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As
defined by the Rule of the Society that in part reads … "The
awareness of acute poverty in a great number of countries and the
Vincentian preferential option for the poor spur Councils and
Conferences to assist others with less resources." The activity
between two Conferences, Councils, a fundamental activity of the
Society, is the expression of Vincentian fraternity and solidarity.
In many parts of the world, Councils and Conferences do not have
sufficient resources to alleviate suffering. Twinning is a
'special work' of the Society. It takes place when Councils and
Conferences in more affluent countries reach out to help their
Vincentian Brothers and Sisters in less affluent countries with
their work. The three basic elements of Twinning are prayer,
correspondence and financial/material assistance. Assistance can be
interpreted broadly and may, for example, include technical
experience in a specific field.
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In 1844, the president of a Conference in Paris talks about "the
spirit of communion that must inhabit all members of the Society of
Saint Vincent de Paul. Conferences that have more resources, either
in money, or in members, must call themselves mother-conferences,
and […] dispatch their members to conferences that need them." (Excerpt
from the Minutes of the Particular Council of January
30, 1844) Twinning is therefore an old concept born out of the
spirituality of the Society, based on exchange, solidarity and sharing.
Through all of the Society's history, this mutual assistance was
always encouraged by the various Presidents General.
The current President General, José Ramón Díaz-Torremocha, remarked,
in his Vincenpaul Magazine editorial (n°266 - Spring 2001), "It
is because we believe that we are part of this 'unique' World
Conference that we are able to focus our efforts on the country
which needs it most. Sometimes we will do this by praying, other
times, by sharing our resources."
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The General President says: "Since it's beginning, the Society of
Saint Vincent has always wanted to realise it's potential to spread
throughout the world into many different nations and cultures for
the service of the poorest. Conferences have always tried to assist
one another, (for example, those of Paris did so with those of
Lyon), by sharing with others their new experiences so they may in
turn better serve the poorest and the members. The rapid growth of
the Society soon favoured the transfer of financial resources from
wealthy areas to others where the existing Conferences had
difficulty coping with natural disasters or human catastrophes.
Later, in the 20th century, the Society started to transfer
important resources from the Conferences of wealthy countries to
those with fewer resources. However, at the beginning while the aid
was punctual, it was limited to any single catastrophe that may have
occurred. On later occasions, aid was no longer limited to single
disasters and developed into a constant and smooth relationship
between the two Conferences or Councils: the donor and the
beneficiary."
Soon an
International Twinning Manual will be available at the Council
General.
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Issoudun (Francia), July 1st 2004
To Presidents of All Superior/Assimilated Councils
Dear Brothers and Sisters
INTERNATIONAL TWINNING
MANUAL
It is with great pleasure that we present for your use, the first
International Twinning Manual.
Our sincere thanks to all
those who responded to our call for submissions that helped make this
a truly international document based on the experience and vision of
many countries.
This Manual applies to all
countries and is effective immediately, having been approved by
International Executive Committee and the Permanent Section of Council
General in Issoudun, France on 1 July 2004. It supersedes all other
twinning documents issued by Council General.
This Manual will guide all
countries so that this very important work of the Society may be
strengthened for the benefit of as many of Christ’s poor as possible.
The International Twinning
Manual is a “living document” that will be updated regularly as needs
and experiences demand.
May God continue to bless
you as we work together in a spirit of solidarity around the world to
reach those who need our help.
Your Vincentian servants
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Michel
Thio
Deputy General Vice President
International Structure and
General Affairs
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Kevin
Tansley
International Twinning Coordinator |
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CC Permanent Section & IEC Members
INTERNATIONAL TWINNING MANUAL  |
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