International Young Catholic Students
Contrary to the MIEC which, since 1921, coordinated existing experiences, the JECI was born as the development of Catholic Action movements in 1925.
Several JEC movements developed at that stage (Flanders, Wallonia, France, Germany,…) This development was pulled to a stop by the II World War.
The International JEC was born in 1946 on the initiative of Canada, United States and France : an eight-day session (1st-8th September) defined the fundamental orientations of JEC (signed by the movements from Canada, Czechoslovakia, Luxembourg, Flanders, Wallonia, the United States, Italy, France).
Without getting too far into the details of the objectives and pedagogy of JECI , let’s remind some elements of this initial definition: a movement of Catholic Action, educational movement, a movement for the evangelization of students, the importance of grass-roots team as the basic cell of students community, a way of life, the search for complete humanism, etc.