Origin
The Association “Crescendo International Network” (hereafter called CRESCENDO) is inspired by the Gospel and the Church’s teaching – in particular by the document of the Pontifical Council for the Laity “Dignity and Mission of Older People in the Church and in the world ” (October 1998), as well as the United Nations Principles for Older People (1991).
It is an initiative which has as its aim the stimulation of creative and interactive links between organizations, with different disciplines, which are concerned with the promotion of a humane and Christian ageing. The Association works as a network.
Fundamental principle
“According to God’s plan, each human being is a growing life, from the first spark of its existence to its last sigh” (Christifideles Laici No.48 – Apostolic Exhortation 1988)
Raison d’être of the network
- is a space for exchanges, training and support
- stimulates the creativity and energizes the actions undertaken by its members;
- allows action to be taken together which could not be undertaken separately;
- intends to be a response to the challenge of globalization;
- encourages believers, questioned by ethics and guided by the Gospel spirit, to undertake temporal tasks.
A Christian network must be an effective sign of unity.
Objectives
- To spread a positive image of ageing, inspired by the biblical vision of the person and of life,
- To act on a world scale as at all other levels
- In this way to work through, for and with older people, for the emergence of a more humane society for all ages.
In particular
- to promote and defend the sacred dignity of the person at every stage of life, without reducing it to the criteria of profitability or usefulness,
- to encourage the integral development and permanent formation of the person at every stage of life,
- to stimulate the participation of retired and older people in the life of society and the Church,
- to promote solidarity within the family and between the generations,
- to support families, helping them to look after their older members, especially those who can no longer look after themselves,
- to bring out the growing importance of spirituality at this stage of life,
- to bring out and put in place the guidelines of the Church and the United Nations regarding the dignity, the rights and responsibilities, and the mission of older people,
- to contribute to the new evangelization of older people,
- to bring out and support everything which serves these aims, in civil life as well as in the Church.
Main activities
“Crescendo” works at international, national and local level:
- Exchange of information: (collection, processing, internal and external distribution, exchange of support and tools of information)
- Training ( conferences, seminars, research teams …, training in modern communication methods and new technologies)
- Supports (institutional, administrative, personal, pedagogical, spiritual)
Openness and dialogue
The network will strive to set up links for dialogue and collaboration with networks, organizations and institutions concerned with the problems of ageing, giving priority to those which emphasize by all possible means the human and spiritual resources of the person.
Members
The network consists of international Catholic organizations, it is also open to all organizations which, in accordance with its fundamental principle, share its aims.
It consists, in accordance with the statuts, of full members and associate members.