Bishop Carlos Curiel, Piarist and Bishop of Carora, Venezuela, also took part in the annual conference organised by the San Jos\u00e9 de Calasanz Institute of the Catholic University of Valencia. In his speech entitled “Humanitarian Emergency in Education. A response from the Global Pact for Education”, he gave an overview of the education situation in Latin America, the specific case of Venezuela and Pope Francis’ proposal to rebuild the Pact for Education as a solution.<\/p>\n
After the reading of the annual report of the Calasanz Institute by the secretary D. Ricardo Cerver\u00f3n, the bishop began his speech by asking the audience why we are here? “We are here because we were born to educate, because we are moved by reality,” was his answer. And for Bishop Curiel, this reality is that “education in Latin America faces great challenges, but also offers opportunities for development”. At the moment, Latin American countries are experiencing the biggest education crisis in their history, with no positive progress since 2013. There, and especially in Venezuela, educators are true heroes who are confronting the bleak prospects of the education system. Faced with this challenge, D. Carlos explained that “an objective analysis is needed to find solutions that necessarily put people at the centre”. In this sense, he explained Pope Francis’ proposal and the restoration of the broken educational pact as a solution that the Venezuelan Church, and in particular the Pious Schools, are trying to realise from the local level. He emphasised the work of the Pious Schools in Venezuela, the Fraternity and Father Javier Alonso in particular.<\/p>\n
Mauricio Valdivia, Piarist from Nicaragua, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of intercultural practises, presented the vision of those who host the students of the Catholic University and what their stay means for educational work in Central America and the Caribbean. He warmly thanked the participants for this initiative and encouraged them to continue working on this fruitful task.<\/p>\n
Finally, the students who had travelled to the Dominican Republic as part of this course gave a warm and moving testimony, highlighting the Dominicans’ ability to welcome us and make us feel at home. A moving video, made by the students themselves, summarised in pictures what they wanted to convey in words.<\/p>\n
The event was attended by the Rector of the Catholic University, Mr Jos\u00e9 Manuel Pagan, the Provincial Father of the Pious Schools of Betania, Father Iv\u00e1n Ruiz, and the Director of the Calasanz Institute, Father Jos\u00e9 Luis Zan\u00f3n.<\/p>\n
The San Jos\u00e9 de Calasanz University Institute was jointly founded in 2007 by the Pious Schools and the UCV with the aim of promoting and carrying out study and research activities that deepen knowledge about St Joseph Calasanz and the Order of the Pious Schools, especially in its pedagogical aspects.<\/p>\n
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