International Catholic Movement for Intellectual and Cultural Affairs

PAX ROMANA ICMICA / MIIC,created in 1947 and present in more than 80 countries of all the continents, has its world headquarters in Geneva.

Pax Romana, initially founded in 1921, is made up of 2 complementary organizations or branches:

• ICMICA/MIIC: whose members are the federations of intellectuals and professionals.
• IMCS/MIEC – The International Movement of Catholic Students, whose members are the federations of young students, and which is in close collaboration with IYCS/JECI. Both IMCS/MIEC and IYCS/JECI share headquarters in Paris.

The Plenary Assembly of Pax Romana ICMICA/MIIC meets every 4 years and, in addition to taking the decisions on statutary matters and action plans for the period, appoints the 17 members of the International Council, including President, Vice-Presidents and Secretary General. The last Assembly took place in Warsaw and Krakow in July 2004 and the next one will be held in Africa in 2008.

Pax Romana ICMICA/MIIC has 5 Vice-Presidents, one for each region. The regions have a small-scale framework in voluntary basis for the regional coordination. At present, in Nairobi for Africa, Bangkok for Asia/Pacific, France (Mesvres) for Europe, Lima for Latin America and the Caribbean and Miami for North America.

After the passing of the Uruguayan Patricio Rodé last November 2005, the current President is Jean Nsonjiba Lokenga, a Congolese by nacionality, who professionally works in Kampala (Uganda) for Amnesty International, as Human Rights Defenders Co-ordinator in Africa; the Ecclesiastical Assistant is Fr Antoine Sondag, from France, who works for Secours Catholique – Caritas France, Department Europe; and the Secretary General is Paul Ortega, former director of the UNESCO Centre of the Basque Country.

Pax Romana also operates through specialized secretariats:

• SIQS – International Secretariat for Scientific Questions
• MIJC – International Secretariat of Catholic Jurists
• SIIAEC – International Secretariat for Catholic Engineers, Agronomists and Industry Officials
• SIESC – International Secretariat of Catholic Secondary Schools Teachers
• SIAC – International Secretariat of Christian Artists

Pax Romana is recognized by the Holy See as an International Catholic Organization (ICO) and is part of the Conference of ICO, a platform of 36 international organizations.

In this sense, Pax Romana mantains stable relations with the Secretariat of State in the Vatican and, among others, the Pontifical Councils for the Laity, for Justice and Peace, for Culture and for Interreligious Dialogue, and with the Permanent Observers of the Holy See to the UN and UNESCO in Geneva, New York and Paris.

Pax Romana ICMICA/MIIC mantains a strategic alliance with 9 international Catholic movements and with the Catholic agencies members of CIDSE –International Cooperation for Development and Solidarity, an international network of 15 Catholic development agencies.

At the same time, Pax Romana maintains stable relations of co-operation withCaritas Internationalis.

Pax Romana hasconsultative status with the United Nations since 1949, through the Economic Social Council (ECOSOC), as well as with UNESCO and theCouncil of Europe, and has accredited representatives to those organizations in New York, Geneva, Vienna, Paris and Strasbourg, and the regional principal offices of the UN. Likewise, Pax Romana is very active in many of the meetings and activities of the UN.

Pax Romana is a member of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in consultative relationship with the UN (CONGO). In the 22nd General Assembly of CONGO held in Geneva in December of 2003 Pax Romana was elected Vice-President of CONGO for the period 2004-2006. Pax Romana is also an active member of the Human Rights Committee and the Sustainable Development Committee of CONGO.

From the start, Pax Romana takes part in the World Social Forum and organizes or co-organizes some event in each occasion.

Pax Romana also takes part in:

• Earth Charter Initiative;
• UBUNTU –World Forum of Civil Society Networks and the World Campaign for In-Depth Reform of the System of International Institutions, coordinated by UBUNTU;
• Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) ;
• United Nations Millennium Campaign– No Excuse 2015 – Voices against Poverty.

Pax Romana ICMICA/MIIC´s identities:

• An international Association of Catholic professionals and intellectuals composed of local federations, groups and individuals;
• An open forum for intellectual sharing and dialogue among different cultures, generations and professions,
• A social movement for empowerment, advocacy and solidarity for a peaceful, equitable and sustainable world,
• A global network of ideas, insights and commitment based on a Christian vision and mission,
• An international Catholic organization, recognized by the Holy See, member of the network of the Conference of the International Catholic Organizations
• A non-partisan and non-profit organization of the civil society;
• An International Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), recognized by the United Nations System and the Council of Europe, which is active in the network of the organized international civil society, through, among others, the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations in consultative relationship with the United Nations.

Pax Romana ICMICA/MIIC´s future orientation:

• More cultural-intercultural and intellectual than socieconomic;

• Critical-constructive lay presence in Church & Society

Pax Romana is currently in the middle of its process of Strategic Reflection and some of the Strategic Guidelines are crystallizing :

1. Consolidation of an international network of experts and intellectuals in concrete fields, in order to tackle the most important current challanges;
2. Practical formation of young cadres in lobbying and advocacy in human rights, human and social sustainable development and intercultural and interreligious dialogue;
3. To prioritize Africa in the works of solidarity and advocacy;
4. Practical formation of young cadres in lobbying and advocacy in human rights, human and social sustainable development and intercultural and interreligious dialogue;
5. To prioritize Africa in the works of solidarity and advocacy;
6. Outstanding and active presence in the United Nations System and other important international institutions and campaigns, specializing in some strategic fields, and to deepen alliances with key actors;
7. Expansion of the Pax Romana network: to identify and link up with local groups in key places, particularly in Asia and Africa, although in Central & East Europe and Latin America, too, and to promote open networking with other NGOs;
8. To maximize Pax Romana´s local and international mix and to identify local concerns of global relevance;
9. Systematization of the public visibility and influence in areas of Church and society, through important own projects and actions, and enhancement of the Pax Romana´s identity of lay-intellectual spirituality;
10. To bridge Church & civil society and with other cultures and religions;
11. To direct the financing of Pax Romana;
12. To reinforce the image and communication of Pax Romana and to develop a quality-management programme for all the movement.

Activities At The International Level 2006-2007

Responsabilities of Pax Romana International:

• Internal animation andcoordination of the movement, federations, representatives to international organizations, specialized secretariats, working groups, regional coordinators and members of the Council;
• Internal and external communication (permanent interrelation and dialogue, circulars, website, E-Newsletter and E-Covergence) and networking;
• Representation and institutional relations;
• Management of the organization and projects management;
• Organization of the sessions of the International Council and Plenary Assembly;
• Strategic Reflection process.

Together to all of it, some important activities and projects are organized. During 2006 -2007:

Advocacy, Human Rights, United Nations And Social Teaching Of The Church

• Advocacy: International permanent representation at the UN system and the Council of Europe in NY, Geneva, Vienna, Paris and Strasbourg, participing in the Commission on Human Rights, the new Human Rights Council, Commission on Criminal Justice and Crime Prevention, Commission on Narcotic Drugs, NGOs Conferences, Commission on Sustainable Development, Committees, UNESCO Commission on Dialogue among Cultures for Peace, etc.
• Formation: Long-term Human Rights Internship Programme, in collaboration with National Campaign for Dalit Human Rights (NCDHR) (Geneva, January – September 2006)
• Formation: Human Rights Internship Programme (Geneva, 13 March – 21 April 2006 and June and October 2006)
• Advocacy: Web Monitoring & Documentation on Human Rights at UN (Geneva, 2006)
• Advocacy: Annual Symposium on Jurists and Human Rights “Assessment of the Commission on Human Rights and Challenges for the Human Rights Council: Jurist Catholic Perspective” (Geneva 2006)
• Formation: University Student Internship at UN (New York, May 2006)
• Advocacy: Annual New York Symposium on Catholic Social Teaching and the United Nations (New York, 17 – 20 July 2006)

Development And Global Governance

• Formation: Training Workshop on Poverty Erradication “Making MDGs a reality in African marginalised communities” (Kampala, Uganda, 3–5 February 2006)
• Formation: Workshop for Young People in Latin America, Caribeean Subregion “Young Professionals being commited with Human Development and Poverty” (Santiago de los Caballeros, República Dominicana, 1 – 4 June 2006)
• Research Project on Child Trafficking in West Africa: Case of Benin (Cotonou, Benin, June – July 2006)
• Formation: Workshop for Young People in Latin America, Andean Subregion “Young Professionals being commited with Human Development and Poverty” (Lima, Perú, or Ecuador, October 2006)
• World Social Forum: Forum Discusión on Global Ethics, Global Governance and the Place of Africa (Nairobi, Kenya, January 2007)

Intercultural And Interreligious Dialogue

• Exchange Program between China and East Asia: Human Development and the Role of Laity in China (Seoul and Andong in Korea and Beijing and Shangai in China, October 2006)
• Workshop on Interreligious Dialogue in Asia for Young Theologians and Intellectuals (Yogyakarta, Indonesia, November 2006)TBC
• European Conference “Which Europe?: Turkey as a case study” (Venezia, 10–11 November 2006)
• Formation: 2nd Intercultural/Interreligious Internship Programme (Bilbao, 10-17 December 2006)
• Peace and Interreligious Dialogue: Workshop on “Role and responsability of faith based NGOs - Israel-Palestina” / 60th Anniversary of Pax Romana ICMICA/MIIC (Jerusalem, 6–13 May 2007)
• Formation: Workshop on Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue in Africa (Accra, Ghana, June 2007)TBC
• Formation: 3rd Intercultural/Interreligious Internship Programme (Bilbao, December 2007)