Fimcap

Fédération Internationale des Mouvements Catholiques d’Action Paroissale

Abbreviation	FIMCAP
Formation	April 22, 1962
Type	INGO
Purpose	International umbrella organization of catholic youth organizations
Headquarters	Antwerpen,  Belgium
Membership	35 unions
Presidents	Annette Wahle Liese Vandenheede
Praeses	continental chaplains
Secretary-General	Evy Hoeben
Website	www.fimcap.org

The Fimcap, which is short for Fédération Internationale des Mouvements Catholiques d’Action Paroissale (French for "International Federation of Catholic Parochial Youth Movements"), is an umbrella organization for catholic youth organizations. It has got 36 member organizations who are based in 33 countries. The Fimcap was founded in 1962 and is recognised as an official catholic organization by the Pontifical Council for the Laity.^[1] Fimcap is also a full member of the European Youth Forum.^[2]

History

Already in 1959, French, Belgian and Dutch youth organizations had been working on the project of an international pooling. In 1960, the first delegate conference was held in Munich and in October 1961 the Fimcap was founded. The foundation was proclaimed in public on Easter 1962.

Since its recognition through the Holy See in 1976, the Fimcap is an "International Catholic Organization" (ICO) and registered at the Council of Laity in Rome.

Since 2006 the Fimcap is being recognised as International nongovernmental organization by the Belgian government.^[3]

Activities

• Every three years, Fimcap organizes the World Camp which is an international youth camp. (see: Fimcap World Camp)
• Fimcap has an own magazine called LINK Magazine. It is published four times a year.^[4]
• spiritual activities
• Common visits of the World Youth Day
• FIMCAP day on 20 November

Activities in Europe^[5]

• EuroCourse: The Eurocourse is a European training course for experienced leaders which is hosted every year by another European member organisation.
• EuroCamp: The EuroCamp is an exchange activity for young leaders. (see: Fimcap Eurocamp)
• Roundabouts: Roundabouts are exchanges between local groups from different member organisations of FIMCAP Europe.
• Speeddating seminars: The speeddating seminars are a plattform for groups to meet groups from other countries to start exchanges.
• Activities of member organizations
• Thematic projects
• Online campaigns
• Cooperations with the European Fellowship

Thematic work and positions

Fimcap is an international association of youth organizations for children, adolescents and young adults in all over the world. As young people, youth organizations and youth work are confronted with different challenges, Fimcap and its members work together politically to identify and advocate the interests of children, adolescents and young adults within church, society and politics; to guarantee and improve the quality youth work of our member organizations and FIMCAP and to participate in shaping the future world and society, preserve our planet for future generations and guarantee good conditions for future generations. FIMCAP sees sustainable and responsible planning and acting, fair social and economic chances, quality education, peace, charity and solidarity as elementary requirements to achieve this. This involvement is motivated by the Christian beliefs of FIMCAP and its members and the shared FIMCAP values.^[6]

• Youth mobility: Fimcap wants to improve the mobility of young people and anyone who is involved in youth exchange and activities.^[7] Fimcap actively advocates for improving the regulations in the EU visa code and directive relevant for youth exchanges and international youth work.^[8]
• Recognition of (international and religious) youth work
• Sustainable funding of (international) youth work
• Environment protection and fight against climate change^[9]
• Development and intercontinental cooperation^[10]
• Empowerment of women and gender equality^[11]
• Children's Rights: Fimcap advocates the participation and inclusion of all children in Church and society and wants to empower the child to know its rights, as defined by the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC). Fimcap wants to create free and safe places for children to play, explore, discover and thereby strengthen their values, and to find answers to their needs, fight against physical and psychological violence against children and abolish child labour worldwide.^[12]
• Peace and interreligious dialogue: Fimcap cooperates with Religions for Peace. Together with other European faith based youth organisations Fimcap helped to define the needs and benefits in the field of inter-religious dialogue.^[13]

Fimcap Europe

• Diversity, peace and respect: In early 2015 Fimcap Europe adopted a common statement for diversity, peace and respect. The statement is also a reaction to recent incidents in Europe and other parts in the world like the strengthening of extremist and far right-wing movements, attacks against refugees and against people with a particular religion or origin and violence of self-appointed “religious” fighters.^[14]
• Young refugees: In October 2015 Fimcap Europe adopted a common statement about "Helping together the children and young people who were forced to flee from war, persecution and hunger".^[15]

Structure ^[16]

The highest gremium of the Fimcap is its General Assembly which comes together every three years. Every member organization sends a delegation to the General Assembly.

The administration and management of the Fimcap is being handled by the intercontinental presidium which consists of two presidents, a Praeses and a Secretary-General. The presidents should be one man and one woman, but if there are no candidats of one gender the jobs might also be given to two women or two men.

The intercontinental bureau (ICB) is composed of the Presidium and representatives of the Continental Conferences. It acts as the Fimcap’s Board of Directors.

Beneath these globally working establishments, the Fimcap is also structured into continental conferences, bureaus and presidiums.

Continental branches and member organizations

Organizations whose name is written in a bold form are founding members.

Fimcap Europe

Presidium of Fimcap Europe

The presidium of Fimcap Europe is elected by the delegates of the European member organizations of Fimap the EuroConference. The EuroConference takes place every three years. The current members of the presidium of Fimcap Europe are:^[17]

Position	Name	Member organization / Country
President
Vice-President	Bernd Hirschberger	KjG  Germany
Activity Coordinator	Veronika Švitková	eRko  Slovakia
Spiritual Assistant	Fr Reuben Gauci	ŻAK  Malta

Member organizations in Europe

Country	Name	Acronym	Status
Romania	Asociația Grupurilor Locale de Tineret	AGLT	Associate
Lithuania	Ateitis		Full
Belgium	Chirojeugd Vlaanderen		Full
Catalonia	Coordinació Catalana	CCCCCE	Full
Slovakia	eRko – Hnutie kresťanských spoločenstiev detí	eRko	Full
Italy	Forum Oratori Italiani	FOI	Full
Denmark /  Schleswig-Holstein	Frivilligt Drenge- og Pige-Forbund	FDF	Associate
the Netherlands	Jong Nederland		Full
Switzerland	Jungwacht Blauring	JuBla	Full
Germany	Katholische junge Gemeinde	KjG	Full
Austria /  South Tyrol	Katholische Jungschar		Full
Hungary	Katolikus Ifjúsági Mozgalom	KIM	Observer
Malta	Żgħażagħ Azzjoni Kattolika	ŻAK	Full

Member organizations in Africa

Country	Name	Acronym	Status
Burundi	Chiro Burundi		Full
Ghana	Catholic Youth Organisation Ghana	CYO Ghana	Full
Nigeria	Catholic Youth Organisation Nigeria	CYO Nigeria	Full
Sierra Leone	Catholic Youth Organisation Sierra Leone	CYO Sierra Leone	Full
DRC	Kiro Kongo		Full
Namibia	Namibian Catholic Youth League	NaCaYul	Full
Burundi	Xaveri Burundi		Full
DRC	Xaveri Kongo		Full
Rwanda	Xaveri Rwanda		Full
South Africa /  Lesotho /  Botswana	Xaveri South Africa		Full
Uganda	Xaveri Uganda		Full

Member organizations in Asia

Country	Name	Acronym	Status
Philippines	Chiro Youth Movement Philippines		Full
India	Indian Catholic Youth Movement	ICYM	Full
Sri Lanka	Kithu Dana Pubuduwa		Full

Member organizations in Latin America

Country	Name	Acronym	Status
Chile	Juventud Parroquial Chilene	JUPACH	Full
Haiti	Kiwo D'Haiti		Full
Paraguay	Niños Perseverantes Paraguayos Católico	NIPPAC	Full

Former members

Country	Name	Acronym	Status
Belgium	Fédération Nationale des Patros
France	Société de Saint-Vincent de Paul
the Netherlands	Katholieke Jongenclubs
Switzerland	Schweizer Katholische Jungmannschaftsverband
Canada /  Quebec	La Centrale del Patros Quebec
France	Facel Paris

General Assemblies^[18]

Number	Year	Country	City	Topic	Other information
0 - Founding Meeting	1961 (7 – 8 October)	Germany	Munich	Founding Meeting
1st General Assembly	1963	the Netherlands	Leiden	The bases on which to build parochial organizations for the 17+ age group
2nd General Assembly	1964	Germany	Berlin	The situation of young people between 14 and 17 years old
3rd General Assembly	1965	Switzerland	Luzern	Youth work in the Third World	Two female organizations (Chiromeisjes Vlaanderen and Kiro Congo filles) ask to be member of FIMCAP and are granted membership as the first female member organizations.
4th General Assembly	1966	Belgium	Brussels	Youthwork in postconciliarian times
5th General Assembly	1967	Austria	Vienna	The place and formation of small groups – looking towards the Church of tomorrow
6th General Assembly	1969	Germany	Altenberg	International solidarity
7th General Assembly	1970	UK	London	Our common base, the present and the future in Fimcap
8th General Assembly	1971	Switzerland	Bad Schönbrunn	Common aim and structures
9th General Assembly	1973	France	Marseille	Our work with the youth of today for tomorrow
10th General Assembly	1975	Italy	Rome	The organisation of Fimcap
11th General Assembly	1977	Austria	Vienna	Situation of children and youngsters – children’s rights
12th General Assembly	1979	Switzerland	Luzern	The parish
13th General Assembly	1981	UK	West Wickham	Relations between the European federations and those of the developing countries
14th General Assembly	1983	France	Aix en Provence	International Year of Youth – participation, peace and development
15th General Assembly	1986	Belgium	Westmalle
16th General Assembly	1989	Belgium	Ryckevelde, Brugge	Living in an intercultural world
17th General Assembly	1992	Belgium	Brugge	Foreigners
18th General Assembly	1995	Switzerland	Randa
19th General Assembly	1998	South Africa	Botha’s hill	Youth and sexuality
20th General Assembly	2001	Ghana	Accra	Young people, protagonists of peace	Ateitis becomes a full member of Fimcap.
21st General Assembly	2004	Catalonia	Barcelona	Young people in a globalizing world
22nd General Assembly	2007	Italy	Assisi	Millennium Development Goals
23rd General Assembly	2010	Germany	Munich	Climate change	CYO Nigeria was admitted as Full member.
24th General Assembly	2013	Slovakia	Modra	Children's Rights	AGLT was admitted as Associate member. It is the first non-Christian organization becoming a member of Fimcap. The General Assembly has adopted a Declaration on "enhancing mobility of young people".
25th General Assembly	2016	Switzerland

References

1. Pontifical Council for the Laity. "INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS OF THE FAITHFUL". Retrieved 2011-10-10.
2. Homepage of the European Youth Forum: Members
3. History at fimcap.org
4. Archive of the LINK magazine
5. Updates about activities from FIMCAP Europe on the Facebook page of FIMCAP Europe
6. Framework charter on the policy work of FIMCAP Europe, Canonical Statutes of FIMCAP
7. Declaration on enhancing mobility of young people (available in English, Spanish, French and German)
8. Fimcap Europe: board members of Fimcap meeting Sylvie Guillaume, vice president of the European Parliament
9. Mission Statement on Climate Change
10. Mission Statement on the Millennium Development Goals
11. Mission Statement on the Millennium Development Goals
12. Mission Statement on Children's Rights
13. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTECAREGTOPYOUTH/Resources/YouthNGOs1.pdf: page 25
14. "Now more than ever: together for diversity, peace and respect." Official statement of FIMCAP Europe, adopted at the BM Fimcap Europe on 1.2. 2015 in Munich
15. "Helping together the children and young people who were forced to flee from war, persecution and hunger" - Statement of Fimcap Europe (Vel'ky Biel, 18.10.2015)
16. Canonical Statutes of FIMCAP
17. LINK Magazine 2015/1
18. LINK Magazine 2012/3

External links

• Homepage of FIMCAP