Seoul: 2nd May '04 --  The East Asia-Oceania Cooperators' Congress, which concluded yesterday, has been judged a winner, especially at the level of participation, organisation and planning for the next six years.  In the TV Quiz style competition on Provincial reports, Thailand was also a winner!

 

There have been 4 days of intense work on the main theme, Autonomy in Communion, which is to direct the planning processes until at least 2008. Delegates and participants represented 9 provinces with 115 centres and 1600 Cooperators who have taken their promises.  Their provincial and regional planning intends to continue the process of formation, to foster economic solidarity, to focus on success stories and to exploit the resources of social communication through ANS, the SDB website, and 'austraLasia'.  There have already been good news storeis to tell - as evidenced by DVD and powerpoint presentations of work for poor youngsters in Macau, Hong Kong, the economic solidarity of units in Japan, Korea and elsewhere, the facilitation provided by Fr. Bob Bossini of Australia.

 

The next major Congress will be held in six years time, but meanwhile the group has recommended that the Leadership teams and Salesian Delegates meet every two years.