UPDATE on FIC Formator’s Meeting, Day Seventh-Wednesday, 14th September, 2022.

This day was planned for the discussions on the updating of the curriculum in the morning part of the day and in the afternoon the presentation on the cultural sensitivity by Bro. Peter Agboso FIC.

FIC Curriculum

Curriculum is a standards-based sequence of planned experiences where students or candidates practice and achieve proficiency in content and applied learning skills. Curriculum is the central guide for all educators of the formation as to what is essential for teaching and learning, so that every student/formee has access to rigorous academic/religious study experiences.

The day’s meeting started by clarifying some issues about the curriculum like why teaching methodology is on the program. Brothers concluded that it is required for all candidates for some of their apostolate areas.

In preparation for the day discussions on curriculum, days before brothers were already provided with some assignment. They were grouped into two of group A and B. and they were both provided with some that will help in the updating. The background questions for the groups’ filling of the template were; what do we need to add to the curriculum? What needs to be taken out? And what needs revision?

The responses according to the groups were as follows: 

Group A. on human dimension suggested that Manual work, hobbies and the rest should run all the stages.

On Christian dimensions they suggested that Christian psychology should be the way it is petulancy and the novitiate and the spiritual reading should be for both petulancy and novitiate and made meditation should go all through all the stages of the formation the postulancy, novitiate and the second year novitiate.

The issue of care for elderly Brothers all took Centre stage and concluded that 

Group B. suggested that critical thinking should be the way it is but with much emphasis, enculturation should start from the prenovitiate. Teaching methodologies should be taken out of the curriculum. Social media should start right away from the prenovitiate all to novitiate.

Hobbies and manual work should be on both prenovitiate and novitiate. On prayer, meditation should be taken out because it is a repetition.

On Christian dimension, liturgy should start from prenovitiate and Mariology should start prenovitiate all through the stages. Learning about saints should start from the prenovitiate and ecclesiology should start in novitiate.

Accompaniment and spiritual direction should run from prenovitiate through all the stages while canon law should start from novitiate to apostolic year.

On religious dimension community experience should run through all the stages.

The history of the consecrated life should be done both prenovitiate and novitiate.

Intercultural workshop should be moved to novitiate.

On general comments one brother said that whatever will be taught at PSI the Indonesians will not have chance to experience.

Cultural Sensitivity session

In the afternoon session, Bro. Peter Agboso came up with a presentation on cultural Sensitivity. He tackled areas like, racism & Ethnicity, Culture & Tribe, Orientations Developed, Cultural Sensitivity, Intercultural, Communication and transformation.

The Participants were made aware of Cultural Barriers and Enhancing Intercultural Communication as a way of enhancing cultural sensitivity.

He concluded that Cultural sensitivity means that you are aware and accepting of cultural differences with respect. 

Furthermore, implies that you withhold judgment of cross-cultural practices. Cultural sensitivity is integral in any cross-cultural relationship

It means, being aware that cultural differences and similarities between people exist and it is real.

Brothers finally agreed that due to the lost time the last presentation of the day development of the FIC charism will not be done but to fixed somewhere later on. So everything ended with a closing prayer at 5:45pm.

Reported by: Bro. Trustful M.