Fimcap

The Fimcap, which is short for Fédération Internationale des Mouvements Catholiques d’Action Paroissale (French for "International Federation of Catholic Parochial Youth Movements"), is an Umbrella organization for catholic youth organizations. It has got 29 member organizations who are based in 26 countries. The Fimcap was founded in 1962 and is recognised as an official catholic organization by the Pontifical Council for the Laity.^[1]

History

Already in 1959, French, Belgian and Dutch youth organizations had been working on the project of an international pooling. In 1960, the first delegate conference was held in Munich and in October 1961 the Fimcap was founded. The foundation was proclaimed in public on Easter 1962.

Since its recognition through the Holy See in 1976, the Fimcap is an "International Catholic Organization" (ICO) and registered at the Council of Laity in Rome.

Since 2006 the Fimcap is being recognised as International nongovernmental organization by the Belgian government.^[2]

Structure

The highest gremium of the Fimcap is its General Assembly which comes together every three years. Every member organization sends a delegation to the General Assembly.

The administration and management of the Fimcap is being handled by the intercontinental presidium which consists of two presidents, a Praeses and a Secretary-General. The presidents should be one man and one woman, but if there are no candidats of one gender the jobs might also be given to two women or two men.

The intercontinental bureau (ICB) is composed of the Presidium and representatives of the Continental Conferences. It acts as the Fimcap’s Board of Directors.

Beneath these globally working establishments, the Fimcap is also structured into continental conferences, bureaus and presidiums.

Activities

• Every three years, Fimcap organizes the World Camp which is an international youth camp.
• Fimcap publishes the Link Magazine that comes out four times a year.
• In Europe, Fimcap holds Training Courses for animators.

Member organizsations

Bold ones were founding members.

• AGLT (Roemenia)
• Ateitis (Lithuania)
• Chiro Burundi
• Chirojeugd Vlaanderen (Belgium)
• Chiro Southern Africa
• Chiro Youth Movement Philippines (The Philippines)
• Coordinació Catalana (CCCCCE) (Spain)
• CYO Ghana – Catholic Youth Organisation
• CYO Sierra Leone
• eRko (Slovakia)
• Forum Oratori Italiani (FOI) (Italy)
• Frivilligt Drenge- og Pige-Forbund (FDF) (Denmark)
• Indian Catholic Youth Movement (ICYM) (India)
• Jong Nederland (The Netherlands)
• Jungwacht & Blauring (JuBla) (Switzerland)
• Juventud Parroquial Chilene (JUPACH) (Chile)
• Katholische Junge Gemeinde (KjG) (Germany)
• Katholische Jungschar (Austria)
• Kiro Kongo
• Kithu Dana Pubuduwa (Sri Lanka)
• Kiwo D'Haiti (Haiti)
• NaCaYul – Namibian Catholic Youth League
• Niños Perseverantes Paraguayos Católicos (NIPPAC) (Paraguay)
• Xaveri Burundi
• Xaveri Kongo
• Xaveri Rwanda
• Xaveri South Africa
• Xaveri Uganda
• Zghazagh Azzjoni Kattolika (ZAK) (Malta)

Former members

• Fédération Nationale des Patros (Belgium)
• Société de Saint-Vincent de Paul (France)
• Katholieke Jongenclubs (Netherlands)
• Schweizer Katholische Jungmannschaftsverband (Switzerland)
• La Centrale del Patros Quebec (Canada)
• Facel Paris (France)

References

www.fimcap.org