4. Informal Contacts and Conventions

    In addition to the structures for collaboration and dialog, there are a number of informal contacts and meetings. Some members of the UISG are invited to participate in USG meetings and vice versa. Meetings of the two UISG-USG Councils take place periodically. There have also been regular contacts with the Latin American Conference of Religious (CLAR) and with various National Conferences of Major Superiors.

    Meetings have been held to discuss regional situations. One of the most important was the one that took place in 1981 to examine the ecclesial situation in Central America. Also in 1981, the USG gave its support to an International Study to assist the Conferences and other groups to prevent, and seek solutions to, the drug problem.

    The USG has also taken part in discussions organized by the MAC (Meetings for African Collaboration or RCA), which brings together the Bishops of Africa.

    The USG organized two important Conventions in the 1990s: the Congress on the Consecrated Life (1993), with a view to the possibility of a synod on the theme and, in collaboration with the UISG, the International Congress of Young Men and Women Religious (1997). Almost 600 religious took part in the first and 830 in the second, from 70 different nations and almost 400 men and women’s religious Institutes.