OFFICIAL NAME
International Kolping Society
ACRONYM
IKS
ALSO KNOWN AS
Kolping International
ESTABLISHED
1849
HISTORY
IKS was founded in Cologne, Germany, by a young priest, Adolph Kolping, to contribute to seeking solutions to the urgent social problems that had been created by the industrial Revolution, including the plight of young tradesmen and apprentices, who had no social recognition or moral guidance. The Society began as a Catholic Association of Trade Apprentices, and in the early days it was mainly committed to integrating tradesmen into society through self-help initiatives and by creating solidarity structures. Kolping’s insight was completely consistent with the teaching of Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum. After 1968, taking up the invitation which Paul VI extended to all Christians through Populorum Progressio to participate in co-ordinated action for the comprehensive development of man and development in solidarity of all humanity, IKS launched development programmes and established selfhelp organisations worldwide. On 27 October 1991, Adolph Kolping was beatified by John Paul II.
IDENTITY
IKS, whose work is imbued with the person and message of Jesus Christ, the social teaching of the Church and the ideals and work of Adolph Kolping, sets out to enable its members to prove themselves as Christians in the workplace, in marriage and the family, in the Church, society and political life; to promote solidarity and the common good in a Christian spirit, and in outreach to international cooperation; to work constantly to build up a more humane society. Consistent with the principle of subsidiarity, all the efforts of the society are designed to help those who need training and formation to be able to use their resources and become architects of their own growth.
ORGANISATION
The official organs of IKS are the International Convention which decides on the programmes and the composition of the international management bodies; the Board of Directors, on which all the national Kolping Societies having at least 1000 members are represented. It elects the Executive Board, made up of seven members including the General Praeses, a priest succeeding Kolping, the Executive Director, and the Secretary General. Similar bodies exist at every level of the association. The basic structure of IKS are the so-called "Kolping Families" which normally work in parishes, and which taken together form the diocesan Kolping Societies. In order to create a Kolping Society, there must be at least 10 Kolping Families in one and the same country.
MEMBERSHIP
IKS has 5,000 Families, with a membership of about 450,000 people, in 54 countries, as follows: Africa (11), Asia (6), Europe (22), North America (5), and South America (10).
PUBLICATIONS
International Kolping News, monthly newsletter; Dialogue, published twice a year.
WEB SITE
HEADQUARTERS
Internationales Kolpingswerk
Kolpingplatz, 5/11
D- 50667 Cologne - Germany
Tel. [+49]221.2070148 - Fax 221.2070146
Email: ikw@kolping.de
