A funding pitfall in education for the Burmese refugees along the Thai border may negatively affect their preparedness to go home.
The focus of the international donor community is shifting from the camps towards Burma, and a lack of sufficient resources has forced many organisations working in the camps, such as Jesuit Refugee Service, to make cutbacks to critical programmes like schooling.
The social apostolate needs to be approached from the perspective of Ignatian Spirituality, which provides a new way of seeing all things. Fr Patxi Alvarez SJ, Director of the Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat in Rome, made this point at the JCAP Social Apostolate meeting in August.
Jesuits and collaborators working with migrants and refugees in Asia Pacific gathered in Manila recently to share insights and ideas for co-operation among the migrant ministries within the Conference.
The two-day meeting organised by the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific was held on June 30 and July 1, in conjunction with a migration conference, “Migration, Religious Experience and Mission with Migrants in Asia”, organised by the Loyola School of Theology and the Scalabrini Migration Center.
In a recent interview, Fr Enrique (Kike) Figaredo Alvargonzález SJ, Apostolic Prefect of Battambang, spoke of the suffering of the Church in Cambodia under the persecution of the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s.
“It is a martyr Church,” said Fr Figaredo. “The Church in Cambodia was completely levelled. All our leaders… bishops, priests, nuns, many catechists, were killed. Those who weren’t killed died of hunger or disease, and the community remained in a very bad state.”
The suffering did not end after the end of the regime.
Myanmar is at a crossroads; an exciting point in its history as a nation. One of the poorest, most ethnically diverse and conflict-prone societies in Southeast Asia, Myanmar is now emerging from decades of isolation. Changes are afoot, as the release, election to parliament and recent travel abroad of Aung San Suu Kyi demonstrate. A parliament is in place; interim elections passed without major offences. Many political prisoners have been released. The demands to halt construction of the Irrawaddy Dam project appear to have been heeded.
Jesuit Refugee Service Asia Pacific has published a practical guide for advocates of asylum seekers and refugees in five countries in Southeast Asia. Entitled “The Search: Protection Space in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, The Philippines and Cambodia in Practice”, the document will help advocates in these countries to give accurate informat
The Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific has produced a modest 16-page annual report, simply titled “Jesuits in Asia Pacific 2012”.
Portuguese Jesuit Father José Alves Martíns was one of six consecrated religious men awarded Timor Leste’s second highest medal by the newly sworn-in President, Taur Matan Ruak, on the occasion of 10th anniversary of the country’s restoration of independence on May 20, 2012. The President conferred upon the religious the Medalha de Mérito de Dom Marito da Costa Lópes on May 22 in recognition of their contributions during the struggle and fight of the people of Timor Leste for independence during the 24 years of Indonesian occupation from 1975 to 1999.
The Metta Karuna Reflection Centre in Siem Riep, Cambodia hosted an open discussion on faith and its impact and influence on public policy on May 10. The discussion flowed from a lecture delivered by Fr Frank Brennan SJ on “Faith, Social Justice and Public Policy”. Fr Brennan is Professor of Law with the Public Policy Institute,
In recognition of the challenges and issues brought about by increased globalisation, the provinces of Japan and Korea have agreed to a greater degree of exchange and cooperation to serve the Society’s mission.