Forum on Synodality

Glocal Forum on Synod on Synodality (2021-2024)

Chiangmai and Rome, Jan to October 2024

Draft only

Background

1. The Catholic Social Forum on Synod (CSFS) is a collaborative initiative uniting Catholic youth, social movements, and organizations dedicated to social justice, peace, and ecological sustainability. Engaged in the Synod on Synodality (2021-2024), it seeks to amplify the voices of the people of God, including Catholics, individuals of other faiths, and civil society.
2. This initiative is a concrete response to the message of the 16^th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops to the People of God¹ issued on October 25, 2023, emphasizing the need for the Church to listen to various groups, including laypersons, women, men, catechists, children, youth, and the elderly.

“The Church also needs to listen to the laity, women and men, all called to holiness by virtue of their baptismal vocation: to the testimony of catechists, who in many situations are the first proclaimers of the Gospel; to the simplicity and vivacity of children, the enthusiasm of youth, to their questions, and their pleas; to the dreams, the wisdom and the memory of elderly people.”

3. The CSFS is co-organized by the International Youth Training Center (IYTC) and the Australian Cardijn Institute, the Centre International Cardijn (France) in collaboration with like-minded Catholic lay, youth, and social movements.
4. This forum builds upon previous actions, including the joint webinar by IMCS and ICMICA on Synod in September 2023, the Contribution to the Synod sponsored by the Australian Cardijn Institute, IYCW, Cardijn Community International, Asian Lay Leaders Forum and Woori Theological Institute, and the Catacombs Mass in Rome in October 2023, held during the Synod.
5. The CSFS comprises three stages: a) National preparatory process (January to April 2024), b) Regional preparatory process (May to June 2024), and c) Global Process (July to Dec. 2024). The global process is subdivided into 3 steps 1) Global Forum-I in Chiangmai, Thailand, in July or August 2024, 2) Global Forum-II in Rome during the Synod (October 9-15, 2024), and 3) Global Forum-III (Geneva or Nairobi, December 2024).
6. A global preparatory meeting will take place in Kathmandu for consultation and brainstorming among representatives of Catholic social and youth movements and organizations during the World Social Forum (WSF) from February 15-19, 2024.
7. The Forum’s goal is to examine the Synthesis Report of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops – First Session (October 4-29, 2023), in the context of three key documents of Catholic Social Teachings by Pope Francis: Evangelii Gaudium (2013), Laudato Si (2015), Laudate Deum (2023), and Fratelli Tutti (2020) in response to the global challenges – economic, social and ecological and in the context of the 60^th anniversary of Vatican II, particularly the documents on the lay apostolate (Lumen Gentium, Chapter 4, Gaudium et Spes, and Apostolicam Actuositatem).
8. The CSFS also aims to contribute to the Laudato Si Movement’s seven-year journey (2021-2027) as a response to the worsening climate crisis.
9. The Forum will review the outcomes of the Continental Assemblies held early in 2023 in the seven regions: Asia, Oceania, Middle East, Africa and Madagascar, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and North America.²
10. Concurrently, the Forum will explore the UN agenda, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the agenda of the UN 2024 Summit of the Future (SOTF) in New York on September 22-23, 2024. It will specifically analyze the 11 Policy Briefs of the SOTF in relation to Catholic Social Teachings to facilitate dialogue between the Catholic Church and the UN process, aiming to transform multilateralism and multilateral institutions.
11. The Forum also intends to provide opportunities for Catholic youth movements and groups to discuss their participation in the upcoming World Youth Day, particularly the 50th anniversary in Rome in 2025 and the 18th WYD in South Korea in 2027 as a main follow-up action after the Synod.
12. The CSFS anticipates inviting leaders from civil society and social movements to bring forth the voices of those affected by economic, social, and ecological injustices and crisis.
13. The Global Forum-I in July or August 2024 will formulate a statement with recommendations and engage with participants of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops – Final Session in Rome in October 2024, while participating in the Global Forum-II in Rome. The Global Forum-III will be held in Geneva or Nairobi December 2024 to assess the final outcome of the Synod 2024, and discuss the follow-up actions.
14. The Regional and Global Forums will be held in a hybrid manner (online and in-person) to allow more peoples to participate in the process.
15. The results of the Global Forum will serve as a common advocacy agenda for the participating organizations, especially IYTC in Chiangmai, Thailand, and Nairobi, Kenya, Pax Romana Centennial Center in Geneva, the Cardijn network with the international mechanisms and meetings such as the UN in New York, Geneva, Nairobi, Bangkok, etc.

Budget

Timelines

Synodal Process (2021-2024)

• 2021-2024 Synod on Synodality
• 2023 Dec. Consultation of among key organizers
• 2024 Jan. to April National preparatory process
• 2024 Feb. 15-19 Global consultation among participants of the WSF-Nepal
• 2024 May to June Regional (Continental) preparatory process
• 2024 July to October Global Forum-I, Chiangmai, Thailand (Hybrid)
• 2024 Sept. 22-23, UN Summit of the Future (SOTF)
• 2024 October Global Forum-II, Rome during the Synod

Follow-up

• 2024 Dec. or 2025 Jan. Geneva or Nairobi, Global Forum-III (Hybrid)
• 2024 Nov.-Dec. COP 29 of the UNFCCC, Eastern Europe 2025 Laudato Si 10^th Anniversary
• 2025 World Youth Day (WYD) – Rome (50^th Anniversary)
• 2025 COP 30 of the UNFCCC, Brazil
• 2027 UN 3^rd SDGs Summit (New York, Sept.)
• 2027 The 7-year Laudato Si’ action plan (2021-2027)
• 2027 World Youth Day (WYD) – South Korea (July – August)
• 2030 UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development / SDGs (2016-2030)
• 2050 Net Zero Emission

List of Participating Organizations

Co-organizers

• International Youth Training Center (IYTC) – Laudato Si Center (LSC), Chiangmai
• Australian Cardijn Institute
• Centre International Cardijn, France

Contact Persons

• William Nokrek, IMCS International Team, IYTC Coordinator iytc.imcsap@gmail.com
• Bertha Samponu , IMCS Asia Pacific Team, IYTC Coordinator iytc.imcsap@gmail.com
• Stefan Gigacz, Australian Cardijn Institute sgigacz@australiancardijninstitute.org

Key Partner Organizations – to be invited

• International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS)
• International Catholic Movement of Intellectual and Cultural Affairs (ICMICA)
• International Young Catholic Students (IYCS)
• International Young Christian Workers (IYCW)
• International Movement of Catholic Agriculture and Rural Youth (MIJARC)
• Cardijn Community International
• Pax Christi International
• Laudato Si’s Action Platform
• Catholic University and Colleges
• Jesuit Refugee Service (JRC)
• Caritas International
• CIDSE
• Franciscan International
• Taize Community
• Sant’ Egidio Community
• Focolare Movement – Work of Mary
• Catholic Lay Missionary Society
• Youth Ministry of Parish, Diocese and National Bishops’ Conference
• National and Diocesan Justice and Peace Commissions
• Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) of the Religious Congregations

Asia

• IMCS Asia Pacific
• ICMICA Asia
• IYCS Asia
• IYCW Asia
• Pax Christi Asia Pacific
• East Asia Pastoral Institute (EAPI), Manila
• Asia Lay Leaders (ALL) Forum
• Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference (FABC) Laity
• Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference (FABC) Office for Human Development (OHD)

References

Synod on Synodality 2021-2024

• Synthesis Report of the XVI (16) Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops to the People of God (28 October 2023)

• Letter of the XVI (16) Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops to the People of God (25 October 2023)

• Instrument Laboris (Working Document) for the XVI (16) Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops to the People of God

Continental Process – Asia

• Continental Synodal Assembly in Asia (24-26 Feb. 2023)

• Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference (FABC) 50 General Conference

Papal Encyclicals

3 Key Papal Encyclicals

• LAUDATO SI’ Action Platform (LSAP)

• Encyclical Letter LAUDATO SI of the Holy Father Francis on Care for Our Common Home

• Encyclical Letter FRATELLI TUTTI of the Holy Father Francis on Fraternity and Social Friendship (4 Oct. 2020)

• Apostolic Exhortation EVANGELII GAUDIUM of the Holy Father Francis to the Bishops, Clergy, Consecrated Persons and the Lay Faithful on the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’s World (2013)

UN Summit of the Future (SOTF)

New York, 22-23 Sept. 2024

Our Common Agenda Policy Briefs by theme

https://www.un.org/en/common-agenda/policy-briefs

At the invitation of Member States, the Secretary-General is now issuing a series of Policy Briefs to provide more detail on certain proposals contained in Our Common Agenda and to support them in their deliberations as they prepare for the Summit of the Future. These briefs will include an analysis of the proposals’ impact on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, and will be informed by the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with gender equality as a cross-cutting theme.

Policy Briefs

In recent years, major global shocks and setbacks to progress on the Sustainable Development Goals have increasingly underscored our shared vulnerabilities. International cooperation is needed more than ever, yet our collective problem-solving mechanisms do not match the pace or scale of the challenges we face. Today’s complex, interconnected, and rapidly changing world requires a more effective multilateral system – with the United Nations at its core.

11 Themes of Policy Briefs and 5 Thematic Clusters

Downloading the Full Text

1. Future Generation

2. Emergency Platform

3. Youth Engagement

4. Beyond Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

5. Global Digital Compact

6. Information Integrity

7. International Financial Architecture

8. Outer Space

9. A New Agenda for Peace

10. Transforming Education

11. United Nations 2.0

12. Policy Briefs Summary

1 https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2023-10/letter-to-the-people-of-god.html

2 https://www.synod.va/en/synodal-process/the-continental-stage.html

3 https://www.synod.va/en/synodal-process/the-continental-stage.html