In July, Jesuit Mission Australia hosted a six-day workshop in Bali with 47 participants – Jesuits and lay collaborators from Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Laos, Timor-Leste, Myanmar, Indonesia, Taiwan, Spain, the Philippines, and Australia.

As part of Jesuit Mission’s commitment to offering programmes that strengthen the skills, knowledge, and practice of its international Jesuit partners, the workshop fostered a dynamic space where participants could explore a development approach grounded in subsidiarity.

The focus was on Asset Based Community-led Development (ABCD) – a strengths-based approach that empowers communities to lead their own transformation using the assets they already possess. As a result, communities will benefit by being placed at the centre of their own development—with solutions shaped by their own voices, traditions, and aspirations. Rather than being passive recipients of aid, they become active agents of change, building on what they already know and have.

“It required a shift in our thinking,” said Kath Rosic, Jesuit Mission’s Director of International Programs. “We moved from assessing what communities lack to identifying and nurturing what they already have – their gifts, talents, networks, stories and traditions.”

The sessions focused on appreciative inquiry, asset mapping, and participatory processes. Participants are eager to translate the tools into local languages and apply them across ministries.

What unfolded was more than a workshop – it was a vibrant expression of Ignatian companionship in action. Each day included prayer, music, reflection, and shared meals, reinforcing that development is as much about relationships as it is about outcomes.

As one participant reflected, “Firstly, I want to implement this in my own life; then in my family and the communities where I work.” Others expressed a renewed sense of mission and intention to apply ABCD in planning and evaluation.