The power of a genuinely global response
Six months have passed since the “Palm Sunday Typhoon”, Maysak, hit Chuuk, Micronesia on March 29, 2015. Life is almost back to normal at Xavier High School.
Jesuit universities boost green initiatives
Jesuit schools in Asia Pacific are committed to growing green campuses in response to the Society’s growing ecological concern. As a group, the members of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities in Asia Pacific (AJCU-AP) recognise the need to develop ways to reduce consumption of waste material and to find a means to recycle them. They deem it essential to lessen the consumption of energy, paper and water, and instead make use of clean energy to minimise the emission of greenhouse gases.
Stoic determination after a historic disaster
Relief work continues three months after a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Nepal on April 25. The disaster killed thousands and demolished more than half a million homes. A few weeks later, on May 12, a second major earthquake struck just as people were beginning to recover. The death toll from the two quakes stands at close to 9,000 people.
Thai Jesuit education project on the way
With the cooperation and support of a considerable circle of lay experts as well as the advice of Jesuit educators in Asia Pacific, the Jesuits in Thailand are embarking on an ambitious education project to serve the poor, especially the indigenous communities in the northern mountains of the country. An assistant professor at Mae Fah Luang University in Chiang Rai has been hired to conduct a feasibility study that will help the Jesuits work out many of the details of the proposed college. It should be completed in August.
Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical
Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment has won many hearts, not least because it combines concern for the environment and for social justice. The Pope writes with authority because of his experience with the poor in large Argentinian cities. There the poor, caught in a society marked by great extremes of wealth and poverty are forced to live in polluted and unhealthy conditions. He has also visited poor villages whose people are vulnerable to the extreme weather events resulting from global warming.
Praying for Nepal and Micronesia
Dear friends,
These last weeks, we have seen and heard yet again of the destruction and devastation caused by natural disasters. Typhoon Maysak at the end of March caused severe damage throughout Micronesia, displacing thousands, ruining livelihoods and food supplies, and damaging infrastructure. And just days ago, on April 25, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake has caused widespread destruction in Nepal.
Struggling to recover from Typhoon Maysak
Weeks after Typhoon Maysak hit Micronesia at the end of March, the people are still struggling to pick up the pieces and recover from the destruction.
Jesuit schools in Micronesia damaged by Super Typhoon Maysak
With sustained winds of 160 mph, Super Typhoon Maysak struck the Pacific region just before Easter, causing severe damage throughout Micronesia. Maysak struck the island of Chuuk on March 29, bringing down communications system from the island, and hit the island of Yap on March 31. Jesuits from the USA Northeast Province, the Province of Indonesia, members of the Jesuit Volunteer Corp and residents of Micronesia staff the two schools that suffered losses.
Increasing collaboration on disaster risk reduction and management
The Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific (JCAP) is developing a protocol that outlines steps for Jesuits in responding to disasters in this part of the world. Responses to catastrophic events are collaborative in nature, joining local efforts and guiding important international support. This is an ongoing process with other organisations and there is much learning from the experiences of Jesuits on the ground. The effort is also to find ways to collaborate across different phases in disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) that demand a wider range of coordination beyond disaster.
Strengthening disaster preparedness and evacuation strategies in Payatas
There is an increasing focus on disaster preparedness in the Philippines, although this is happening at different levels. The general public is learning how to use the available technologies for monitoring hazards and to understand the language used. Many communities are also focused on evacuation strategies and on identifying safe centres that can be used in the event of a disaster.