OFFICIAL NAME
World Union of Catholic Teachers
Union Mondiale des Enseignants Catholiques
ACRONYM
UMEC-WUCT
ESTABLISHED
1951
HISTORY
The origins of the UMEC-WUCT date back to 1908, the year in which the presidents of the Catholic teachers’ associations of Austria, Holland, Switzerland and Germany, at a meeting organised to deal with educational issues, launched the idea of bringing Catholic teachers together at an international level. The project took shape with the creation, in 1912, of the Weltverband katholischer Pädagogen, a worldwide association of Catholic educators whose activities, interrupted by the two world wars, were resumed in 1951 with the foundation in Rome, on the initiative of leaders of national associations from various continents, of the World Union of Catholic Teachers. Previously recognised by the Holy See, the Pontifical Council for the Laity decreed the recognition of UMEC-WUCT as an international association of the faithful on 18th October 2008. As an NGO, it has consultative status with the Council of Europe, Ecosoc, Unesco and Unicef. UMEC-WUCT cooperates with the Dicastery for Culture and Education and other organs of the Holy See.
IDENTITY
UMEC-WUCT is at the service of national associations of Catholic teachers and teachers working in Catholic and state schools or universities, coordinating their study and research activities aimed at bearing witness to the values of the Gospel and the teachings of the Church in the field of education and schooling; it fosters solidarity, dialogue and cooperation between the various educational realities and institutions, while respecting the specificity of each; it accompanies the establishment of associations of Catholic teachers in the world; it organises training events and spreads knowledge of initiatives and experiences in the field of religious, moral and professional training of educators and in the field of the apostolate among teachers; it is committed to the respect and enhancement of the rights and educational freedom of Catholic teachers. Its priority objectives are to stimulate scholastic and university institutions to be living communities, open to the world; a space of welcome and appreciation, of inclusion and participation, an environment of positive relationships and integral maturation for each person, a place of ongoing training for teachers and managers; the pursuit of an educational system that involves parents, teachers and pupils, in order to promote educational alliances and concretise the responsibility of each person in the educational community for the full promotion of the dignity of each person, to foster sustainable development and education for active citizenship and peace.
ORGANISATION
The official bodies of UMEC-WUCT are: the General Assembly, consisting of the Executive Committee and the delegates of the member associations; the Council, consisting of the President, the Ecclesiastical Assistant, the Secretary General, the Treasurer, the regional coordinators, the representatives to international institutions and the presidents of the member associations of the UMEC-WUCT; the Executive Committee, consisting of the President, the Secretary General and the Treasurer; it has the task of ensuring the implementation of the decisions of the General Assembly, fostering relations with civil and religious institutions, and looking after the various initiatives undertaken. The Executive Committee may be assisted by persons with particular expertise.
The Ecclesiastical Assistant participates in the meetings of the various bodies.
The UMEC-WUCT can be joined as full members (continental, national or regional organisations of Catholic teachers, universities and schools); teachers who work for the creation of new teacher’ associations; honorary members or ‘friends of the Union’.
PUBLICATIONS
http://wuct-umec.blogspot.com, monthly newsletter.
HEADQUARTERS
UMEC-WUCT/AIMC
Clivo Monte del Gallo, 48
00165 ROMA
Tel. +39 06 634651
E-mail: umec@vatican.va, umec.wuct@gmail.com
