The association
Since 1979, following a strong encounter with the Gospel, people belonging to Via Pacis Association (at the time Shalom) had started to donate a substantial part of their earnings to help the poor through known missionaries. To manage officially and transparently the offers collected, Via Pacis Onlus Association was established in 1994.
Many people have decided to join the initial small group of members of the newly formed Association over the years and contribute in carrying on this great dream of solidarity.
Schools, committees, municipalities, provincial and regional authorities have supported the Association in carrying out its projects and encourage it not to stop until every poor person will involve us in need of solidarity, peace, justice, equality.
The objectives
Via Pacis aims to be “next” for those who are still excluded from the most essential human rights with the great desire to transmit, first of all, a message of peace and reconciliation of hearts and of personal, social and political relationships:
“We have to share a gift that arouses forgiveness, reconciliation, reciprocal love: the world asks us to bring this first. True solidarity, fruit of peace and serenity lived by reconciled and joyful hearts, will only grow on this ground.” (Paolo Maino)
Through its statutory activities the Association aims to achieve the followings:
- to cooperate for the realization of programmes in the poor countries of the world through fundraising activities;
- to encourage human, social and economic promotion of communities, villages, cooperatives of populations in difficulty;
- to promote cultural and cooperation initiatives for raising awareness of the problems of justice, development, environment, peace, through the press and dissemination of materials, organization of meetings, conferences, events.