“Unity is founded on the covenant of love to which God calls all the community members. This implies welcome and respect for differences. Such unity presupposes that the person with a handicap is at the centre of community life. The same sense of communion unites the various communities throughout the world. Bound together by solidarity and mutual commitment, they form a world-wide family.”
– Charter of L’Arche
“Unity is founded on the covenant of love to which God calls all the community members. This implies welcome and respect for differences. Such unity presupposes that the person with a handicap is at the centre of community life. The same sense of communion unites the various communities throughout the world. Bound together by solidarity and mutual commitment, they form a world-wide family.”As part of an international federation, we at L’Arche have more readily available opportunities to recognize within our world the beautiful diversity of our cultures and religions. We also have opportunites to see first hand the vast differences between countries with regards to access to material resources.
This reality calls us to promote understanding and interdependence among the countries and communities of L’Arche. In the Americas, L’Arche has created programs to encourage solidarity between communities. Relationships are built up through assistant exchanges, establishing sister communities, providing financial support, prayers, retreats and personal visits. These connections that are made at the community level also promote understanding and unity between and within our cultures as well.