Early initiatives

The Cardijn Center for Development

The CLC Manila team had already launched their Cardijn Center for Development in the year 2000 under the leadership of Juanito Penequito, Baltazar Pascual and Dennis Jorolan.

Based at the Asian Social Institute in central Manila, CCD worked on compiling the history of the Philippines YCW.
Visit by Cardijn to the Philippines in 1966

Programs and projects included a community organising project among unemployed workers in the Santa Lucia neighbourhood of Manila. A livelihood pilot project is under way.

Later CCD undertook a regional (Asia-Pacific) study together with Asia Worker Solidarity Network on the issue of workers in the informal sector. Recently, a Labor Flexibility campaign was launched.
Juanito Penequito, President and CEO

Balthazar Pascual, Director Publications, Research and Development

Dennis Jorolan, Director Information Systems and Resource Development


Bert Hernandez, Director, Socio-Economic Alternative Projects

Computer Training for Karen refugees in Thailand

As its first small scale training program, CLC Coordinator Rungrote Tangsurakit and Gregory Mahn Htun organised a computer training course for a group of Karen refugees from Myanmar.

The program was hosted by St John's University, Bangkok, who kindly offered the use of their facilities and their staff to provide the training.

A leadership training program was also organised in conjunction with the Karen Youth Leadership and Management Training Program.





Middle: CLC Coordinator Rungrote Tangsurakit organised several training programs for Karen refugees in Thailand.

Vatican II + 40 2002

As its first major event, the CLC organised a conference in Bangkok, Thailand to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Vatican II.

Sixty people from 13 countries attended the 11-13 conference on the theme "Vatican II in the age of globalisation".

Cardijn Lay Community

The meeting held at Bangkok gave another impetus for the CLC to come together to discuss the question of expanding the network. It was at this meeting, it was decided to change the name from Cardijn Liaison Committee to Cardijn Lay Community.

Fundraising Training

CLC members also assisted in the organisation and hosting of two training sessions in 2002 and 2003 on fundraising held in conjunction with the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace of Thailand and CCFD France.

Young People for Development

CLC also took the lead in hosting and organising the Young People for Development Exchange and Training Program from 5 - 25 August 2003 in Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

Once again this program was organised in conjunction with CCFD France which had requested to organise a program for members of a local MIJARC team based in northern France.

Working with other CCFD partners in South East Asia, a program was organised for over 60 young people.

In turn, this led to the formation of a network of young people also known as Young People for Development.

Young People for Development 2003- As an offshoot of the quest for developing a network of young people towards development activities, it was decided to float an outfit called Young People for Development at a meeting in Chiangmai in 2003. This network is an independent and autonomous movement for young people.

This network also uses the See - Judge - Act methodology and is open to young people of all faiths.

CLC also assisted in the organisation of the second YPD program held in Chiang Mai, Thailand and Hanoi, Vietnam in August 2004.

From 2005, YPD operated as an autonomous network of young people working for development.

New Pentecost

In 2005, CLC launched a new program New Pentecost which was planned as an ongoing follow up to the Vatican 2 + 40 program.

Chico Whitaker, co-founder of the World Social Forum, and a former member of the University YCS in Brazil, was invited to make a tour of South East Asia and the Pacific to launch the New Pentecost program.

This successful event led to the organisation of successive New Pentecost programs in following years on a greater or smaller scale.