Twenty nine people, Jesuits and partners, from 17 countries in our region involved in the social apostolate met in Manila, the Philippines, from 17 – 21 August. Participants came from the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, East Timor, Micronesia, Australia, Korea, China, Taiwan, Japan, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam (only Laos and Thailand were not represented). Fernando Franco SJ, Director of the Social Justice Secretariat in Rome, was also a participant.
The purpose of the meeting was: to initiate effective networks for cooperation in mission among Jesuit networks and with others in the region; to identify how we will engage in the Ignatian Advocacy Network; to identify practical plans of action for each unit.
During the meeting we had the opportunity to hear a little of the problems that each country is facing and current responses in place to respond to these problems.
We then heard from Fernando Franco. He spoke of the call of the recent General Congregation 35 for us to act as one body for a universal mission. He told us that Father General, as a means to guide the re-organisation of the Curia, has proposed five apostolic goals for the whole Society of Jesus. The second goal, "Apostolic Discernment and Planning", speaks of the need of the Society to discern in "different parts of the world and at every level" the frontiers we are called to and that this implies a process of "creative and daring evaluation of all our apostolates that might lead to ongoing apostolic planning". Fernando spoke of the ongoing development of the Ignatian Advocacy Network as a response of the social sector to look for new challenges and evaluate the global impact of our social engagement.
Following the Ignatian Advocacy Forum held in Spain in November 2008, eight networks have been established corresponding to the eight themes that were identified as requiring a transnational or international response.
These networks will address:
- Migration
- Peace and human rights
- Right of quality of education for all
- Overseas development aid
- Models of alternative development
- Governance of natural resources, displaced/indigenous peoples
- Ecology
- Inter-religious dialogue (including religious and ethnic fundamentalism).
Fernando put a number of challenges to the group including, at a Conference (regional) level, our preparedness to:
- Look for frontiers at the Conference level (in terms of geographic areas and issues
- Discern and make apostolic choices including preparedness to give up some current work and choose something new
- As a body, be sufficiently free and mobile to move to the frontiers
- Break "Provincialism"; be available
- Prioritise frontiers and not institutions.
At the universal/global level he put a number of challenges to us including our preparedness to:
- Look for frontiers at the universal/global level (in terms of geographic areas and issues)
- Devote resources (people and money) to networking and collaboration with others internationally
- Move from the local to the global and then back to the local
- Engage universities, spiritual centres and schools in one mission.
Fernando spoke of a significant addition to our mission flowing out of GC35. Since GC32 in 1972 the Society has made ‘faith doing justice’ a priority i.e. being in right relationship with God (faith) being expressed through being in right relationship with others (justice). From GC35 now comes the direction to be in right relationship with the earth (harmony).
The call of GC 35 to act as one body for a universal mission was discussed. The following questions were put to us for our consideration: are we one body? Or are we "individual apostolic entrepreneurs engaged in sectoral works"? Do we have a universal mission or only a local mission? That is my parish, school, my Province.
GC 35 also called on the Society to engage in advocacy as a means to put in practice the Jesuit mission of reconciliation and the call to build bridges. "The complexity of the problems we face and the richness of the opportunities offered demand that we build bridges between the rich and the poor, establishing advocacy links of mutual support between those who hold political power and those who find it difficult to voice their interest"(D 3, no 28).
Fernando described the new structures of Jesuit governance that establish a new apostolic role for the six Presidents of Conferences (Mark Raper SJ is the President of our Conference). This has opened the way for more universal and global forms of apostolic government that provide a natural setting for the development of the Ignatian Advocacy Network.
From GC 35 re Conferences: "Conferences are structures oriented for mission and not mere instruments of inter-provincial coordination" (D 5, no 18a). "Conferences are structures of cooperation among Provinces and Regions regarding specific inter- and supra-provincial aspects of mission (common works, formation centres, networking, inter-provincial teams, geographic locations, etc. While Conferences do not constitute a new level of government between the General and the Provincials, they offer an opportunity to enhance the governance of Provincials by enabling them to care for the mission of the Society beyond their own Provinces".
The important point of all this for Jesuit Social Services is that we are being asked to understand ourselves as part of the wider Jesuit network, sharing one universal mission and working in partnership with others, as members of the one body.
Mark Raper SJ then addressed the group and highlighted the diversity and dynamism of our region. He pointed out some features of our region e.g. it has 40% of the world’s population; it has the country with the largest Muslim population in the world (Indonesia); it has huge disparity in terms of wealth (East Timor being one of the poorest countries in the world), diversity in religions, cultures, political ideologies and governments. Mark reinforced Fernando’s call for those in this region to consider themselves as one body with a universal mission – specifically to consider how we could think anew about our current work and local priorities, how we could get greater impact by operating in collaboration with others where we have joint concerns and how we could support others in their works.
The focus of the meeting then turned to consider priorities for our Conference (region). The following were identified:
- Further mapping of current work and needs; support at Conference level eg to the President and to the Social Apostolate Coordinator
- Formation of Jesuits (with awareness of need for formation of lay partners)
- Jesuit Social Services
- Migration
- Environment
- Regional priorities i.e. Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam and East Timor.
Groups were then formed to discuss priorities and after that to discuss on the country level, activities for the year. Next year, the group will meet again, this time with a major focus on migration. (Source: essc.org.ph)