The annual meeting of the Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat with the Secretaries for Social Ministries from the six regional Conferences of the Society of Jesus began on Monday, 11 May, 2026 in Rome.

The meeting, organised by Roberto Jaramillo SJ, leader of the Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat, together with his dedicated team, provided the opportunity for those present to learn more about the realities being faced by people and communities around the world; about the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation, especially on those pushed to the margins; and about how the Society of Jesus, through its people and institutions, is responding to these increasingly complex needs.

The Secretaries from the six Jesuit Conferences— Filipe Martins SJ (Europe), Rampe Hlobo (Africa and Madagascar), Julie Edwards (Asia Pacific), Agnaldo Junior (Latin America), Jerald D’Souza (South Asia) and Chris Kellerman (Canada and the United States)—provided an analysis of their socio-political contexts, challenges being contended with, and potential opportunities to bring about social change.

We met for four days, including two days with the Coordinators of the Global Ignatian Advocacy Network’s thematic priorities – Integral Ecology (Fr John Kennedy SJ), Justice in Mining (Sergio Cabrales), Forced Migration (Fr Alberto Ares SJ was not able to attend and was well represented by Fr Bernard Jado SJ), and Right to Education (Fr Dani Villaneuva SJ). Our days had a rhythm of prayer, input and reflective conversation, discernment, planning, and Mass—including one day with Father General Arturo Soso SJ.

Throughout the meeting, the value of partnerships and collaboration with others of goodwill was highlighted—we recognised that we are just one part of an ecosystem of people, communities, and organisations striving to bring about justice and reconciliation. These collaborations vary across regions and bring us into partnership with church and faith-based organisations, civil society groups, academic institutions, governments, community service organisations, and grassroots movements. This underlined the importance of strengthening networks in order to best respond to current and emerging social and environmental challenges. In the face of diminishing resources being dedicated to these efforts and the interconnected nature of the problems we seek to address and the world we want to build, it was reinforced how critical it is that we understand the way that these key concerns intersect and compound each other and require more joined-up and sustainable responses.

Our meeting with the Coordinators of the Global Ignatian Advocacy Network (GIAN) initiatives centred on how to strengthen advocacy efforts so that they may become more coordinated, effective, and transformative. Again, the need for greater collaboration and networking was seen as a priority, along with the need to strengthen capabilities to work in this way and to direct resources to support these efforts.

During our meeting, we met with the Executive Director of Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), Br Michael Schöpf SJ; and we later reflected on how each Conference is witnessing the fallout from people’s displacement and forced migration, increasingly related to climate change, and the ugly “scapegoating” that is occurring in many parts of the world of people who are forced into this situation.

Two members of Father General’s Advisory Council, Fr Jojo Magadia SJ and Fr Joseph Christie SJ, and Marco Emanuele, Assistant to the Secretariat for Education, also joined us for part of the meeting, providing an opportunity to consider how our various apostolates can work together as one body with a shared mission.

On Thursday, 14 May, the SJES Annual Report was launched in the Aula of the Jesuit Curia with about 60 guests attending (and more than 100 others joining online). The launch was a valuable opportunity to share the work, highlights, and graces of Jesuit social justice and ecology ministries from around the world.

We were grateful to celebrate this with friends and colleagues from within the Society of Jesus and beyond.