IMCS-MIEC PAX ROMANA ELECTS A NEW INTERNATIONAL TEAM FOR THE 2024-2027 ADMINISTRATIVE YEAR

IMCS-MIEC Pax Romana’s leadership has been evolving over the past century with capable leaders seeking to ensure that the Movement continues the mission of ‘Mobilizing students for peace and justice’. Ultimately, the following team was elected to lead the Movement to achieve the objectives of the final plan of action approved by the 2023 delegates of the World Assembly for the next four years. The election took place at the International Youth Training Centre (IYTC) in Chiang Mai, Thailand on July 8, 2023.

WILLIAM NOKREK, International President

William served as the recent Asia Pacific Regional Coordinator from 2019 to 2022. He is an indigenous person from Garo community of Kaowakuri, Sherpur of Bangladesh. 

He is a graduate in Journalism, Communication and Media Studies and has a wider grasp of current realities of youth struggles. As a Journalist, he uses his skills in documentation and visual communication to champion the concerns of young people, especially the marginalized communities like the indigenous people. He has been a member of different movements most of his life and led in different capacities. And for the better part of the last decade, he has been working in IMCS-MIEC Pax Romana specifically as a Human rights activist, towards protection of rights of indigenous peoples and Marginalised Communities in Bangladesh and Asia Pacific region; towards Student empowerment, Youth Rights and Meaningful Participation.

Emphatically quoting Pope Francis, as he also called on young people to be “agents of social change”, referencing the Papal message to mark the Pax Romana Centenary Celebration. In addition, William said “I’ve learned and felt that human rights, indigenous peoples’ rights and environmental justice have not just been my passion and work but now it’s become my fundamental commitment. I believe that power is in these young people.”

FASIKA LACHORE LABA, International Secretary-General

Fasika served as the recent Pan Africa Regional Coordinator from 2019 to 2022. He is an Ethiopian and has BSc in Information Technology, Msc in Software Engineering and Pursuing Master Degree in Development Studies at Catholic University of Eastern African.. With a profound dedication to advancing social justice and an unwavering commitment to serving others, he believes that his extensive skills and experiences will help him lead the Movement to achieve its objectives during the Administrative Year.

He has been responsible for East, West, and South Africa through correspondence, planning and managing annual projects aimed at empowering young people. And fundraising for country-specific programs as well as managing the finances and the staff of the secretariat.

As a member of the Movement for over a decade, he has engaged in policy dialogues on various platforms for campaigns, advocacy, formation. And the outcome the Coordination working together is the development of the Child Safeguarding and Welfare Policy for the organization involved in human rights advocacy and monitoring the development of strategic campaigns. Part of his mission is managing resources, developing and growing partnerships and engaging stakeholders by promoting peace, social justice, and empowering young people through an organized entrepreneurial skills and development training for youth participation and sustenance.

FR JOJO M. FUNG SJ, International Chaplain

Fr Jojo is a Jesuit Priest from Malaysia. He served in various capacities within the Asia Pacific Regional Coordination. Currently, he is also an Assistant Professor at the Loyola School of Theology in Manila, Philippines. 

Having collaborated with the 2020-2023 International Team, and working with the Chaplains and lay animators at the global, Latin American, Pan Africa and Asia Pacific and European levels, Fr Jojo is motivated to continue accompanying a few more generations of chaplains and laywomen/men animators based on this unshakable conviction: “IMCS is as strong as the animators & Chaplains are formed”. With his experiences of spearheading the Chaplains, Lay Animators and Elders Commission, he see the need for continuity as there are lots of works to be done in the next four years (2024-2027) to lay the foundation for a strong IMCS-MIEC in the next 10 years if the movement is to be sustained in the next 100 years till 2121, especially coordinating with regional chaplains onwards. He stated clearly his mission to accompany the new team in building up and sustaining the training programs for the formation of committed leadership of our tertiary students throughout the world at the training and formation centres being established by IMCS-MIEC Pax Romana (namely IYTC, PRCC and the future centres). As the Team’s Accompanier, he seeks to support to strengthen and coordinate closer parternship with civil society organizations, UN agencies, officials in the Dicasteries in Vatican, FABC and local Bishop Conferences to continue promoting IMCS-MIEC Pax Romana’s mission.

They will be working with outgoing International Team and the current International Coordinating Team members;

Ravi Tissera Warnakulasooriya – International President (Outgoing)

Victor Kweku Ayertey, International Secretary-General (Outgoing)

In a nutshell, the significance of the paths we thread towards addressing the needs of the coming years and our impact on the next generations guides us as a Student, Church and an Educational Movement as well as an International Organization.