In November 2012, IMCS
leaders from across the world met in Chennai India for a council meeting as well as an
international formation program on international
students’ migration. As part of the tradition of
IMCS Pax Romana, the international council
meeting should take place at-least twice in between two world assemblies as stipulated in our
statutes.
However, the IMCS global student leaders
looked beyond the council meeting and deliberated on the realities facing international and migrant students. The bell rang louder than expected when realities were shared and light shed
on many hidden challenges faced by the migrant
and international students everywhere. Migration
IMCS International Council Participants:
then became one of the thematic areas of action
until 2014 when the next council meeting conNovember 2012,Chennai-INDIA
venes in Zambia. Not only was that, the World
Assembly that took place in Cologne in 2011
named “migration” as one of the main thematic areas of the movement for the next
four of years.
This therefore brings us to the notion that, peace in not merely the absence of war but
rather a mutual co existence for the betterment of each and every member of the human family in a world where sense of global citizenship is embraced and respected
and above all seen as a means for exchange of knowledge for building a stronger
common good. The gospel of Christ was proclaimed by non natives in foreign lands
in an effort to spread the word to the ends of the earth. (Lk:10:1-23). Through this
exchange and foreign adventuring, we are reminded that those international and migrant students are preachers of the message of peace which is a the word “Pax” we
carry in our name because this (preaching) “constitutes the essential mission of the
Church. It is a task and mission which the vast and profound changes of present-day
society make all the more urgent” (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 14).
Pax Romana which literally means the “Roman peace” in its literal Latin meaning
has a different Wikipedia referring to the time of a “militarily imposed peace” under
the leadership of Caesar Augustus thus; it is sometimes referred to as “Pax Augusta”.
However, the name Pax Romana (IMCS and ICMICA) was given us by Pope Benedict XV asking students of the past and present to preach the message of peace which
he sends from Rome. Therefore, we are the Pax Romanians of Pope Benedict XV and
NOT Augustus era. That is the message of peace we are called to share through the
spirituality of action. That is the meaning of the 90th anniversary for us students and
for our ancestors. Doing the simple good to our neighbors is the story we are told
repeatedly by the scripture.
The FORUM magazine is the publication
of the International Movement of Catholic
Students (IMCS) – Pax Romana. As a
crossroads of IMCS Pax Romana members,
this student magazine allows for exploration of ideas, discussion of varying viewpoints on certain issues, and a space for
sharing on an equal footing. It aims to
bring the grassroots experience expressed
through words to the global front and features contributions from our six regions.
This 2013 edition features contributions
representing all of those six regions (with
the exception of the Middle East.) The
authors are from the following countries:
Italy, France, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda,
United States of America, Canada, Chile,
Indonesia, Malaysia and Zambia
May there be peace on earth as we continue in this precious mission of renovating
our broken and bracketed worlds.
By the International Office
IMCS Pax Romana | Newsletter– Special Edition| 2012-2013
www.imcs-miec.org
2