District leadership teams from the 15 Districts that make up our Region of Latin America and the Carribean (RELAL) gathered at the request of the Latin American Conference of Brother Visitors.

On Monday, August 14 we met at the "De La Salle Conference House", located in Rionegro, Antioquia, Colombia. There were 62 of us Brothers who make up the District leadership teams.

The objectives considered were:

To share the experience of the 43rd General Chapter in order to interiorize it and apply it within the Districts,

To establish a reference framework for our mission in our Region.

To set up elements for a new Regional structure that will allow us to develop our programs better.

We used the first afternoon of our meeting to greet one another, introduce ourselves and talk about the schedule for the work that was proposed. After supper, the Brothers from Mexico led the community prayer and we placed ourselves under the patronage of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas. Evening prayer was aided by a video presentation.

To facilitate our understanding of the current situation, on Tuesday the 15th we began with a discussion concerning the socio-economic and political situation of Latin America. We were supported in this by the excellent presentation of Brother Oscar Azmitia of the District of Central America. In the afternoon, Brother Mario Rafael Toro, OFM, presented a theological point of view of the Religious Life on the continent, recent happenings and the role of CLAR and CELAM.

On Wednesday the 16th Brother Miguel Campos, General Councillor, who spent three days with us, gave the day's keynote address with his talk: "Guidelines of the itinerary of the foundation of the association of the Brothers of the Christian Schools for the refoundation of the Institute in the new millennium". In seven discussion groups we analyzed the texts of the Founder's Meditations, with help from Brother Alfredo Morales' (District of the Antilles) recent book: Ministers of God and of the Church. We ended the plenary session by sharing the group discussions and we summarized them as well.

During the first session on Thursday the 17th several Brothers who attended the 43rd General Chapter presented some of the aspects and topics of the Chapter. They did this in a lively manner and in such a way as to awaken the interest of the participants. After the four Brothers spoke, the participants asked questions of the panelists. There was not enough time to respond to the many questions that were asked.

For the second and third sessions the following questions were proposed: How should the central topic of the Chapter be presented to each District? How can we foster a change of mind, of heart of attitude among the Brothers so that they might take on the spirit and dynamic of the Chapter? Results were shared with the aid of the best technological resources.

The work was then carried out by areas: education, youth and vocation ministry, associates, finances. Participants joined together according to their area of District work and they shared with each other based on the question: How can we most effective organize the Region to achieve unity of thought, formation and identity in terms of the Chapter decisions?

The last session we devoted to communicating among ourselves, by areas of leadership, the challenges that implementing the Chapter proposals will involve, living out interdependence. The animating thought of this stage was "When...".

The ceremony of sending Brother Miguel Campos as a Brother from Latin America and the Caribbean to the entire Institute turned out to be a highly significant and an emotional moment for all participants. We all promised our prayers and support and we wished that Brother Miguel's work would be productive and enlightening. We presented a candle to him so that he would recall this moment each time he lights it.

At the end of the meeting we expressed our thanks to Brother Valerio López Astrain for his services as Executive Secretary for the Region during the period 1997-2000 and, like Brother Miguel, we commissioned him to represent all the Brothers and Associates of the Region. We gave him a small symbolic statue in commemoration of his work and his qualities. A scented candle from the Americas will accompany in his new work.

Brother Visitor Ramón Gómez, who hosted the meeting, provided a barbecue with touches of music unique to the continent.