With an atmosphere of enthusiasm and joy, the Meeting of Regional Coordinators was held in Quintana Roo, Mexico, from May 14 to 18, a key space for the exchange of knowledge and strategic vision between the leaders of the seven regions of the confederation.

"This meeting provides us with an invaluable opportunity to show our local reality, the vital work of our Caritas and the living presence of the Church in our region. By sharing our experiences, we can strengthen ourselves and truly think of ourselves as a single body within the confederation," declared Nicolás Meyer, Regional Coordinator of Cáritas Latin America and the Caribbean and host of the meeting.

From integration dynamics and updates on follow-up actions to important reports, exchange on leadership, evaluation practices for governance, accountability, resource mobilization and others. A highlight of the meeting was the virtual participation of Sean Callahan, CEO of Catholic Relief Services - CRS, who offered a valuable perspective on the USAID crisis and the global system of international cooperation.

The meeting also served as a platform to reflect on the Strategic Framework of the Confederation, the committees and the Forum, as well as to identify joint topics that could be amplified in future meetings. Space was dedicated to the participation of volunteers and young people, and the promotion of female leadership.

The coordinators who were present at the meeting are Lucy Aspila (Cáritas Africa), Mena Antonio (Cáritas Oceania), Karam Abi Yazbeck (Cáritas Middle East and North Africa), Mungreiphy Shimray (Cáritas Asia), Jean Bel (Cáritas North America) and Maria Nyman Willems (Cáritas Europa).

Getting to know the local reality

During the meeting, the regional coordinators had the valuable opportunity to learn up close about the inspiring work of Cáritas Diocesana de Quintana Roo. During the visit, they learned about the different actions of the areas of social work, health, nutrition, food bank, and development projects with children/older adults.

Subsequently, they carried out the activity called Nutrihéroes in which each coordinator had a team of 3 members each and the purpose was to learn to cook a recipe together, also to know the nutrients of each food. Each team had an assigned color to be easier to identify.

Finally, Monsignor Pedro Pablo Elizondo, diocesan bishop of Cancún-Chetumal, officiated the Holy Mass to close the activities.

(Contributed by Frida Barrientos, Cáritas de Quintana Roo)