A meeting of African Carmelite leaders and formators took place from the 22nd January 2015 to the 26th January 2015, at the spiritual centre of the Carmelite Missionary Sisters of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The meeting began with the assessment of the hopes and expectations of the brothers, and by reflecting on issues of methodology, group dynamics and timetable.
Three major presentations were given at the meeting one by Fr. Noel Rosas, O.Carm, Administrative Secretary for Formation and by the General Councillor for Africa. Fr. Noel spoke on: Leadership and Formation in an Asian Context: Experiences and Hopes for the Future – Lessons for Africa, and two further inputs were given by Fr. Conrad Mutizamhepo, O.Carm. one on leadership and a second on formation entitled 1. An Appropriate Model of Carmelite Leadership in Africa? Exploring Servant Leadership: Fears and Hopes for the Future; 2. Forming the Next Generation of Carmelites in Africa: Experiences, Challenges and Hopes. The sharing and discussions that followed related to the questions raised by these conferences. The group discussion and sharing in the plenary sessions were lively and focused on the real issues affecting Carmel in Africa.
The difficult task of instant translation from English to French and Portuguese, and vice versa, during the conferences as well as during the tour of Zanzibar, were done by Fr. Miceal O’Neill, O.Carm. The event would not have been possible without the full cooperation and continuous collaboration of the Carmelite Friars at Bunju, Dar es Salaam.
