On December 8, as a concrete sign of commitment to the Jubilee Year of Mercy, the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) launched the “Mercy in Motion” advocacy and fundraising campaign to expand and strengthen their education programmes. JRS’ goal is to provide educational services to 100,000 more refugees than they currently serve by the year 2020.
Mercy in Motion reflects the words of Pope Francis: “mercy is not an abstract idea, but a concrete reality… We are called to look beyond, to focus on the heart to see how much generosity everyone is capable of.”
For 35 years, JRS has focussed on education as a means to build peace and foster the development of more resilient and cohesive societies. Funds raised by the Mercy in Motion campaign will implement the JRS Global Education Initiative, which aims to robustly expand both formal and informal education programmes – spanning from primary school to university, and including vocational and teacher training.
Pope Francis has long urged believers to welcome refugees, noting the world is currently suffering from a “globalisation of indifference,” ignoring those who cry out for mercy. Pope Francis directed JRS to undertake this Global Education Initiative during an audience with JRS staff and supporters on November 14, saying, “to give a child a seat at school is the finest gift you can give…. For children forced to emigrate, schools are places of freedom.”
JRS International Director Fr Thomas Smolich SJ said, “As human beings, we are often at the mercy of war, of nature, of governments – of forces beyond our control. For this reason, nearly 60 million people worldwide have been forced to flee their homes, constantly moving. But for people living in motion, those who cannot take possessions can bring knowledge and change their world.”
A quality education gives refugees the tools not only to contribute to their new communities, but also to rebuild their old ones. Refugees face a variety of barriers trying to access education, from overcrowding in schools to xenophobia in host communities. Their fundamental right to education is often lost. Among refugee children globally, only 36 percent go to secondary school and less than one percent have the opportunity to pursue a higher education.
JRS serves the most vulnerable, where the need is greatest. For this reason, Mercy in Motion will focus more heavily on youth – secondary and university education, as well as vocational- and teacher training programmes.
At the November 14 audience, Pope Francis encouraged the more than 100 JRS staff and supporters in attendance to “help refugees grow in self-confidence, to realise their highest inherent potential and be able to defend their rights as individuals and communities”. Inspired by his encouragement, JRS teams in cities and refugee camps around the world will expand existing educational programmes and make sure the potential of thousands of refugee children and young adults is not wasted.
“We must show mercy to those who are at the mercy of outside forces,” said Fr Smolich. “We must mobilise ourselves for those who are in motion.” [Jesuit Refugee Service]
To learn more about Mercy in Motion, visit mercy-in-motion.org, and follow the campaign’s Facebook page here. You can also watch the video below.
Mercy in Motion Press ConferenceJRS International Office video for the official launch of the Mercy in Motion Campaign press conference held at Radio Vatican in Rome, on December 10th, 2015The video illustrates what JRS programmes will be about: The Global Education Initiative that aims to provide education to 100,000 refugees worldwide in addition to the 120,000 already served by the Jesuit NGO, and why it is so important to provide this service to them.The video begins and ends with Pope Francis’ words of wisdom and compassion, praising the work done by JRS for the most vulnerable. His words of endorsement for the Mercy in Motion campaign, which clearly belong into the wider theme of the Year of Mercy, are a great inspiration and motivation for all of us, our partners and donors.
Posted by Mercy in Motion – providing education, investing in peace on Monday, December 14, 2015
Photo caption: Secondary school students attend class in Kounoungou refugee camp in Guereda, Chad. Only 36 percent of refugees go to secondary school.
Related story: Pope Francis supports global education initiative for refugee children and youth