others, they need a lot of mentoring. We can’t put everyone in a single box.

Over the past several years, the poor have taken the brunt of the federal budget cuts proposed by Catholic House Republicans and the Republican Party. What would you say to politicians as they debate a federal budget?
I would remind them that when we have an opportunity to impact people’s lives, we need to understand how we will positively change their lives. The budget cuts hurt people. We should do no harm. There has to be a larger voice from people from the grassroots. Folks living in poverty don’t have a lobbyist, except the society and Catholic Charities USA. There has to be a preponderance of people who say, “Enough is enough.”

To Democrats, I’d say, “Start looking at how we are spending money and see where we are doing it effectively and where we are not. We have to look at results. If a program is not working, it has to be turned around and show results. If you want a different result, change the goal.

What is your message to lay Catholics?
We need to do more reaching out at the parishes. When working with all volunteers, this takes planning. When we reach out, people are ready to grow spiritually and to do good works. We need to be able to provide them with an opportunity to touch base with people in need. When they do, it changes them. Once changed, they want to do something. It’s a one-on-one effort, with a small-scale focus.

For example, if 19,000 parishes in the U.S. took just one family over the next two years and got them out of poverty, that would be 19,000 families of two to four people who would no longer be in poverty. That would make a huge difference, if we just focused.

After 10 years leading the society, what keeps you hopeful?
Every day the members of the society respond to the numerous requests from people who need help, and many have never asked for help before. Our members’ empathetic ears and caring hearts respond to those in need and when you see how they respond to the needs of others, I can’t help but to be hopeful.

[Tom Gallagher writes NCR's Mission Management column. He recently joined NCR's board of directors. His email address is tom@tomgallagheronline.com.]

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Lifting the veil on the group that has been planning the nearly decade long series of Vincentian Family meetings held around the country and even in cyberspace.  See them in action as they plan for the

left to right) Kellie Willis, Vincentian Mission Corps Director, Sheila Gilbert, St. Vincent de Paul USA, and Gayle Johnson, Ladies of Charity at the Vincentian Family Collaborators Meeting held April 15 – 16 at the Province of St. Louise Provincial House in St. Louis, MO.

(left to right) Sister Julie Cutter, D.C., Sister of Charity Federation Executive Director, and Sister Jo-Anne Laviolette, D.C., Province of the West, take a moment to respond to a point made at the Vincentian Family Collaborators Meeting held April 15 – 16 at the Province of St. Louise Provincial House in St. Louis, MO

(left to right) Mary Ann Dantuono, St. John’s University Ladies of Charity, makes a point as Fr. Bernie Tracey, C.M., DePaul USA, and Jessica Werner, Director of Vincentian Lay Missionaries, listen during the Vincentian Family Collaborators Meeting held April 15 – 16 at the Province of St. Louise Provincial House in St. Louis, MO.

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Vinformation  presents a video reflection  “The Spiritual Fire Within” based on a presentation by Fr. Robert Maloney, C.M .

It is based on  text taken from

SYSTEMIC CHANGE AND THE POOR
General Assembly of the Congregation of the Mission
July 2, 2010
Link to original presentation source on VinFormation  here.

Link to textual source Maloney systemichange summary and more background.

Link to VinFamily collection of resources on Systemic Change.

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You can almost feel the energy in this group as they meet in Paris for a week of exploration and training in what is involved in Vincentian collaborative projects. We expect to post a video of an interview with Fr. Gregory, Superior General. For more background visit Update-on-vincentian-family-collaborative-action/

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A powerful 2 minute video used  by a Vincentian systemic change project to reach 650,000 people on behalf the homeless in one day.

The Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul in collaboration with Westminster Cathedral  administer The Passage, London’s largest voluntary sector day centre for homeless and vulnerable people. Each day they help more than 200 men and women.

Vincentians in Partnership (http://www.vip-gb.org/) is an umbrella organisation set up to foster networking and collaboration among those organisations in Great Britain which are influenced by the spirit of St Vincent de Paul. The ethos of the Vincentian Family is rooted in the Gospels and may be best summed up by these words of Jesus: “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters you do it to me.”

Its main activities are:

• Communication and networking
• Promoting Vincentian Vision & Values 
• Developing Vincentian Spirituality
• Lobbying and Working for Justice
• Projects to support vulnerable people

The Passage is part of a 400-year-old international experience of the alleviation of poverty.

In 1863 Vincent’s Daughters of Charity opened the building on Carlisle Place, which is currently the home of The Passage Day Centre, The Passage Outreach Project and Montford House, and the work for homeless people can be traced back to that time.

• The Passage respects and celebrates its founding ethos, retaining close links with the Daughters of Charity and Westminster Cathedral, and enjoys the support of a wide range of individuals and organisations. In keeping with its long tradition, The Passage strives to represent a respect for freedom, a passion for justice and a sharing of compassion for those otherwise passed by as invisible, set aside as having no social worth or disregarded as politically without influence.
• The Passage places primary value on the basic human right to freedom of choice, housing, health services, and occupational opportunities, rejecting social and financial exclusion and working to remove obstacles that prevent the advancement of quality of life for homeless and disadvantaged people. We seek to address the individual needs of each homeless person in a holistic way, and all that we do is shaped and driven by this aim.
• The Passage recognizes that the values it holds are not exclusive to Christianity, but they are distinctive and must be reflected in all its activities, policies and collaborative ventures.
• The Passage provides a chaplaincy for those who seek it and a listening ear for the effects of “inner homelessness”. It does not engage in any form of direct evangelism or the promulgation of any particular faith.
• The Passage respects the beliefs and cultures of all who come in contact with it and has a holistic approach to service delivery.
• The Passage is committed to providing the best possible quality services and consistency across the organisation, placing high value on a safe and welcoming environment for its users, staff and volunteers.
• The Passage has a strong culture of volunteering which is crucial to our nature as a voluntary organisation. We believe that our ethos is greatly enhanced by those who give freely of their time and talent.

Whilst maintaining its independence, The Passage seeks to work collaboratively, in partnership with central and local government, and with other statutory and voluntary agencies, to work towards ending rough sleeping and ensuring the best possible options for homeless people. The Passage seeks to provide an honest voice for justice and where necessary discreetly mediates between the environment and those in need.

The Passage fulfills its mission by providing:

• Day Centre services offeringoutreach services to contact rough sleepers.
  • basic care
  • individual assessment and advice
  • health
  • housing
  • pastoral and spiritual care
  • education, training and employment.
• hostel accommodation moving towards re-settlement and further steps to independence.
• supported semi-independent accommodation moving towards independence and re-integration.

The Passage aims to:

• give priority to the most vulnerable rough sleepers and insecurely housed;
• have a flexible and professional approach to the work which enables sufficient breadth to meet the needs of the individual;
• ensure that all members of staff and volunteers receive appropriate training, managerial support and affirmative encouragement in order to meet these aims;
• provide service users with opportunities to contribute fully in the life of The Passage and to have a genuine voice in the way that services are delivered and developed.

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VinFormation just created a new board devoted to images and links to Systemic Change on VinFamily at Pinterest. Without any publicity it picked up 30 followers in about 5 hours!

If you visit this might be the time to explore the parent board http://pinterest.com/vinfamily/ for the many Vincentian-themed boards.

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How do you take down poverty? One toy block at a time.”

In Honduras, where 64% of the population lives below the poverty line, a for-profit business, Tegu Toys, is improving the quality of its employees’ lives, creating more jobs as it grows, and giving families a vision of a new and better future.

A  3-minute video says “… What we really need to address issues of poverty is economic growth through for-profit mechanisms that create sustainable opportunities for people.”

(Click to enlarge graphic) Chris Haughey, co-founder of the company, says the real solution to poverty is to launch many small engines of economic growth that affect not just a few people for a little while, but entire communities — with the potential to permanently change an entire society for the better.

“You think the solution to poverty is more aid or more charitable giving, but those are only short-term, stopgap solutions. If you care about the poor, then you are going to seek out ways to create new economic opportunities for them,”

From the YouTube site “If we truly care about helping the poor, we should prioritize economic growth, which is the key to lifting whole societies from poverty to prosperity. In the AEI book “Economic Growth: Unleashing the Potential of Human Flourishing,” three professors provide a compelling moral and economic case for growth. The authors write: “Economic growth marks a boundary between wealth and human flourishing, on one side, and poverty and degradation, on the other.”"

Read the full text of Strachan’s post and watch the inspiring video by clicking here.
Learn more about Tegu Toys by clicking here.

Other commentary…

Owen Strachan posts at thoughtlife about how the workings of the free market hold much greater potential for positive long-term improvement in the lives of people in poverty.

According to the blog Patheos, “The standard Western answer to the problem of poverty today is to throw scads of money at it. That’s well-intentioned and perhaps may have some positive short-term effects. But it seems a far better approach in the long-term to create wealth where there currently is none. That means creating jobs through the ingenuity of the human imagination and the workings of the free market.

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The Australian St. Vincent de Paul Society presents a video animation that demonstrates the value of its early intervention in a process that could lead to family disintegration and multiple individuals being in crisis.

Visit http://www.vinnies.org.au and see how you can help

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The story of Lourdes – the person, not the shrine!

Continuing the new series  illustrating recent examples of systemic change Patricia deNava, past International President of the AIC (Ladies of Charity in USA), writes..

“In order to understand Marillac, it is important to picture its programs, not as a cluster of trees with no relationship among them, as we previously did, but as a forest, an ecosystem in which different systems and sub-systems interact with one another to provide opportunities to fulfill the diverse needs of people whom we attend to, like Lourdes, and thus bring about a systemic change in their lives.”

To this end she introduces The Story of Lourdes: A Woman Who Decided To Transform Her Life

“My name is Lourdes.  I am married and have six children who, until the year I joined the Marillac Center, had never been to school.  My husband, father of most of my children, sometimes finds work as a mechanic, but whatever he does is never enough.  Every time I told him that we had nothing to eat for the following day, he would hit me.  Each morning I would wake up in anguish because of all the things I had to do: clean the house (if you call the hut that shelters us, made of cardboard and tin, a house), feed the children, begin looking for a few cents to survive…  I felt overwhelmed and incapable of doing anything.  Our situation was scary. We were really violent and communicated with each other through blows.  My children did not know how to act differently; they too were violent, even in their games. 

By mere chance I began to go to the Marillac Center and I started to be aware of how terrible violence is.  At the Center, I found all sorts of support:  schooling and food for my children, clothing for the whole family, health and dental examinations, materials to improve the house, work for myself and psychological therapy for me, for my husband and also for the children.

 Of all that I have learned, what has served me the most, and has really opened my eyes, is the nutrition program. Every day, I wake up joyfully and don’t get mad when the children ask me for something to eat.  On the contrary, I think of recent lessons and I never forget to add amaranth seeds to any meal I prepare, because now I know that they have a lot of nutrients.  I am happy because my children eat well and are glad to go to school.

I have learned a lot of things and I know that I can make my children healthier and energetic enough to be able to study.  This week we are going to learn how to make healthy school lunches for them. This is going to help them a lot.  Before, when I had some money, I would buy them a small bag of chips or a soft drink that they shared, and sometimes a piece of old bread that was left in the store.  Now I include cucumber, a yogurt or an orange…  I now feel like a different person; I am studying and learning how to read and write.  I take care of myself and have confidence in the future.   Gelasio has learned to like and respect me and my children are no longer ashamed of me.    

Thanks to the Marillac Center, there are women and entire families just like Lourdes, whose lives have been transformed, or are in the process of being transformed.

More than 20 years ago, the Marillac Center started offering services in many marginalized neighborhoods of San Luis Potosí where there was a lot of violence, numerous street gangs and abundant drug addiction — all of these augmented by low self-esteem and the lack of moral values.  At first, various activities for young people and women were planned, mainly classes, without really taking into account the needs of the inhabitants.  These produced no significant changes in their lives. By means of an analysis of the real situation of the community, we were, along with the women of the community, able to form a new project: “Social Co-Responsibility and Education for a World without Violence”, which focuses on the prevention of, and the struggle against, violence, which flows from multiple factors related to poverty.

In order to understand Marillac, it is important to picture its programs, not as a cluster of trees with no relationship among them, as we previously did, but as a forest, an ecosystem in which different systems and sub-systems interact with one another to provide opportunities to fulfill the diverse needs of people whom we attend to, like Lourdes, and thus bring about a systemic change in their lives. This systemic approach has brought about the creation of several closely linked departments, through which ethical and Christian values, basic to our Vincentian way of seeing things, are reinforced in an ongoing way by means of talks, workshops and other types of interventions and in which the fundamental strategies are the participation of the poor and self-help:

• Social Work focusing on the defense of human rights: Assistance for families in extreme poverty, defending their rights, judicial and legal aid and promotion of individual and communal empowerment.
• Psychology:  Individual or group psychological counseling and therapy.
• Health: Sessions for medical and dental care, referral to private and public institutions, prevention campaigns, development of sports and recreational activities, yoga and aerobics.
• Nutrition: ‘’Healthy Nutrition for All” is a project supported by a grant from the Commission for Promoting Systemic Change. It provides education for a balanced and healthy way of eating, techniques for preserving food, planning family vegetable gardens, and maintaining better child nutrition. Participation in a government-run program, called “SUSTENTA”, supports and teaches how to improve nutrition and money management in the home.
• Education: the INEA (National Institute for the Education of Adults) Center is an open elementary and middle school for adults and young people.  It also provides scholarships for unmarried adolescent mothers.  Arts and crafts and computer classes are offered as tools for a better future. Education in the area of micro-enterprises is also available.
• Communication and diffusion: Training for the community leaders, who are agents in the multiplication of this overall project and of the diverse sub-projects. Maintaining contacts and spreading the mission through the media. Transmitting the vision of a world free of violence, that emphasizes equality and solidarity.
  • Children:  Project “Healthy and happy children, children of peace” is a well-rounded after-school program in which solidarity, responsibility, peace and a positive way of learning that distances them from the negative and threatening aspects of their environment, are taught through theater and choral workshops, Scouts, and a multimedia program for early bilingual learning, named “Prosofia of Eduspark”, a very attractive program for helping children to learn a variety of subjects: music, math, science, and to develop their linguistic skills and vocabulary. All the lessons are taught in two languages in order to aid them to learn English as a second language.

The application of Systemic Change strategies, the creation of networks, the offer of wide-ranging assistance, the participation of the beneficiaries themselves and periodic evaluations have been deciding factors in the success of the Marillac Center. Every day difficult situations arise that need to be resolved and new challenges have to be faced, but in spite of all this, the AIC-Volunteers faithfully continue their work, with the help of the women of the community, who always encourage them with their selflessness and their courage.  Like Lourdes, these women, thanks to the support of the Marillac Center, have been able to break out of the vicious cycle of violence and marginalization in which they were trapped and are worthy of admiration and respect.

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In his presentation on systemic change during day 12 of the meeting of the Provincials of the Congregation of the Mission Fr. Robert Maloney presented hints of systemic change from his reading of the words and actions of Vincent. He begins with a treatment of the influence of Paul VI’s Evangelii Nuntian­di  on the vocabulary of Vincentian documents and asks…

WHY: why is a Systemic Change mentality so important for us as members (and leaders) of the Congregation of the Mission?  …

To me, it is fascinating to analyze how strongly Evangelii Nuntiandi and the terminology of the New Evangelization have influenced our Constitutions and other official documents of the Congregation of the Mission in recent years.  Our documents over the last 25 years have a number of significantly new accents, placing emphasis on:

• following Christ as the Evangelizer of the Poor
• seeing the poor as not merely the object of evangelization, but its subject
• being evangelized by the poor
•  teaching the link between evangelization and action for justice
• searching out the causes of poverty and concrete solutions
• investigating new forms of poverty
• becoming specialists in the Church’s social teaching
• forming basic Christian communities
• acquiring a global world-view.

I suggest to you today that our Vincentian Family’s emphasis on Systemic Change is a concretization of the call to a New Evangelization.

2. Some seeds of Systemic Change in the life and works of St. Vincent 

The concept of “systemic change” is a modern one. It was unknown to St. Vincent and his contemporaries. Like all of us today, Vincent accepted as given, and sometimes as God-given, many of the structures that surrounded him. They were like the air he breathed. For the most part, he simply took them for granted. Vincent was born and died in a multi-tiered society, with a monarchy, nobility, clerics and peasants. He would never have dreamed about changing those structures radically, as revolutionary France did 150 years later.

But, within the context of his time, Vincent expressed many ideas related to systemic change. It is useful for us to examine these seminal thoughts, since they help us to situate a systemic change mentality in the spirituality of the Vincentian Family today.  So, today I want to describe eight seeds of Systemic Change in the life and works of St. Vincent.  I will give each of the seeds a name, using the terminology that St. Vincent used and then I will relate it to the terminology found in systemic change projects today. One could do similar things in regard to the life and works of Louise de Marillac, Frederick Ozanam, and other heroes in the Vincentian Family.

1. 1.     “affective and effective love” à  changing social structures

             You are all familiar with the phrase, which Vincent repeated over and over again; we are called to a love that is both “affective and effective.”  He says, for example, “The love of a Daughter of Charity is not only tender; it is effective, because they serve the poor concretely.”

Today, we are conscious that sin affects not just individuals; it deeply affects social structures too.  It becomes embodied in unjust laws, power-based economic relationships, inequitable treaties, artificial boundaries, oppressive governments, and numerous other subtle obstacles to harmonious societal relationships.  Many of these unjust societal structures keep the poor poor.

Luke’s parable of the Good Samaritan dramatizes the principle that love of God is displayed in love of neighbor. But today we recognize more and more that effective love involves not just binding up the individual victim’s wounds and pouring oil on them, but also making sure that the road from Jerusalem to Jericho is safe for all in the future.

1. 2.     evangelization “by word and work” à integral evangelization: witness, preaching and human promotion

 Vincent was deeply convinced that what we say and what we do must reinforce one another. Witness authenticates words. What we say is credible only if our actions corroborate it. In other words, Vincent sees witness, service, preaching and teaching as complementary to one another, and as integral to the evangelization process.

Today, the unity between witness, evangelization and human promotion, so much a part of Vincent’s spirit, is one of the main emphases in the Church’s social teaching.  First, do. Then, teach. That is Vincent’s rule for “effective” evangelization.

So, Vincent encouraged his followers to examine various elements in the lives of the poor to see what their most urgent needs were: nourishment, health care, education, job opportunities, and spiritual care. He focused on the whole person and wanted to treat the person holistically.

1. 3.      “Chatillon” à organization

When he gathered the initial group of women to form a “Confraternity of Charity” at Chatillon-les-Dombes in November 1617, Vincent stated, in the Rule he composed for them, that the poor sometimes suffer more from a lack of “order” in the help offered them than from a lack of charitable persons who want to help.

So, he organized them. He believed that well-intentioned charity must also be well-organized, that it must be planned and executed with precision and care. Vincent was a precise planner and organizer. This was one of his greatest gifts. It helped make his works effective.

Vincent wanted quality, competence, gentleness and respect to characterize the service provided in a project. He insisted that not only should we do good, but that we should do it well, with adequate resources and at the same time with warmth and concern.

1. 4.     writing contracts and rules à  establishing solid foundations as the basis for sustainability

             Through his life, Vincent negotiated detailed contracts and wrote precise rules as he set up all the groups he founded. He wanted those groups to be firmly established so that their service to others would be long-lasting. The contracts provided for the financial stability of the groups. The Rules conveyed the structure and described the charism and the spirit of the groups he founded. Both the contracts and the Rules played a foundational role in preserving these groups into the future.  It is helpful to note that Vincent saw no conflict between trusting in Divine Providence and providing for the future by laying firm financial foundation and setting up structures that would make his projects last.

Today, all organizations that are initiating project put great emphasis on sustainability.

1. 5.     simplicity à transparency

Vincent tells us again and again that the poor are attracted to those who speak and live simply, who are transparent in what they say and do. This is also one of the fundamental aspects of successful systemic change projects: their leaders have developed the ability to listen to the poor, to speak with them simply and transparently, and to involve them in the project at every stage, from the initial discernment of needs, to planning the project, to carrying it out, and to evaluating and adjusting it in an ongoing way.

Today, transparency in formulating budgets, in using our resources and in reporting to others, including the poor themselves, about how those resources are being used is one of the key themes of Systemic Change.

1. 6.     petites écoles à education and job-training

 Vincent and Louise de Marillac were deeply committed to the education and formation of poor young people, especially so that they might have the skills to work. For that reason, with Vincent’s support, Louise founded the “petites écoles” and made the instruction of poor young people one of the principal works of the first Daughters of Charity. So, right from the beginning, schools have been a part of the charism of the Vincentian Family. Louise taught in these schools herself. She insisted that the instruction given should be clear and practical.

Today, the schools of the Vincentian Family have over a million members. Beyond the schools, the Vincentian Marian Youth groups offer formation to more than 120,000 young people.

Education and job-training are extremely important in bringing about systemic change. In Populorum Progressio, Pope Paul VI wrote: “Lack of education is as serious as lack of food; the illiterate person is a starved spirit.”

St. Vincent and St. Louise were concerned not only about the education of the poor, but also about the education and formation of the servants of the poor; that is, of us, the members of the groups they founded or inspired.  The formation of leaders is crucial in systemic change projects.

1. 7.     collaboration among all strata of society à networking

Vincent knew how to network. He brought together rich and poor, young and old, clergy and lay, men and women. He had the ability to recognize and call forth people’s gifts. He saw that collaboration was the key to success in serving the poor. So, he forged bonds, built bridges, and fostered unity among very diverse groups of people. He knew how to draw these people into his captivating vision of life. On his one side was Anne, the Queen of France, a woman of broad culture and also of political intrigue; on his other side was Marguerite Naseau, a peasant girl who did not know how to read or write. He drew together women and men of every rank in society, by sharing his vision with them and getting them excited about it. He was a wonderful networker.

Networking and collaboration are crucial in successful systemic change projects, not just within the Vincentian Family, but also with other religious and civic groups, with foundations and with governments on various levels.

1. 8.     his role at court àadvocacy

While Vincent is best known for his practical works of charity, he also served as an advocate for the poor before the highest authorities, at times at considerable risk to himself. On several occasions he intervened personally to try to bring about peace, when war was wrecking the lives of the poor. He went right to the top.

One of Vincent’s biographers relates a striking episode, which he takes from an account written by Vincent’s secretary.  In 1649, during the civil war, Vincent left Paris quietly, crossed battle lines and (at almost 70 years of age) forded a flooded river on horseback to see the queen and to beg her to dismiss Mazarin, whom he regarded as responsible for the war. He also spoke directly to Mazarin himself. But his pleas went unheeded. Vincent attempted to speak with leaders on both sides and at times felt that a settlement was near, but ambitions and intrigues thwarted his efforts. His attempts at peacemaking earned him the enmity of Mazarin, who, in his secret diary, records him as an enemy. By the time peace finally came, Vincent had been removed from the Council of Conscience.

All those involved in systemic change projects today emphasize the importance of advocacy and need to build a shared vision with diverse stakeholders: poor communities, interested individuals, donors, churches, governments, the private sector, unions, the media, international organizations and networks, etc.

Those are eight seeds of systemic change in the life and works of St. Vincent.

I encourage you today to reflect on these eight seeds, which are fundamental in a systemic-change mentality. Seeds are small. They develop only gradually. Like seeds, creative beginnings are recognized only later when they have grown into full-scale creative works. A seed is beautiful not when it is thrown into the ground, but when it blooms as a flowering tree. So too, a germinal systemic change project, like a seed, will bear fruit only if it is nurtured, watered and tended patiently. In fact, all the members of the Commission for Promoting Systemic Change who have been engaged in successful systemic-change works say: “Start small. Move forward patiently step by step.” So I urge you to encourage the confreres of your provinces: sow many seeds. As you work with them, let your ears be open, as were the ears of St. Vincent and St. Louise, to new, creative ideas. Urge the confreres to support new initiatives begun by others. In these challenging times, encourage creativity, and be courageous and persistent in putting creative ideas into practice. Examine with the confreres of your province the plight of the poor in its concrete context, but examine it as a whole field, a system.  Then, seek, with the confreres and with the poor, to plant seeds that will transform the entire field and make it blossom anew.

… How can we promote a systemic change mentality among our members?

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As part of an ongoing series of updates about systemic change projects in the VIncentian Family, former Superior General Robert Maloney describes a Hatian Initiative “Pathway to a Better Life”

CHEMEN LAVI MIYÒ (CLM) is a very successful, exciting program that works toward systemic change among the poorest of the poor in Haiti, families whose members are sometimes called the “bottom billion” in society, living on less than $1.25 a day.

WHAT IS IT?

Chemen Lavi Miyò means “Pathway to a Better Life”.

It is a program sponsored by Fonkoze in Haiti for extremely poor families which would fail if they entered a conventional microfinance program.  CLM replicates an extreme poverty alleviation program developed over fifteen years by BRAC in Bangladesh. BRAC is assisting Fonkoze, even placing BRAC field staff in Haiti to ensure success.

GOAL:

After 18 months of close accompaniment by a case manager, families will have a sustainable enterprise, several sources of income and a small savings account. Their children will all be in school, they will have decent shelter and they will be food secure. If they choose to do so, they will be prepared to accept standard microcredit, with no further need of subsidies.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

CLM Member families generally:

• Are headed by women with multiple children;
• None of the children are in school;
• Have no income-generating assets, such as farmable land or livestock;
• Have no reliable access to food, often going days without a meal; and
• Either have no access to healthcare or don’t know how to take advantage of available healthcare.

HOW ARE MEMBERS SELECTED?

Members are selected through a rigorous four-step process:

• A community meeting is held where residents discuss the impact of poverty on their community, define 5 categories of poverty, and map out all the house- holds in the community.
• A smaller group, carefully chosen from the first meeting’s participants, holds a second, confidential meeting where they come to a consensus as to each family’s “wealth ranking.”
• Trained Fonkoze staff visit all households that are ranked in the poorest two categories. They complete three separate evaluations of the household’s economic status: Fonkoze’s poverty scorecard, the internationally-recognized Progress out of Poverty Index, and a Food Security Index.
• Fonkoze supervisors make a second home visit, interviewing prospective CLM members to confirm the results of the first visit.

WHAT DO MEMBERS RECEIVE?

Each member receives:

• Confidence building, enterprise management, and life skills training;
• The assets necessary to establish two enterprises: e.g., 3 goats, 8 chickens, merchandise to sell, a donkey to rent;
• A small, 6-month cash stipend that enables them to stop begging and care for their new assets;
• Assistance in getting the children in school;
• At least one visit per week from a Fonkoze case manager to reinforce training and track progress;
• Construction/repair of home, including sanitary latrine, with member participation;
• A filter to ensure water safety; and
• Free health care with training how to use it.

HOW MUCH DOES THE PROGRAM COST?

The cost for CLM per member family is $1,500 over the 18-month period of services.

WHAT ARE THE RESULTS?

In a carefully controlled pilot with 150 families, 97% graduated, and 75% elected to go on in a microcredit program. Today, Fonkoze is serving 1,350 families in the program.

In 2011, the worldwide Vincentian Family, through the Zafèn website and other off-line donations, raised more than a half million dollars for this project, thus enabling hundreds of additional people to enter into it and successfully complete it.

For a 6-minute video about Chemen Lavi Miyò and further information on it, cf. the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvOQOGP1pT0

Robert P. Maloney, C.M.

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“Education, A Pathway to Systemic Change in our Communities” (Pdf) is the title of a document circulated by the AIC as part of their preparation for the 2013 International Assembly. It was written by Fr. Eli Chavez , CM who is currently a member of the International Curia of the Congregation of the Mission in Rome.

“Throughout history, education has been predominantly understood and practiced in a way that is obviously very vertical. The person being educated is a receptacle for knowledge, a sort of “recipient” where we “deposit” a piece of knowledge; the teacher is the one who speaks, knows and chooses the subjects to be covered. The teacher imposes the rules, the objectives and his or her conception of the world upon the pupil. The role of the person being educated is to accept everything passively, to adapt themselves to an established order which has been created through a process that eliminates creativity and critical thinking and prohibits dialogue. It’s a form of education which runs from “top to bottom”, which imposes or reproduces the dominant social, economic and cultural model and establishes an authoritarian relationship of domination.

Free education is a type of education which respects the liberty, autonomy and knowledge of the people being educated. This form of education aims to be more humane, the pupil is not the object but the subject of the educational process. The human being can only truly be understood if we put him or her in a historical context, in a concrete reality.

The fundamental objective of education is the thoughtful organisation of knowledge. Providing people with the means that allow them to liberate themselves with a true vision of reality means they can develop a critical mind when faced with real life situations. Education needs to lead the person to discover and become aware of his or her personal reality and historical background, as well as to have a critical opinion on this reality and the power to transform it.

A new pedagogical method establishing dialogue, reciprocity, communion and liberation is currently necessary:

Education as a liberating process rests on the concept of the human being in his or her historical context. The human being doesn’t just evolve in the world, but with it, through reflection and action. The human being must understand the world; he or she must act so as to transform it, to make it more humane and free. One must understand the meaning.”

In conclusion…

In practical terms, we invite you to work on education as a reciprocal change:

●● Identify and value the competencies and potential of everyone.

●● Encourage interdependence: “You have something that I need, perhaps I have something that can help you”.

●● Promote co-creativity: “If we focus our competencies and capabilities, we can commit to building a fairer world”.

To achieve this, it will be necessary to strengthen AIC training:

1. Spiritual, ethical and Vincentian.

2. In techniques, particularly in communication and visibility.

The document is available in multiple languages in the download section of their website.

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UCANINDIA writes…It is a new form of evangelization, helping people help themselves, discovering their own gifts and potentials.

Working to break the cycle of poverty in Indian villages is a priority for members of Vincentian congregations, says their general body meeting that concluded yesterday in Ranchi.

The Feb. 23-27 general body meet of Vincentian congregations said such a priority is part of their new way of evangelization through systemic social change. Systemic change methodology is used to break into the cycle of poverty and remove the inevitability of remaining poor for generations, said participants at the gathering.

“Systemic change: the focus of the worldwide Vincentian family,” was the theme of the 117 Major Superiors, heads of Vincentian family gathered for the seventh annual general body meeting of Vincentian congregations.

Vincentian Family refers to organizations that are inspired by the life and work of St. Vincent de Paul, a 17th century priest who “transformed the face of France.”

Resource team consists of nine members of Commission of the Vincentian Family for Systemic Change. The commission said: “Works of charity and justice should go hand in hand.”

The systemic change, according to the commission, attempts to bring about a wide ranging impact on the life of people living in poverty. It is a new form of evangelization, helping people help themselves, discovering their own gifts and potentials, the commission said.

Father Robert P. Maloney, Chairperson of the Commission appealed its members saying, “Begin small; begin somewhere. Accompany the people, be with them.”

“I would introduce the methodology of systemic change into our formation program in order to familiarize our young members.” Sister Gabrielle, the Regional Superior of the Sisters of Charity of Saint Mary said after the meet.

The Vincentian Family in India are: Congregation of the Missions, Vincentian Congregation, Daughters of Charity, Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, Brothers of Charity, Sisters of Charity of Saint Mary, Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, Association of Miraculous Medal, Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary, and the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth.

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Perhaps an unlikely pairing of topics. But the Center for Financial Inclusion describes how these concepts can be dynamically related.  

“If you want your message to be heard, go to where your intended audience is. If that intended audience is teenagers in the U.S., other than maybe schools or malls, what better place for engagement is there than cell phones? That’s the approach of Kiva and DoSomething.org’s new 25,000 Women campaign, an interactive phone-based project aimed at boosting the awareness among teens of the day-to-day challenges of women in developing countries, and in turn boosting teens’ engagement in promoting female entrepreneurship.”

The unfold the relationship…

25,000 Women is centered on an SMS-based phone game that presents users with typical scenarios faced by women in developing countries and offers users options to choose from on what they think the best course of action would be. In accordance with the user’s responses, the game relays pertinent statistics and information on the realities of the given situation. One game scenario is, “You’re thirsty from working in the fields in Kenya. Would you rather A) Drink the murky water your employer provides? Or B) Go thirsty and risk dehydration?” If the user were to text respond “A”, the game would message, “Woah, only 59% of drinking water is actually safe — You could get a waterborne disease that puts you out of work for days (Yikes!).”

To add participation incentive, and to promote additional awareness as well as engagement and real-world impact, the game is linked to Kiva’s online micro-lending system. Individuals who share the game with the phones of six friends receive a US$25 loan credit to give to the woman entrepreneur on Kiva of their choosing. The hope is that this chain lengthens, that at least 25,000 working women around the world are supported, and that the project imparts a lasting impact among the teen participants on their ability to fight poverty.

The Kiva – DoSomething.org partnership was born out of Kiva’s interest in attracting more youth lenders to its program and DoSomething.org’s focus on engaging teens and young adults in social change initiatives. DoSomething.org conducted a similar campaign last year that targeted bullying, which engaged over 76,000 teens, and a teen pregnancy campaign over the last two years, which has had over 200,000 teen participants to date. 25,000 Women launched on July 19 and is planned to continue until September 19.

Seventy percent of the world’s 1.29 billion people living on less than US$1.25 a day are women. Though women work two-thirds of the world’s total working hours and produce half of the world’s food, they earn only 10 percent of the world’s income. The 25,000 Women campaign specifically targets women borrowers in El Salvador, Kenya, Mongolia, Pakistan, and the Philippines.

More on the Center for Financial Inclusion

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DePaul University collaborates with Depaul International, a UK charity,  to  assist policymakers and those who deliver services to the homeless to end homelessness. The Institute for Global Homelessness, will be based in Chicago at DePaul University, the country’s largest Catholic university in the United States. It is the brainchild of Depaul International, a London-based charity that supports homeless and marginalized people around the world.

Both are Vincentian organizations that live out and continue the values and legacy of St. Vincent de Paul, a 17th century French priest who devoted his life to serving and caring for others.

As Depaul International expanded its outreach from helping homeless youth in London, to assisting the homeless in other countries, including Ireland, Slovakia, Ukraine and the United States, it was sought out for advice and expertise by government departments, NGOs and others.

“Whilst we can bring our experience to bear in advising on some of these issues, the primary purpose of Depaul International is in the delivery of services, rather than acting as consultants,” said Mark McGreevy, group chief executive.

Depaul International commissioned desktop research on whether there were any academic, institutional or NGO bodies operating at an international level with a primary focus on developing or advising policymakers, homelessness organizations or initiatives, and by providing online or accessible resources to develop strategy and improve service delivery.

“The research indicated there was no single academic department, international agency or NGO providing dedicated training, interactive service or promoting best practices in working with the homeless at a global level,” McGreevy said.

Because of their shared Vincentian values and belief in helping the most disadvantaged people around the world in action, not just words, Depaul International reached out to DePaul University with the idea to establish an institute to provide research, leadership development and creative consultancy in homelessness.

“Looking out for the needs of the poor is central to our mission as a Vincentian university,” said the Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., president of DePaul University. “We are honored to collaborate with Depaul International to strengthen expertise on homelessness and do as much as we can to help alleviate this critical global issue.”

“Homelessness is a social issue of global importance,” noted McGreevy. “Having a home ranks with access to water, food and education as a fundamental human right. However, for 1.1 billion of the 7 billion people on this planet a place to call home isn’t an option.

“The Institute for Global Homelessness will be working for everyone to have a place to call home and a stake in their community,” McGreevy said. “We at Depaul International welcome this collaboration with DePaul University in creating something that will have an impact on the lives of homeless people around the world.”

Rosanne Haggerty, an internationally recognized leader in developing strategies to end homelessness, advised the planning process for the new institute. She is the president of the New York-based not-for-profit organization, Community Solutions.

”The Institute for Global Homelessness fills a critical gap in the mission of ending homelessness worldwide,” said Haggerty. “It will be the first academic-based research center to enhance our insights on effective practice and policy, through data, and then apply these findings to train communities on the best approaches for seeking lasting solutions to homelessness.”

The institute will create a comprehensive repository of research on a global scale and examine ways to help address homelessness and alleviate poverty. A primary objective of the collaboration is to equip those who manage homeless shelters and other related service with the knowledge, skills and insight they need to help end homelessness.

A fellowship program and new academic courses at DePaul University are planned to provide training to emerging and existing leaders. At the outset, both organizations will focus on the actions and resources required to bring the institute into operation, with a formal launch planned for 2014.

“This is an institute that wants to deliver change,” McGreevy said. “We aim to help people think differently about the problem of homelessness and to make them successful change agents. As committed, willing and capable individuals we take a 21st century approach to problem-solving — this is collaborative, determined and radical in order to address the deficit of information on homelessness internationally and to mobilize people in a movement for change to end it.”

This is also the spirit of DePaul University, according to Holtschneider. “We carry on the same mission that Vincent de Paul embarked on more than 400 years ago.”

###

NOTE : The word DePaul/Depaul is spelled differently for each of the organizations in this release. Both are derived from St. Vincent de Paul, but the name of the university is DePaul University, capital “D” and capital “P” with no spacing. The name of the London-based charity is Depaul International, capital “D” and a small “p” with no spacing.
More information about DePaul University is online atwww.depaul.edu.
More information about Depaul International is atwww.depaulinternational.org.DePai

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Fr. Robert Maloney delivered the keynote address “Systemic Change and our Vincentian Call to Holiness Today” at the recent national meeting of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul held in Madison, WI. Please wait a moment for the video to load. It is well worth the investment of 45 minutes of your time. It is one of the most effective presentations of Frederic’s vision and the crucial importance of the home visit.

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Text of Fr. Robert Maloney’s Keynote address – Friday, Sept. 13, 2013 SSVP National Assembly – Madison, Wisconsin

Systemic Change and our Vincentian Call to Holiness Today

            On the 23^rd day of April two hundred years ago, Frederic Ozanam was born.   He lived to be just 40, but his life was rich, full and very varied.  He was a faith-filled Catholic, a loving husband to Amélie his wife, a devoted father to Marie his daughter, a lawyer, an expert in the poet Dante, a much loved university professor, an extraordinary linguist, a prolific writer, a newspaper editor, a candidate for political office, and a faithful friend.  We know him most of all as the principal founder of a lay Society that would grow like wildfire and would eventually spread the flame of practical love through the world.   It is not length of years that counts.  Shakespeare tells us in King Lear:  “Ripeness is all” (V. ii 8-11).   If fruit grows old and withers on a tree, it is worthless. But if it falls into our hands ripe and full, we taste its sweetness and it nourishes our life.

I have been asked to speak with you today about systemic change.  Let me treat the topic in four steps:

1) the notion of systemic change;

2) some seeds of systemic change in Frederic Ozanam’s life and work;

3) systemic change and the home visit;

4) systemic change and God’s call to us as Vincentians to grow in holiness.

Address at USA SSVP 09-12-13 Word format

See previous story and link to the video of this presentation

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Participants of the Vincentian Family Gathering were treated to a powerful illustration of what could happen if Vincentians followed the lead of Ozanam in asking the big questions of the day (see previous post).

Fr. Campuzano (aka Memo) addressesed a gap in the literature on Systemic Change – The Spirituality of Systemic Change. The full text and presentation will be available in a few days. Although the following can never capture the dynamism of his presentation the following phrase can hint at the flavor.

From the founding experience…to a Vincentian movement … to a Vincentian spirituality…. too a Vincentian school.

A member of the family… An outsider speaking

Vincentian institutional crisis in the USA. a of Vincentian fundamentalism

When does suffering lead to life?
Where is life calling us to go?
Do we have the energy to go  where life is calling us with urgency?

Many  ways of asking are we translating Vincentian charism for today.

…..

He will continue with a second part to his presentation with  ”Moving Vincentian Spirituality to ACTION”

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With all the talk about systemic change in the Vincentian Family who are the people promoting it at the international level.The International Commission fostering Systemic Change recently met in Rome. See this gallery of the members at work.

• A list of articles  on this Commission visit the Vincentian Encyclopedia
• Recent references on the international site of the Congregation of the Mission

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