Alliance for International Monasticism

An Alliance serving Monastic Communities of the Benedictine Tradition throughout the world Benedictines, Cistercians, Trappists and Bernardines to build up relationships between the monasteries of Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania.

History

1959	Congress of Benedictine Abbots takes the first step towards the creation of a secretariat.
1961	Statement of the Abbot General of the Cistercians of the Strict Observance on the missionary role of monks. The Abbot Primate of the Benedictine Confederation establishes a 'Secretariat for Mission'.
1964	First pan-African monastic meeting at Bouaké, Ivory Coast.
1966	The Abbot's Congress approves the setting up of the Secretariat: 'Aide à l'Implantation Monastique' (A.I.M.) to include Asia and America as well as Africa.
1968	First pan-Asiatic meeting in Bangkok, Thailand.
1972	First Latin-American meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
1976	AIM renamed Aide Inter-Monastères.
1997	AIM, as a growing international network, is restructured as Alliance Inter Monastères, (Alliance for International Monasticism) with a new statement of objectives.
On theThreshold of the Third Millennium	Between 1967 and 1997 an average of five foundations a year have been made. The current figures are: Africa & Madagascar: 97 communities Latin America: 123 communities Asia: 90 communities Oceania:11 communities