With the 2016 world assembly just a few weeks away, we take a look back at four world assemblies that have made a big impact on Emmaus International’s history. This week, 1996 World Assembly at UNESCO (Paris, France), focused on "In solidarity for justice".
“This world assembly raised the issue of who we were and what we did in order to contribute to social change”, remembers Juan Melquiades, the leader of Emmaus Piura (Peru).
Two more founding texts were adopted at the assembly. The Emmaus Principles and Membership Charter reaffirmed Emmaus’ uniqueness and laid down member organisations’ rights and duties, and the criteria for groups wishing to join the movement, based on transparency, self-sufficiency and solidarity. The movement’s values were clarified via the Solidarity commitments document.
The annual solidarity sale also became compulsory for all the groups. “We now need to re-read and take ownership once again of these commitments to continue to build the fairer and more humane world that we need,” concludes Juan.
