Learning the language of the people who welcome us
How to reach someone if I do not speak their language? How to get close to them if I do not understand? How to love a people and their culture if I do not understand their language?
Learn to communicate well
Here is a small very useful methodology for respectful communication:
Take responsibility for what you say and feel without blaming others.
Choose empathic listening
Be sensitive to the different communication styles
Take time to reflect on what you feel and what you hear before intervening
Examine your prejudices and perceptions
Guard confidentiality
Take advantage of ambiguities because we are not there to find out who is wrong and who is right
They do not let themselves be discouraged by these daily sufferings
As I was discovering how Mary personifies hope, I felt the strong link between Mary and the Congolese mamas. I understood why these mamas personify hope for me.
To carve is to think with the heart and speak with the hands
To carve is to think with the heart and speak with the hands. I admit that it is an exercise resulting in a lot of sweat …
Break down all unjust structures
We join with other women in their aspirations and their struggle to be recognised in their dignity. Today women are called to unite in an effort to bring about the integral liberation of the human person and break down all unjust structures. Let us participate actively in all these efforts to make our world more human. This is also true for the Church. May it give women their rightful place; may it welcome and encourage women’s initiatives. Bishops of Uganda – 1997: “The absence of an adequate education was and still is a big obstacle to the full liberation of women. A community or a Church which ignores the educational promotion of their women will neither grow nor have a positive influence on the population, as it should have.” Mgr Mpundu – 2nd Synod for Africa – 2009: “Denial of equality to women is an affront to…
Friendship is the soul of dialogue
Friendship is the soul of dialogue. True friendship demands equality among people. It is not compatible with feelings of superiority or attitudes of condescension. Cardinal Leon- Etienne Duval of Algiers (1904-1996) True to its origins, the Congregation pays special attention to the believers of Islam. God, who is at the heart of every person, leads them in ways known only to him. We respect their way of faith different from ours, in the hope that we are all on the way to the Kingdom. In the various countries of the world where we live, we seek to promote an attitude of openness between Christians and Muslims through our activities and our friendship.