The ecological crisis, the globalised call for environmental stewardship promulgated in Laudato si’ and the 2015 UN Conference on Climate Change in Paris have brought the concept of “sustainability of life” to the fore. These have raised the need for critical reflection on sustainability in the light of the innovative praxis of local communities, particularly the indigenous peoples.
A group of 17 consisting of 10 Jesuit scholastics, one priest, five Religious sisters and one lay woman came together recently to learn, re-learn and unlearn with our Indigenous sisters and brothers in Tarlac, Philippines. Their two-week immersion was part of the Asia Pacific Contextual Theology for Engagement Programme (ACOTEP) planned for students of the Loyola School of Theology but Religious sisters and lay students of the Institute of Formation and Religious Studies and Institute for Consecrated Life in Asia were invited to participate.
A group of young indigenous people from the mountains of Hsinchu in Taiwan recently took the initiative to share their customs and traditions with Indonesian, Filipino and Vietnamese domestic care workers working in their country.
A group of prominent legal, human rights and social services organisations has urged Australia’s Attorneys-Generals to increase the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12.
A new programme designed to foster understanding of Indigenous Peoples and their culture among Christian religious and laity was formally launched in April in the Philippines. The first Asia Pacific Contextual Theology Program for Engagement Project (ACOTEP) was held from April 6 to 20 in Bukidnon, after a pilot run in Bendum and Zamboanguita, Bukidnon last year.
Jesuit Social Services (JSS) recently organised the opening and blessing of the Atitjere Church, a project it co-facilitated in the Sandover region of Australia’s Northern Territory. JSS’ involvement in the project stems back to 2012, when its Central Australian team was invited to visit the Atitjere community, 215 kilometres from Alice Springs at the foot of Mount Palmer.
The recent Jesuit Companions in Indigenous Ministry meeting in Myanmar provided its participants with fresh opportunities to reflect on their own contexts. There are 135 ethnic communities in Myanmar, who constitute one third of the country’s population of 56 million. The largest minority groups are the Shan (9%), the Karen (7%), and the rest combined constitute less than 5 % of the population.
When the Philippine’s newest freeport was established seven years ago in Casiguran, Aurora province, a large-scale protest among the affected residents and various groups erupted. The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport (APECO) aimed to transform more than 12,000 hectares of Casiguran land into a commercial, industrial, agro-industrial, and tourist hub to usher development throughout the province.
From Australia has come a new online book, The Francis Effect: Living the Joy of the Gospel, which offers insights from Catholic leaders in the country on the challenges and inspiration needed to fully live the joy of the Gospel in varied ministries. Jointly published by Catholic Mission and Catholic Religious Australia, The Francis Effect is an opportunity to engage with Evangelii Gaudium in an active and practical way.
Redfern Jarjum College, a Jesuit primary school for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, was officially opened on April 13, with a number of dignitaries giving the school and its students their blessing.