Activities summary. Team of Convergence of Cultures Check Republic

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Convergence of Cultures

The Convergence of Cultures is one of the organisms of the Humanist Movement. It was established in May 4th, 1969 with a public exposition of its founder, Silo, known as “The Healing of Suffering”, in a mountainous spot in the Andes, named Punta de Vacas, next to the border between Argentina and Chile.

The Humanist Movement is based on the current of thought known as New Humanism or Universalist Humanism, developed in Silo’s works and in the work of the various authors who inspired in it.

This thought also implies a feeling and a way of living, it influences numerous fields of human activity, giving rise to diverse organisms and actions fronts. All of them act in specific fields of activity with a common goal: Humanizing the earth, thus contributing to increase human freedom and happiness.

Other organisms of the Humanist Movement are the Humanist Party, The Community for Human Development, World Without Wars and without Violence, and The World Center of Humanist Studies.

Areas of dialogue Ambitos de diálogo

What is crucial is the encounter and dialogue between human beings of different cultures who can look at each other and say: "I exist because you exist."

Nevertheless the intention to appropriate the whole by a minority and the intolerant proposals of some leaders that take advantage of the lack of future of individuals and peoples, continues to justify and feed the clash between cultures, discrimination and violence..

Today it is necessary to generate settings, ambits, to preserve the ideas, beliefs and humanist attitudes of each culture which, beyond all differences, can be found in the heart of the every community and individual.

The Mundializaction

In today's society, coexistence among different cultures is a daily event. But what is extraordinary of the current historical time is that it is a period of globalization where all cultures are approaching and influencing one another, as it had never happened before.
mundializacion
We are not speaking only about the fact that today people all over the world can be in contact with each other thanks to the advancements of communication technology. But rather, apart from the historical accumulation of phenomena such as colonialism and imperialism, the enormous inequality in the living conditions and of survival in different areas of the world, and the resulting massive migration, multi-culturality exists in the interior of territories that are still considered as "national states."

Mundialization and Globalization globalizacion

It is important to distinguish between this process of growing mundialization, and globalization.

The often mentioned globalization is just the traditional behavior that imperial centers have adopted. As it has repeatedly happened in history, these empires install, develop and make other communities revolve around them, trying to impose their language, customs, clothing, food and all their codes.

These imperialist structures finally end up generating violence and chaos, as a result of his naive outrage and cultural confrontation.

Our Proposals

Encourage the relationship among different cultures.

Denounce and struggle against all forms of manifest or disguised discrimination.

Spread its ideas and activities

propuestas

Convergence of Cultures is a global organization. In this respect its members, regardless of where they operate, they feel part of the same humanizing global action that is expressed in a diverse but convergent way.

Participation is open to everyone, without discrimination. Anyone who agrees with the basic objectives of the Convergence of Cultures can join the organization, joining as an active member or adherent. It is a human-based organization where each person takes responsibility for that which drives and build.

Relationships and personal and group behaviors are based on the Golden Rule: "Treat others as you want to be treated".

The humanistic attitude

When referring to a humanistic attitude, we refer to the following six points:

The location of the human being as central value and concern.
The affirmation of the equality of all human beings.
The recognition of personal and cultural diversity.
The trend towards knowledge beyond what is accepted or imposed as absolute truth.
The affirmation of the freedom of ideas and beliefs.
The repudiation of violence.

It is possible rescue in history, in thought and spirituality of each culture these elements. They crave more than a nostalgic return to a golden past, are inspired future aspirations and best represent the possible convergence between different cultures

Activities

The Base Teams meet regularly for exchange, ideological clarification, and organization of diverse activities.

Basically, Base Teams are in ongoing contact with communities of different cultures, associations and individuals, with the aim of spreading and organizing the joint activities of the organism.

Tenerife

The most important activities include the following:

Organization of conferences, exhibitions, forums, cultural and artistic meetings with the participation of members of different cultures. Involvement of members in activities organized by other entities, concerning issues related to the organism's (e.g. lectures, conferences, exhibitions).

Participation in international, regional, national and local campaigns launched by the Convergence of Cultures.

Organization and participation in denouncing demonstrations against discrimination. Specific denouncing Campaigns to spread the conflicts and arbitrariness that communities of different cultures may undergo.

Sending and distribution of informational material to cultures in different countries, with the aim of diffusing and assembling individuals and organizations around the study and activities of the Convergence of Cultures

Information on different cultures in schools with the participation of members of various cultural communities.

Publications production, focused on the ideas and activities of the Convergence of Cultures. Production of TV programs, radio, videos, Web sites, papers, bulletins, etc.

Organization of seminars, lectures, presentations on topics which the Convergence of Cultures consider important for its members and for the public in general.

Make available to its members, materials for personal work based on the Manual of Personal Development for the members of the Humanist Movement.

Organization

Convergence of Cultures is a world organization; in that sense, its members, regardless of the place where they act, feel that they take part of a common humanizing world activity expressed in a diverse but convergent way.

Partaking is open and flexible. We are talking about a human-based organization, in which each person becomes responsible for what he sets in motion or builds.

The basic (and main) structures of the Convergence of Cultures are “base teams”, which develop their activity in neighborhoods, schools, universities, workplaces, via internet, etc.

Any group, organization or association that, without losing its own identity, manifests its adhesion to the principles that inspires the C.C., may ask for its inclusion as an "adherent" of the C.C. and maintain with it, relationships of mutual collaboration.

*For more information, see "Handbook of Convergence of Cultures"

The “Convergence of Cultures’ teams”
(base teams)

It is essential to encourage the implementation of three main mechanisms or functions for development of the organism:

Growth: its action is directed to other people, to other organizations with the aim of spreading and implementing the ideas, proposals and tools of the Convergence of Cultures.
Communication: it has a fluent Communication and interchange with other base teams of CC and other organizations related to the goals of CC.
Formation: It concentrates on progressive formation of members providing them with tools for personal, cultural and social development. These studies and practices can be found in its official materials.

These teams of the Convergence of Cultures generate ties with other group and organization of its surroundings, but under no circumstances should they establish an organic relationship with any of them.

Documents

Documents as resource and reference	Author	Format
Handbook of Convergence of Cultures	Team work
Manual of Personal Development for members of the Humanist Movement.	Team work
Selfliberation	L. A. AMMANN
Collected Works I	SILO
Collected Works II	SILO
Documents of the meeting Punta de Vacas	Author	Format
Presentation Convergence of Cultures	L.Milani
Notion of Culture	C. Miconi
Power Point about organization	E. Perez
Text of the Guided Power Point	E. Perez
Joint Asking	N. Myers
Documents of difussion	Autor	Format
Logo Convergence of Cultures	R. Edwards
Logo Convergence of Cultures	R. Edwards

Activities summary. Team of Convergence of Cultures Check Republic

equipo_checo

In Check Republic, Convergence of Cultures project started along the preparation of the World March for Pease and Non-violence. Dozens of followers joined the Peace Party, which was held on Prague main square when the base team of the World March arrived in our country.

At the end of 2009 we had a Christmas meeting with a multicultural name “Christmas throughout Continents”. It was held in Prague. Among the attendees were various musicians and the representatives of many cultures who explained the way they celebrate Christmas and New Year in their different cultures. In that moment we had the chance to publish the first issue of the renovated multicultural magazine Ubuntu.

Concert2

In January 2010 we started with a complaint on Adela Sobotkova’s site, who has created a racist group in Facebook. She abused of more than 130.000 people who wanted to offer help after Haiti’s earthquake, and changed the group’s name, which at the beginning aimed for help to Haiti people, to a very racist name. Check police are investigating this case without any results. We believe that this profile in Facebook was fake. At the end of January, we organized a multicultural table football tournament.

Along with the new year, a new website arrived as the official site in Facebook. During the year we issued the magazine Ubuntu which arrived to thousands of people through email.

In February a series of multicultural events and presentations were held. Thursday 25th February evening started with the participation of Emile China, a Roma poet. Besides conversations about Roma life and handicaps in Check Republic, China read some of his stories and poems. We continued with an evening dedicated to Macedonia, Georgia, Mali, Senegal and Turkmenistan. During the presentation, the attendees enjoyed stories, films, photography exhibitions, and there was time as well for traditional foods.

For the first time last year, Convergence of Cultures participated on the NGO’s market, one of the most important events in our country, where usually dozens of non-profit organizations take part. Thanks to the information stand we had, we met many interesting people who were informed of our projects. The same day, April 16th, we held the 13th Party for Africa, which was organized among other humanist organizations.

June 1st, children’s day in our country, we organized a day of multicultural activities addressed to children. Dozens of children with their mothers attended the event. In the afternoon the children enjoyed many activities. They could also play, sing and dance on the stage. Before summer holidays, we organized the concert “step toward integration”. The aim was not only to make visible to the most possible number of people the problem of immigrants and refugees in Check Republic, but also to get help for specific families with living difficulties situations. Some popular singers, Check musician groups, and some dancing groups attended the event in Retro Club. There was a photography exhibition, the organization presentation and also traditional food-tasting from some of the countries.

June 24th the event was called “Purple Day”. Through Facebook, we announced a day to support refugees. This day was designated by United Nations as Refugees World Day. We encouraged people to put on something purple during that day. Purple is told to represent courage, and people who fear to leave their homes, have then a lot of courage to make this decision. The main objective was to make people and media aware of the refugees problem. It was an action to save time which, due to popularity of social networks, had a great response.

After summer holidays, in September, we had the opportunity to meet, in Prague, three humanists from Kenia for three weeks. We made a series of events in schools and public debates. In Prague, the main event was called “Kenia in Prague”.

Since September, most of the members are working together with humanist movement and various organisms members, due to the reduction of most of the activities.

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