The OFM – JPIC Office represented by Br. Angelito A. Cortez, OFM, went to Geneva, Switzerland last October 3 to 9, 2021, to visit Franciscan International for future collaboration and prepare for the preparation of Franciscan Participation in COP 26.
The first day of the said visit was a simple celebration in honor of the feast of our seraphic father, St. Francis of Assisi. All the staff attended the festivity with other neighboring Catholic NGOs in the same building, such as Dominican International, Vivat International, and Edmund Rice International. The visit also coincides with the culmination of the United Nations 48th Human Rights Council. One of the main objectives of the visit is to talk about developments on the work of collaboration with the Office and FI. Currently, friars are working with FI on the issue of Migration, Human Rights, and Climate Change in the Franciscan entities in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
The Office also had the opportunity to attend the weekly FI staff meeting in the presence of their executive director Br. Markus Heinze, OFM. It was a hybrid meeting (online and offline), discussing the updates and whereabouts of the daily goal and accomplishment of the staff both in Geneva and New York. During the said meeting, Br. Markus expressed his gratitude to the office for the support and continuous collaboration. Almost all the staff mentioned the same sentiments. They appreciated the experience of working with the friars in every country of their concern.
