In the light of our option in favour of the environment and with full awareness of the new opportunities offered by the digital world, the Social Justice Secretariat has decided that its journal, Promotio Iustitiae, will be published only in an electronic format, starting with the next issue. Thus, the most recent issue, number 101 (2009/1), is the last one you will receive printed on paper.
TAHEN, Cambodia (UCAN) — The Church here is the driving force behind an irrigation project aimed at giving villagers access to water all year round, improving agricultural productivity and giving better access to drinking water.
The project, called "A Drop of Hope," is being coordinated by Pablo Figaredo, a Spaniard and the nephew of Jesuit Monsignor Enrique Figaredo, the apostolic prefect of Battambang. Read more. . .
Fr Adrianus Suyadi, Country Director, Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Indonesia, writes on the IDP’s and refugees in Indonesia and the government’s policy and behavior towards them.
Walking around Dili city, one can no longer see the IDP camps. But for those who lost their homes during the crises of 2006 and 2007, their wait for “safe return and reintegration” is far from over.
Though reintegration of the IDPs into their communities started since 2008, there are still around three thousand people living in transitional houses. They are not able to return to their original homes for several reasons: concerns regarding their security, ongoing land disputes over ownership, illegal occupation of their houses, and some don’t have any place to stay.
During the time I was working with displaced persons in Japan we would come up against a number of unforeseen legal obstacles and long trials. Our success, such as it was, in drawing the attention of the National Diet and the mass media seemed inadequate. Supporters would get tired of confronting immigration violations “case by case” and would drop out. Why did I continue with this work despite my tiredness and frustration? Despondent, I prayed often to God, and miracles happened. One such miracle was obtaining refugee status for five Vietnamese brothers.
All Jesuits and partners in mission are welcome to utilize this new site, www.jesuitsocialapostolate.org, which seeks to profile the breadth and range of Jesuit social action, analysis and advocacy across the world. Using data from the Universal Catalogue of the Social Apostolate (2008) as a primary source, the website arranges centres by their thematic focus. You may select from among 35 languages and then navigate the data by interactive mapping, keyword search or alphabetical/thematic listing.
Fr Xavier Alpasa(PHI), social entrepreneur; pastor; director, Loyola College Culion; founder, Rags2Riches, a business bridging the marginalized and fashion worlds was chosen as one of the TED Global Fellows for 2009.
May 2nd marked the anniversary of the Cyclone Nargis which devastated the Delta in Myanmar, leaving around 150,000 dead and 2.4 million affected.
It was indeed a privilege to share this rare and intimate moment with the refugees in the camp. They alone know and yet do not know that the drama of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is literally played (truly anamnesis) within the confines of the refugee camps, in their very lives.
Mr Cheong Cheng Guan assumed the post of Country Coordinator of the Jesuit Refugee Service Singapore last February 21. He brings in his skills and experiences in management and finances having been in the Banking and Finance Industry for 25 years. His first encounter with ]RS was during a mission trip to a refugee camp in Thailand. Since then he has been involved in various activities of ES Singapore including Information and Advocacy sub- committees, the subcommittees in support of IRS Thailand and Cambodia projects and organizing the World Refugee Day Masses.