Solidarity is a two-way path: there is always someone who needs more. Although the Brazilian Amazon is a priori a place where solidarity is received from others, this value can always be learned and practiced regardless of the circumstances.
From a generalist point of view, with little detail, solidarity is usually conceived as a redistribution of resources: those who have more share with those who suffer vulnerability or lack of opportunities. And in general, it could be.
However, in detail, solidarity is a two-way path. Regardless of their circumstances, any human is simultaneously an active and passive subject of solidarity. As a value of sociability and empathy, solidarity is theoretically and practically learned. And as a universal value, there is no human being who cannot learn and practice solidarity, no matter how difficult a situation they live in.
The Augustinian-Recollect International Solidarity Network ARCORES celebrates its Solidarity Heart Day every year with a double purpose: to raise awareness about solidarity as an indispensable value and practical collaboration with some specific projects.
The Hope Center of Pauiní (Amazonas, Brazil) is one of the socio-educational projects of the Augustinian-Recollect Family, in this case, developed in conjunction with the Prelature of Lábrea. It offers children a safe space where they can receive food, learn in semi-professional and cultural workshops, strengthen social ties and conscious citizenship, practice sports, and enjoy healthy leisure time.
It is the way to keep its beneficiaries off the streets and prevent some of the scourges that occur in the region due to a lack of resources, hope, and opportunities. The younger population, without this support, is a breeding ground for illegal activities or for starting in different dependencies.
At the Hope Center, they find companions and friends and are guided by monitors. They learn and practice social values to become conscious citizens as adults, subjects of rights, and responsible for their obligations.
From July 22 to 26, the Hope Center, as part of the Augustinian-Recollect Family, has celebrated the Solidarity Heart Day 2024. The beneficiaries felt part of an international Campaign, united with people from all over the world; solidarity unites hearts and purposes, and a better world is built regardless of the barriers of borders, languages, or access to resources.
The Campaign followed the same themes, slogans, and training proposed by ARCORES in 2024, “Great in the small,” with humility as the central theme: how to be close to the most vulnerable, recognize oneself as part of a whole, know how to listen, live and materialize that everything, even the smallest, adds up; the advantages of austerity as a norm of life; and learn from others.
After the various training sessions and recreational activities, on the 26th, a charity party was prepared with games, food, and drink for sale to support the three projects of the campaign this year: the Augustinian Recollects and the Augustinian Recollect Missionaries in Argentina, Ecuador, and Sierra Leone.
In this way, a project that usually receives external funding joins the campaign to show solidarity with others. Along with the recreational week, the young beneficiaries have enjoyed the joy of sharing, the happiness of generosity, and the encouragement of giving.
