Last November 9th the XLIII International Congress of the International Federation of Fe y Alegría (Faith and Happiness) was closed. Four days of work, speeches and commissions, and especially of sharing experiences, of systematize various methods of work with disabled person, with afro descendants issues, with indigenous and youngsters at risk, that is to say with those which have special education needs.

"We are talking about an inclusive society in a world that is now exclusionary. We are talking about the education of exclusionary people, but we have to educate those inclusive people to give place to a just society, fully exclusively" (P. Jorge Cela S.J., President of ECLAC)

These words were said by Father Jorge Cela, Province and President of the Latin America and Caribbean Jesuits Conference. Te Latin America and Caribbean are two of the fundamental cornerstones whichare talked about in the conclusion of XLIII International Congress of the International Federation of Fe y Alegría (Faith and Happiness), closed today in the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia.

 
Four days of work, speeches and commissions, and especially of sharing experiences, of systematize various methods of work with disabled person, with afrodescendants issues, with indigenous and youngsters at risk, that is to say with those which have special education needs. This has filled the 140 participants at the congress with energy and enthusiasm.

The challenge is this: we have to change our concepts to achieve the real inclusion, our speech, our attitude, and our regular actions. Our job to achieve the right to universal education and education for all has to be focused on welcoming diversity, not eliminating and not homogenizing.

Fe y Alegría (Faith and Happiness) recognizes the personal history of every single person who a person works with and the history of the village; this helps to create friendly schools.

The last presentation at the congress corresponded to Vice Minister of of alternative and special education, the graduated Noel Aguirre Ledezma. He is a great connoisseur of the path of Fe y Alegría (Faith and Happiness) in Bolivia and he also presented the working line of his Vice Ministry with the title: Foundations of the Inclusive Education," Look beyond reality and demands due to transformation, "widely applauded by congressmen.

The theme for this year, "The Inclusive Education and its Challenges, " promises To continue for the year ahead, the year of the  XLIII International Congress of the International Federation of Fe y Alegría (Faith and Happiness). Great challenges also remain:

• Working through the impact of public policies and creating the conditions for the inclusion to be included in the schools and pedagogical programs.
• Overcoming internal and external barriers. Changing the way we look at things, accepting, respecting, valuing what is different, what is plurality and diversity.
• Tracing new paths, searching actively new barriers of exclusion. The creativity to empowering an individual, the creativity to open new ways for encounters and the value to close what is not useful, what doesn't fulfill with our mission.

All of the relevant requirements: we have the desire. We have the knowledge to know the place where we have to develop the knowledge We have the conditions, the power, the possibility to devote all our efforts to achieve a world where everyone has dignity and rights and could reach their full potential.

The theme for this year," The Inclusive Education and its Challenges, " will continue at the next congress, but it will stick in participants‘ head and heart which have enjoyed people´s hospitality and warm welcome of Fe y Alegría (Faith and Happiness) in Bolivia.

    >> Toda la información del Congreso visite www.congreso.feyalegria.edu.bo