Fimcap

Updated on Oct 09, 2024

Edit

Comment

Abbreviation FIMCAP Headquarters Antwerpen, Belgium		Type INGO Membership 35 unions
Formation April 22, 1962; 54 years ago (1962-04-22) Purpose International umbrella organization of catholic youth organizations

The Fimcap, which is short for Fédération Internationale des Mouvements Catholiques d’Action Paroissiale (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. Fimcap is also a full member of the European Youth Forum.

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 in the course of the 1960 Eucharistic Congress. In October 1961 eleven youth associations founded Fimcap. 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.

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.

spiritual activities

Common visits of the World Youth Day

FIMCAP day on 20 November

Activities in Europe

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 platform for groups to meet groups from other countries to start exchanges.

Visits of international groups to activities of member organizations (e.g. to the national camps of FDF Denmark (see: FDF National Camp), Chiro Flanders and Katholische Jungschar Austria or the Ranfttreffen of Jungwacht Blauring Switzerland)

Thematic projects

Online campaigns

Cooperation 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.

Youth mobility: Fimcap wants to improve the mobility of young people and anyone who is involved in youth exchange and activities. Fimcap actively advocates for improving the regulations in the EU visa code and directive relevant for youth exchanges and international youth work.

Recognition of (international and religious) youth work

Sustainable funding of (international) youth work

Environment protection, fight against climate change and climate justice: Fimcap emphasizes the responsibility to take care of the creation. Fimcap calls for strong efforts at individual as well as societal level to stop climate change and further negative consequences. Fimcap also wants to raise awareness about the problems that have already been caused by the climate change and calls for solidarity with these that are affected the most by these problems. (see also: Laudato si')

Development and intercontinental cooperation: For Fimcap the cooperation between the different continents on an equal footing is a core principle. On its 25th General Assembly FIMCAP put a focus on "Transforming our World: A child rights-based approach to the sustainable development goals SDG".

Empowerment of women and gender equality: Fimcap emphasizes the importance of women’s empowerment, gender equality and dignity in facilitating social change. It wants to contribute to foster a practical not only formal legal equality of women and men.

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.

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.

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.

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".

Structure

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.

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 presidium of Fimcap Europe consists of four members: the president, the vice-president, the activity coordinator and the spiritual assistant. The president is responsible for the representation of Fimcap Europe in the ICB, the vice-president for the external representation of Fimcap Europe, the activity coordinator for coordinating the activities of Fimcap Europe and helping the member organizations with the preparations and the spiritual assistant consults Fimcap Europe concerning spiritual and theological issues. The current members of the presidium of Fimcap Europe are:

References

Fimcap Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

Contents