Report by General Secretary Hubert Tintelott for the International Board of Directors Meeting 2010 Fortunately, the five-year-programme which was ratified at the XXXI International Convention in Alsópáhok in 2007 with its respective focal points got a favourable feedback within the Kolping Society also for this year s reporting period. In 2009, the subject of UNEMPLOYMENT AND UNDEREMPLOYMENT took centre stage. There is no doubt that it is a core issue in the relationship between the individual and the world of work. To this end Pope John Paul II writes in his Encyclical Laborem Exercens: Work is a good thing for man-a good thing for his humanity-because through work man not only transforms nature, adapting it to his own needs, but he also achieves fulfilment as a human being and indeed, in a sense, becomes "more a human being" (9). In 2008, we intensely dealt with the subject of the Christian understanding of work and made it clear that, in a Christian sense, work is more than just gainful employment, and yet the loss of gainful employment, which is closely linked to unemployment, is again of a special importance for the individual. The German bishops wrote in a declaration on unemployment that hence unemployment in the sense of a lack of gainful employment is so dangerous, because it paralyzes the hope for the individual's future. This is not the sole finding of the German bishops or the Catholic Social Doctrine, but also of Social Science. In the 1930s of the last century, which was a period of great unemployment in Europe, a social scientific study was conducted in Austria, which was later published under the title The Unemployed of Marienthal. The study found that unemployment not only led to an impoverishment of the people and their affected families, but that, in spite of an increase of spare time for each of the unemployed, societal participation in clubs and associations dramatically decreased and strongly weakened the structure of civil society of the municipality. The loss of gainful employment leads to a loss of opportunities for development for the affected individuals and has serious consequences for the individual himself and his social life. In light of these facts, all possible efforts have to be taken to enable a person to find gainful employment again. On behalf of KOLPING INTERNATIONAL we have tried to collect information on initiatives that are being taken in the global Kolping Society to support jobless people and to enable them to find gainful employment again. In the 01/2009 edition of DIALOGUE, we presented 26 model initiatives by Kolping Families, Diocesan and National Kolping Societies and by Kolping-Educational Facilities as an incentive for other levels of the Kolping Society to become active in this field, too. The array of examples ranges from training for young job applicants of how to apply for a job, to job placement centres of the Kolping Society, vocational training measures, up to microcredit programmes and seminars for the promotion of the entrepreneurial spirit. The collected examples by the Kolping Society are very impressive with regard to its initiatives to overcome unemployment, even if it is the unemployment of special target groups, such as youths, migrants, senior workers or disabled persons. Yet how gratifying this stock taking was and still is, it has also become evident that by far not all of the National Kolping Societies are actively addressing this challenge. At the same time, we must be aware of the fact that this task did not come to an end in 2009, for unfortunately the problem of unemployment means a constant challenge for
society. Core issues are not meant to address a recognized problem once and then put it aside again. In fact core issues for the year have the function of searchlights and shed light on a traditional field of work of the Kolping Society for a determined period of time and convey to many members within the Association that this is one task for the Kolping Society, that in this field, the Association is able to look back on historical experiences, focus on current initiatives and rely on clear ethical foundations for its activities when the issue is to continue these activities and to develop new concepts for solutions. Even if the headlights go out again after one has focussed on it for a year, the work in the respective settings must continue and, in light of its findings, must determine the future work of the Kolping Society. This applies to the subject CHRISTIAN UNDERSTANDING OF WORK, which was the core issue in 2008, as well as the subject of UNEMPLOYMENT, which was the core issue in 2009. CARITAS IN VERITATE In our Basic Documents we stress time and again that the Catholic Social Doctrine is part of the basis of our work as Kolping Society and thus it is also important for us to pick up current statements from the Catholic Social Doctrine, as contained, for example, in the Aparecida Document of the Latin American Bishop s Conference or in the Final Document of the Africa Synod. The publication of the Encyclical CARITAS IN VERITATE by Pope Benedict XVI on July 7, 2009 was of special importance to us as well as the Holy Father's speech to the FAO. An Integral Understanding of Development In his Encyclical CARITAS IN VERITATE Pope Benedict XVI picks up the statements of the Encyclical POPULORUM PROGRESSIO from 1967 which had been of special importance to the Kolping Society. The Encyclical POPULORUM PROGRESSIO had once been the decisive impulse for development cooperation of the International Kolping Society and for the international nature of this commitment. Ultimately, the Encyclical POPULORUM PROGRESSIO was one of the reasons why development cooperation was considered to be a new core area of the International Kolping Society, and the decisive impetus for the dynamic development of the International Kolping Society in the last 40 years. Pope Benedict XVI once again addresses the understanding of development in his Encyclical, as described already in the Encyclical POPULORUM PROGRESSIO. For the Catholic Social Doctrine, development is not solely the improvement of the material situation of people and peoples, but Pope Paul VI acted on the assumption of an understanding of development which comprises the entire human being. At issue is not solely the liberation of the human being from material poverty and misery, at issue is also opening up opportunities for the individual's participation in co-shaping society; it is about the promotion of human dignity by enabling the individual to rely on himself and it is about the spiritual and intellectual development of the human being, which offers meaning and orientation to him. The Kolping Society may take pride in having made this integral understanding of development the basis for its actions in development cooperation. However, the statements by Pope Benedict XVI should make us think once again how we can implement this holistic understanding of development in our specific development cooperation time and again. 2 / 7
Establishment of Society Along with these very fundamental statements on the understanding of development in the Catholic Social Doctrine, the Encyclical also contains some very specific incentives for our engagement, not only in development cooperation, but also for our coresponsibility for shaping society. In his Encyclical, Pope Benedict XVI stresses that the role of the state has changed in the process of globalization over the past few years. The opportunities of the individual national state to establish framework conditions for economic and societal actions are being continuously hampered not only by international Institutions but also by multi-national companies. In many countries, this results in a feeling of helplessness among the people, combined with declining support for democratic structures and systems. In this context, the Pope points to the growing importance of civil society and the organizations acting in it. This also applies to the Kolping Society, for we understand ourselves as part of this civil society and carry out societal tasks for which we are responsible on our own. At the same time, we take great effort to motivate and enable our members to assume responsibility at the democratically structured levels of society, ranging from local to national parliaments. It was the goal of a conference organized by the Kolping Society of Europe in Bratislava from October 2 4, 2009 to point to the individual's responsibility for society and state. The conference was held under the motto Freedom Carries an Obligation Shaping the Future in a Responsible Way. Two-hundred delegates from 18 countries dealt with the question of which tasks based on its programmatic principles the Kolping Society is able to address and must take on in individual areas of life such as the world of work, marriage and family, society and politics but also with regard to international solidarity. In this process it became clear that the degree of freedom within a society not only expand the individual's freedom but that this freedom of the individual also means a responsibility for co-shaping society. The Bratislava Declaration, which was ratified at the end of the Congress, ends with the following statement: In the future, the Kolping Society of Europe will also try - to activate its members and enable them to take responsible, democratic actions, - to strengthen the family as a fundamental element of society, - to implement the basic principles of decent work, - to spark the responsibility of the individual for global, social justice and for an efficient policy against climate change. I think the statements made by the Kolping Society of Europe can also be considered tasks which the Kolping Societies on all other continents feel committed to without exception. An award that the European Parliament Kolping awarded to the European Kolping Youth shows that the dedication by the Kolping Society for civil society is indeed being appreciated. For several years, the European Kolping Youth has offered political workshops on European policy, which give young people from Europe the chance to accompany Members of the European Parliament in their work and in doing so they can also learn more about the structures and the functioning of the European Parliament to gain an insight into the specific work of democratically elected MPs. This is also meant to encourage the young people to commit themselves politically. The European Parliament has recognized this commitment of the European Kolping Youth by awarding them the European Civic Price. 3 / 7
A Demand for Rural Development Another point in the Encyclical, which serves as an encouragement and also gives some incentives for our work, is the Holy Father's statement on rural development and on food security. With emphatic words the Pope deplores the growing number of people throughout the world, who go hungry. He states quite specifically: The problem of food insecurity needs to be addressed within a long-term perspective, eliminating the structural causes that give rise to it and promoting the agricultural development of poorer countries. This can be done by investing in rural infrastructures, irrigation systems, transport, organization of markets, and in the development and dissemination of agricultural technology that can make the best use of the human, natural and socio-economic resources that are more readily available at the local level, while guaranteeing their sustainability over the long term as well." (27) Pope Benedict XVI enforced those statements from his Encyclical again in his speech to the FAO and stressed: Hunger is the most cruel and concrete sign of poverty. The Catholic Church will always support efforts to defeat hunger. As far as food security and the struggle for rural development are concerned, the Kolping Society can refer to manifold initiatives and also show some good results. Because of the commitment of the Kolping Society of Africa, the situation of thousands of people in rural areas has improved in a sustainable way, be it because of the introduction of organic farming, be it because of dairy cattle projects, be it through microcredit programmes and current initiatives. The consequences of climate change are also a new challenge in rural areas. In more and more countries people are confronted with periods of drought, flooding and typhoons, with partly disastrous consequences for the affected people. With regard to rural development, the Kolping Society increasingly has to show greater consideration for the impact of climate change and help the affected people overcome these problems by offering reforestation programmes, by introducing drought-resistant plants, by rain harvesting and similar measures. The newly presented Ecological Guidelines also offer some suggestions. Importance of Workers Organizations Yet another important impulse for the work of the Kolping Society resulting from Pope Benedict XVI first social encyclical is the Holy Father's remarks on the WORLD OF WORK. The Holy Father not only deals critically with the background for the development of the economic and financial crisis, but makes it clear that the capital side of the economy has become such a decisive power, because the globalized economy did not to the same extent succeed in representing workers rights as it did with capital interests. Again and again Pope Benedict XVI calls for the establishment of more workers associations and said that those already existing should create a stronger network not only at the local, but also on thee national and the international level. When looking at the history of the Kolping Society, the association has time and again understood itself to be the representative of the interests of the people of the world of work and has developed quite specific initiatives in this field. The Kolping Society has tried to call for political decisions in favour of the working population. It has stood up for their social protection, and fought for workers to have a say at the factory level etc. 4 / 7
In many of our National Kolping Societies today, there are also examples of how the Kolping Society stands up for workers interests, or, to put it differently, for the interests of the working people to defend their rights against the interests of the capital. In this respect, the International Kolping Society also put an emphasis on some new aspects last year. Thus we used our Participatory Status with the ILO as an opportunity to present our position on DECENT WORK at a working conference of the International Labour Organization in 2009. In cooperation with the German NGO Justitia and Pax [Commission for Justice and Peace] we carried out seminars in Chile and Uruguay on core ILO labour standards aimed at giving suggestions on how people working in the informal sector can organize themselves to represent their interests in a better way according to the motto: organize yourself but do not resign. In February 2010, we have made the subject of DECENT WORK a subject at the conference of Catholic Organizations having consultative status at a UN organization, thus giving other Catholic Organizations an impetus to become increasingly active in this field, too. The International Kolping Society will also expand its contacts with the ILO this year and primarily campaign for working out a draft and later the ratification of a convention on the protection of domestic workers, whose social and human conditions are depressing in many ways. Our national Kolping Societies are also called upon to support the ratification process. The Pope s call for a strengthening of workers' and the people s interests in the world of work is a challenge not only for the International Kolping Society but this also applies to all levels of the Kolping Society. All the National Kolping Societies should ask themselves what they do and what they are able to do in this area. Is cooperation with other workers organizations possible? Are there contacts of the Kolping Society with other Catholic organizations in this area? Are there contacts with the corresponding bodies of the Church and with trade unions? The social dialogue, the constant dialogue between the actors involved in this this field of the world of work should be or become self-evident for the Kolping Society, for, as Pope Benedict XVI demands, new forms of cooperation at the local, national and international level have to be explored to improve the representation of the interests of the working people towards capital. An example of such an initiative is the commitment of the Kolping Society of Europe to protect the Sunday. The aim of this initiative, which was initiated by the Member of the European Parliament, Thomas Mann, who is also a member of the Kolping Society, is the effort to adopt a bill that people should not work on Sundays. I do not intend to talk in detail about the many reasons why a workfree Sunday makes sense not only from the viewpoint of the individual or from the viewpoint of the families, but also from the society s point of view and how this call can be justified also from a Christian point of view. With this example I only want to emphasize how the Kolping Society has actively joined an initiative to protect the working people. Representatives from politics, the European Bishop s Conference, the unions, Catholic organizations and other groups of civil society are also members of this initiative. Being part of networks that represent workers interests is a challenge, which the Kolping Society increasingly has to face. This year, we will focus our attention especially on the situation of the working people in the informal economy. General Development of the Kolping Society The tasks we are faced with in the world of work and all the other tasks that we have - based on our platform - can only be mastered successfully if the Kolping Society demonstrates that it works efficiently. When taking a look at the development of our mem- 5 / 7
bership numbers, unfortunately we have to acknowledge that in many national Kolping Societies we can notice an aging of our members. This not only applies to the traditional National Kolping Societies in Europe, but also to Latin America and other continents. We must realize that, on the one hand, those members who joined us, often remain loyal to the Association and to the Kolping Society s goals, but, on the other hand, we are not successful in winning new, younger members. The reasons for such a development are, on the one hand, general developments in society, which strengthen to a considerable extent individualization, but, at the same time, weaken his social responsibility and his integration into society. There are also reasons which are based on the families themselves. Some Kolping Families are just like closed-down clubs, with a high degree of solidarity and close relationships within the group that show a certain aversion towards new members, new subjects, and new forms of programs. In addition, in some of the countries, especially in some of the National Kolping Societies of Central and Eastern Europe, there have been developments where entire Kolping Families disintegrate, because material expectations, which were placed in a membership in Kolping, were not met, after projects and measures were no longer subsidized to the same extent as at the beginning. Here we have to ask ourselves whether we had made it clear enough at the beginning of the work with the new Kolping Families what the Kolpingrelated self-understanding is. When people join Kolping for material reasons, then this is not a problem; however, if, after some years of being a member, they still link only personal material interests to their membership, then our educational work has failed. This is then also a problem for the leadership in the National Kolping Societies. When visiting some of the National Kolping Societies and when taking part in some of the National Kolping Society s board meetings, I got the impression that the elected leaders in our democratically structured Associations are not very willing to assume co-responsibility for the development of the Kolping Society. They expect all the initiatives to come from the full-time employees and do not recognize their own co-responsibility for the Association. But it is the people on the board of the National Kolping Societies who are responsible for the future orientation of the Society and for cultivating contacts with other levels of the Kolping Society. On the Path to Sanctity The activities of the leadership can and must always be based on the person of and the statements made by Adolph Kolping. That is why it is a constant task for all levels of the Kolping Society to communicate Adolph Kolping's work, his life and achievements. Fortunately, we can say that much happened in this respect in the past reporting period. Many Kolping Families and Diocesan Kolping Societies in Europe, which were partly able to celebrate their 150 th anniversary, used the anniversary celebrations to make the members and a broader public aware of Adolph Kolping's work and life. At some locations, Kolping Paths of Contemplation have been created - such as in Switzerland, in Austria and in Germany - where people are exposed to core statements by Adolph Kolping at the individual stations. New Kolping memorials have been erected, church windows depicting Adolph Kolping or streets named after him. These are all signs and examples of how much the person of Adolph Kolping still matters to our members and to what extent they are still willing to manifest this towards a broader public. I am grateful for all of these initiatives, because they are an expression of how much the people venerate Adolph Kolping and to what extent it would be justified to make Adolph Kolping a saint of the Catholic Church. 6 / 7
The veneration for Adolph Kolping finds its expression even more strongly in pilgrimages than in all of these commemorative stations and Paths of Contemplation. The pilgrimages to Adolph Kolping s grave, such as for example the large youth pilgrimage by the Kolping Society of Germany, the pilgrimages to the churches with a Kolping relic, such as, for example, the one in Villarrica or on Sumba in Indonesia, but also the numerous other pilgrimages within the Kolping Society, which, in my opinion, again enjoy growing popularity and which to a certain extent also emphasize the Catholicity of the Kolping Society again. To safeguard the Catholic profile of the Kolping Society is also a duty which we constantly face again and again. But we must admit that a religious profile is not always attractive during a time of increased secularization throughout the world. We have to acknowledge that, on a global scale, the Catholic Church with its statements on social problems is often diametrically opposed to the spirit of the time. We have to acknowledge that sects and other religions are challenging the Church in many areas. We have to acknowledge that power struggles and distrust within the Church have damaged the image of the Church. We have to acknowledge that there is a considerable reform gridlock within the Church with regard to some problems, and yet or especially for this reason it is important for us as Kolping Society to maintain and strengthen our Catholic profile, that we assume and live up to our responsibility as a deliberate Catholic social organization and that we do this out of the framework of the Church and as a vivid part of the Church. The statement made by Adolph Kolping in 1863 is valid for the Kolping Society: Because the Association is Catholic, it has become what it is, can become what it is meant to be. If it remains this way then its future is secure As soon as the Association weakens in its being Catholic - it will wither away, and when it is no longer Catholic - it is already dead. (Sybille Ganguin) What this statement by the founder of our organization means for us, how we will be able to fill it with life and which requirements the work the International Board of Directors has to meet, all this should be the subject of further discussions and the future work of KOLPING INTERNATIONAL. Hubert Tintelott General Secretary International Board of Directors Meeting Bukoba, Tanzania May 2010 7 / 7