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On the road to the IFA – 2023 April | Newsletter

Jasper Keus, Coordinator IFA 2023

Hello Everybody

How will you live this in your community? At what times will you be all together? At what times in a smaller group? When will you be planning times of celebration?

In the proposed Charter, that we will be voting on at the Assembly, we find:

‘We value sharing life together with all our differences’.

This Assembly will be different than the last one in Belfast. We need to do things differently, let’s listen to each other and decide together how.

We hope that this newsletter will help and inspire you.

Don’t forget to use the hashtag #Larche2023

P.S. We have an brand-new look to this months printable newsletter with even more content for your community and your delegates. Download it at the link below.

Fribourg Delegates

We are Rosalina (left) and Debora (right) in L’Arche Fribourg

Here’s our impressions of the zoom training we did, on using zoom inclusively. It was great- the people were very cool.

We learnt how to stand in front of the camera and show drawings so that the other people can see. Videos too.

Then we did presentations about a local dish: Ours: fondue with cheese! And we even gave a presentation on how birthdays are done in our house.

It’s great being a delegate – we are looking forward to meeting the other delegates.

NOTICES

Delegates / IFA team meeting on 27th April, on Zoom

Password: Larche

Add your pictures to our Facebook page today, click the link below.

Muthiga Maurice, Communications Coordinator, IFA2023
Can you feel the buzz?

Some delegates are setting up WhatsApp groups; ‘Zoom-bridges’ are connecting communities around the world; and almost each day, the L’Arche members FB page welcomes new shades of yellow and screen-shots of small groups’ activities! Delegates are showing L’Arche’s usual creativity as they juggle time-zones and busy community lives to get together: for instance, some groups have split their monthly meetings.

Not to forget the IFA prep within communities: check out our March newsletter for Mary’s and Anne’s exciting ways to engage their own community in Kilkenny, Ireland, starting with the draft Charter and Mandate.

L’Arche is on the move!

Creative Corner

On the road to the Assembly 2023

Over the coming months, why not try out some of these ideas in your community:

Please do take videos and pics and upload them to the Facebook members page:

Let’s share our experience!

This month's creative corner:

For a rope or cord they can be strengthened. A cord of three strands is stronger than one strand or two. The same is said of the strength shared across a wider surface, like when yarn is knit into a piece of fabric, or a net is fashioned with many knots.

Humans have been working with String and Cord as far back as we know. It connects us to our past. It will continue to be with us as it is re-invented, re-purposed and developed. Just think of our network of cables distributing electricity and information.

In L’Arche, we have used string, yarn, rope in so many creative ways, from the hammocks of Honduras, to the rugs and placemats of Kent, woven textiles and sewing from Dornach, L’Arche Im Nauen, and the delicately embroidered cards from Ukraine.

In preparing for our time together in June, we invite you to find a ball of yarn or a spool of thread in its unused form - full of potential- and then also to make something using string, yarn, or thread as symbol of connection.

To go Deeper:

You can build on that: for instance, use the string to show connections on your map of the world.

Help to tell a story or create a quilt panel.

Help hold things together, fix or join objects.

Some people might like to create a prayer rope / bracelet, as a way of helping their prayer.

Help show someone you care by making them a friendship bracelet.

Help you explore, together or on your own, check out some textile artists in your tradition or one you are interested in.

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There's more to do in this month's Creative Corner. Download the full newsletter to find out more:

Ideas for your Zoom meetings in groups with other delegates:

You can show each other the gestures that people make in your local culture to welcome each other. And the gestures that you invented during lockdown...

You can show how you welcome a guest who is visiting you for the first time.

Or show each other the dances you like to do at home. Teach each other certain steps and movements so that you can dance together.

You can show the gestures you use at home that help you say important words: “Party”, “Work”, “Friend”, “Meal”.

Finally...

... you can make up gestures together to say:

General-Assembly-of-the-International-Federation
Delegate
“Meet-on-Zoom”

There's more!

Download the latest newsletter for advice on setting up your computer or device ready for our Zoom calls.

Hello friends, we are Antonio, Laura and supported by Joan (on left of photo) from L’Arche Els Avets, Catlonia, Spain.

Antonio says:

I already attended the Belfast Assembly, and I am very happy to represent us again this time.

We are starting to give information to all the people in our Community and look forward to meeting our small group. This on-line assembly will be a listening ear for the whole Federation - a new impetus for the rights of people with disabilities all over the world.

It will unite us and to bring the world an example of coexistence and inclusion in diversity.

Together, we are going places! Other languages: always good to discover how different communities celebrate!

federationassembly-2023.larche.org