11/01/12
Dear members of the great family of VIDES,

2012 is a very significant year for us, because we will celebrate the 25th anniversary of VIDES foundation. The celebration, we are very proud of, coincides with the realization of the X International Convention and with the General Elective Assembly. (SEE ATTACHED for logistic information).

We would like that every group and every single volunteer could take part in these events as a protagonist. The anniversary is everybody's celebration, and everybody is asked to contribute according to his/her own means. The celebration begins from the preparation of the event, so that we could enjoy the days until the real celebration.

The theme of VIDES Convention is:

Recall - Rejoice - Renew

To celebrate means to remember, to recall in the heart memory the long way our association did, all the challenges and difficulties it faced, all the goals it reached and the lives and faces of the people we met that we will remember for the rest of our life. To remember means to go back to our roots and to find our essential identity.
To celebrate is to rejoice together, to be grateful for this life and for this contagious love tale, for the great number of young people that spent their time, that is life and a truthful demonstration of love and solidarity. Just a moment to say thank you and to thank God's love.
To celebrate is to renew us, to look at the future with hope and self-confidence, because we inherit a treasure we must multiply, to generate new results. Nowadays, we are facing new challenges and we are asked to answer with energy and creativity.

We would like that the celebration can be a significant experience, and that beyond the thanks and the happiness, we could feel also the need to continue on the same way with strength and enthusiasm to face new challenges. For this reason we elaborated different initiatives to stimulate your participation:

1. Publication
   The publication will describe VIDES history through the narration of volunteers' personal past experiences. We want that young people could be at the centre of attention. We kindly ask you to make a proposal for the title of the book and for its structure, so that the publication could reflect the young and international soul of VIDES.
   We know that all volunteerism experiences have an important meaning for everyone of you, but unfortunately, because of the space we have at our disposal, we must choose only some of the different stories. To make the publication enjoyable, we will choose those we consider representative of all groups and of all different realities.
   We ask every group to promote the initiative for the recollection of the past experiences, and then to choose two or three stories of individual volunteerism (both local and international volunteerism, if the group did international volunteerism). Moreover, we ask the group to tell its own “Good Practice” for the local volunteerism (if the VIDES group works at the local level).
   
   Summary: each group must send, to the international operative headquarter
   - 2 stories of individual volunteerism (at local and/or international level);
   - a “Good practice” for the local volunteerism as a VIDES group;
   - a proposal for the title of the book;
   - a proposal for the publication style.
   
   
2. DVD
   The interactive DVD will show VIDES history and the history of each group, the local and international conventions and seminaries, all the stories and the “Good practices” of volunteerism. This is to generate an intercultural change, to motivate and enrich us.
   
   
3. Logo
   We ask you to make a proposal for a commemorative logo, to remember the 25 years of VIDES. The logo will identify us and will emphasize the importance of this celebratory year. We invite you to use all your creativity and innovative skills.
   We will maintain the VIDES logo and will add the 25th anniversary celebratory element.
   
   VIEW GALLERY »
   
   
4. Hymn
   During our celebration, we use to sing and listen music, and for this reason we ask you to compose a hymn or a song, to celebrate also in the way young people do.
   
   
5. The Our Father prayer
   We chose the Our Father prayer as our prayer, which represent us as volunteers. Our proposal is to register all the groups while singing the Our Father prayer. Soon you will receive more details about the realization of the registration.
   
   
6. Photographic exhibition
   We ask the groups to send us 5 pictures of the group activities or of a volunteer, so that we could share it with all the VIDES groups, during the International Convention.

REGISTRATION FORM