Contemplatives In Action

NJCIR - Where Jesuits are engaging Corporate Responsibility

2010-01-29T16:12:00.002-05:00

According to the Swiss research group COVALENCE, the National Jesuit Committee on Investment Responsibility (NJCIR) has its work cut out for it with three of the six least ethical companies in the world in our holdings…

1 MONSANTO
2 Halliburtan Company
3 CHEVRON CORPORATION
4 Freeport McMorAn Copper & Gold
5 Philip Morris
6 OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM
7 Ryan Air
8 Syngenta
9 Grupo Mexico
10 Total
11 Mediaset
12 Barrick Gold

As a lead dialogue partner for NJCIR, the Chicago/Detroit Provinces engage OM Group, a company with corporate headquarters located in Cleveland, OH.

For more information on our work in this area, please visit:
http://www.jesuit.org/index.php/main/jesuits-worldwide/social-justice/socially-responsible-investing/

African Synod in Rome -- October 4-25, 2009!

2009-10-08T16:38:00.002-04:00

The Second Synod of African Bishops is ongoing right now and several Jesuits are receiving updates from the work going on there and have been writing various pieces. I share one with you below from Ghislain Tschikendwa, the Secretary of the Social Apostolate from JESAM (Jesuits of Africa and Madagascar) and Michael Czerny, SJ, Director of the African Jesuits AIDS Network (AJAN).

Benedict XVI : “Africa represents an enormous spiritual “lung” for a humanity…”
As you know, last Sunday 4 October 2009, at 9h15, the Holly Father Benedict XVI presided at the Solemn Concelebration of the Eucharist with the Synodal Fathers, for the Inauguration of the II Special Assembly for Africa Bishops, to held in the Synod Hall of the Vatican until 25 October 2009, on the theme: The Church in Africa at the service of Reconciliation, Justice and Peace. “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world” (Mt (:13, 14).
Concelebrating with the Pope were 239 Synod Fathers (33 Cardinals, 3 Synod Fathers of the Eastern Churches, 75 Archbishops, 120 Bishops and 8 Priests) and 55 Collaborators.
At the start of the Mass, during the Rite of the Aspergillum presided over by the Holy Father, the choir and assembly sang “Asperges me” and “Nakoma peto” (“That I may be made pure”, song in Lingala sang by the Congolese choir).
At the end of the Concelebration (11h15), the assembly sang a final hymn in Lingala to Mary “Tokobondela yo e, Mama Maria” (We pray you, Mother Mary).
Let me recall one of the most powerful statements of our Pope: “When we speak of the treasures of Africa, our thoughts immediately turn to the resources its land is rich in and that, unfortunately, have become and often continue to be a reason for exploitation, conflict and corruption. The World of God, instead, makes us look at another inheritance: the spiritual and cultural one of which humanity has even greater need than it does of raw materials. (…) From this point of view, Africa represents an enormous spiritual “lung” for a humanity that appears to be in crisis of faith and hope. But this “lung” can take ill as well. And, at the moment, at least two dangerous pathologies are attacking it: first of all, an illness that is already widespread in the West, that is, practical materialism, combined with relativist and nihilist thinking. Without entering into the merit of the origins of such sicknesses of the spirit, there is absolutely no doubt that the so-called “First” World has exported up to now and continues to export its spiritual toxic waste that contaminates the peoples of other continents, in particular those of Africa. In this sense, colonialism which is over at political level, has never really entirely come to and end. But from this same point of view we also we have also have to point out a second “virus” that could hit Africa, that is, religious fundamentalism, mixed together with political and economic interests…”

Ghislain, SJ
Interview Michael Czerny, S.J.
Rome, 4 October 2009

“The spread of AIDS is a terrible and worrying fact. Through the African Jesuit AIDS Network, the African Assistancy is doing remarkable efforts to help victims of this scourge and, even more important, to educate people in proper moral conduct.”
Father Adolfo Nicolás SJ, October 2008

1. Vous êtes le Coordinateur du Réseau Jésuite de lutte contre le Sida (AJAN) dont le siège est à Nairobi, au Kenya. Pouvez-vous décrire très brièvement votre travail ?
AJAN’s mission is to help Jesuits in sub-Saharan Africa – their works and communities, individually and with their colleagues – to respond to HIV and AIDS in an effective, coordinated and evangelical manner. We are about 1340 priests, brothers and scholastics in some 30 countries of the Assistancy, and over 200 of us are currently involved in different ways. Most of our AIDS ministries are modest efforts embedded in traditional Jesuit works such as parishes, social projects and communications, high-school education and university chaplaincy, Ignatian spirituality and our own Jesuit formation.

“The African Jesuit AIDS Network has been able to strengthen and co-ordinate the efforts of many individuals, give respectability to the Church's involvement in resisting the pandemic spread of AIDS and, above all, accompany with dignity many of those suffering from its effects.”
Former Superior-General, Father Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J., January 2007

AJAN House is located in Kangemi, a Nairobi slum. The role of this coordinating centre is to encourage and support AIDS ministries run by Jesuits or related to the Society of Jesus in Africa, that is, the members of AJAN. The small team at AJAN House tries to consolidate what Jesuits are already doing and make these efforts known, strengthen initiatives already underway, help potential programmes to get off the ground, and link everyone together in a network of communication and mutual support.

2. Nous avons appris que vous prendrez part au prochain synode africain. Quelle relation établissez-vous entre le thème du Synode (« L’Eglise en Afrique au service de la réconciliation, de la justice et de la paix ») et le travail que vous faites à AJAN ?
Although it is not explicitly mentioned in the title of the Second Synod for Africa, HIV-AIDS remains one of the challenges the Church faces in the continent and therefore an important topic for the Synod. The Church in Africa cannot work for reconciliation, justice and peace without seriously addressing the issue of HIV and AIDS. We cannot be completely in peace and reconciled with ourselves and others while this challenge is cruelly assaulting us in our families, our communities, our societies.
The Synod seems to me a great opportunity to work and reflect about reconciliation, justice and peace, not only in terms of war and economy but also anthropologically and culturally in terms of health and customs and morality. We need a prophetic voice to speak for the forgotten people.
We need Church agents and prophetic leaders to defend those who are forgotten. So I hope that the Synod will take into account AIDS the other real problems of the Family of God on the continent and address them with courage and love.

3. Et pourquoi, d’après vous, avez-vous été choisi pour prendre part à cette grande Assemblée dont l’importance pour la vie de l’Eglise en Afrique est indéniable ?
The relatively new ministry of AJAN somehow seems recognized as valuable and valid.

4. Quelles sont vos attentes par rapport à ce deuxième synode ?
My first hope: that the Synod help the Holy Father as pastor, help the African Bishops in their pastoral responsibility for the Church in Africa. Secondly, a renewal, a new Pentecost of the Church as Family of God in Africa. Thirdly, the Synod is an extraordinary grace for each bishop to discover the challenges of his own diocese and country in the context of the whole continent. For me, even more, a unique chance to get to know Africa better as it really is, not the “jungle of chaos” to which the media too often reduce it. And finally: the very best thing, says a companion Jesuit who served at an earlier one, the Synod will be a month-long opportunity to get to know the Holy Father, the African Bishops and the other participants very well.

5. Quels conseils donneriez-vous pour que les résultats du synode aident effectivement le continent africain à renaître?
I would put special stress on communication and on formation.

“True to our Jesuit charism, we should seek to form men and women for others who will take up leadership in HIV/AIDS ministries in the Church and throughout society. Above all, we should place ourselves wholly at the disposal of the Church, our dioceses, and our Bishops, supporting and stimulating our fellow priests and religious and galvanising a total response by the people of God to combat the enemy that is in our midst.”
AJAN Assembly, September 2003

Michael Czerny, S.J., aids@jesuits.ca
www.jesuitaids.net

Congressional Call-In Day for Healthcare Reform, Tuesday, September 15th

2009-09-10T11:16:00.002-04:00

As a member of the Ignatian Family, the PICO Network is informing many Jesuit Provinces, institutions and networks around the healthcare debate. We are encouraged by their leadership in this issue and support their call for a Congressional Call-In day next Tuesday, September 15, 2009. Don't wait -- do it now!

"We are not here to fear the future. We are here to shape it." - President Barack Obama (9/9/09)

If you heard President Obama's health care speech last night, the most important thing each of us can do now is to communicate our support for health reform to our Senators and Congresspersons.

And now is the time to not just make your own voice heard, but to ask your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers to weigh in as well, even if it is the first time they've called their Members of Congress.

That's why PICO and our faith allies are organizing a massive Congressional Call-In Day next Tuesday, September 15. The goal is 30,000+ calls to Congress in support of health reform on the same day. We want our Members of Congress to hear loud and clear that people of faith feel the moral urgency of fixing our health care system and strongly support reform that includes strong affordability protections for working families.

We'll be using PICO's toll-free hotline 866-279-5474 so that we can track the number of calls into each state and district. This number is available now and until we've won health reform.

PICO is a non-partisan organization that does not endorse or support candidates. PICO strongly encourages people of faith to study the health care teachings and policy positions of their own religious denominations and traditions.

"Human Efforts, God' Grace" by Joe Mulligan, S.J.

2009-08-22T11:00:00.002-04:00

Published in the Catholic Worker, June-July 2009

“The people united will never be defeated” has been a popular slogan of struggle in Chile and other Latin American countries.

“We shall overcome,” proclaimed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., along with those who organized, marched, and went to jail with him.

“Yes, it can be done” (“sí, se puede”) chanted César Chavez and the United Farm Workers.

“Don’t mourn, organize” was the message of labor songwriter Joe Hill and other union activists.

These encouraging messages show us how to cooperate with God in bringing about the coming of the Kingdom and the implementation of God’s will. It couldn’t be clearer that God’s will for the Kingdom is to be carried out on earth, not just among the departed souls and angels. How? By using our God-given intelligence and freedom to solve our problems, working together with God for a better world.

We must let God’s will be done in our lives, families, and communities and organize so that God’s will for justice and freedom may become a reality for all in social, political, and economic structures. In these structures and systems, it is people’s power, united and smart, which makes change, for the entrenched power of the ruling class does not yield without a struggle. As Dr. King said in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail, “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”

Organized Truth-force, speaking truth to power, non-cooperation, boycotts, marches, sit-ins, draft resistance, tax resistance, and other forms of civil disobedience, organizing unions and neighborhood groups, especially when the stakes are significant -- these are some of the methods of exerting power non-violently at our disposal.

God’s will is not that women and children be beaten, that more people be unemployed or exploited, that millions suffer malnutrition or AIDS, that the prisons and jails of the U.S. contain over 2 million inmates, that the U.S. invade other countries at will. These evils happen because we misuse the freedom and potential God has given us. Problems made by humans, can be solved by humans. In this seemingly impossible and overwhelming task, we may feel alone, even if we organize millions to act in unison.

But we are not left to our own devices, limited energy, and propensity toward despair. Moses and the prophets were always assured of Abba’s presence and strength even in the face of fierce opposition. Jesus often told His disciples: “Do not be afraid; I am with you.” United to the Vine, we will produce much fruit.
It was not God’s will that Jesus suffer cruelly and perish ignominiously on the cross "for our sins,” to assuage some divine wrath, to make a sacrifice of expiation, to save us. These are images which were applied to Jesus after His death and resurrection. In retrospect, Christian theology sees that they were fulfilled in a magnificent way by Jesus. It was God’s will that Jesus announce the Kingdom of justice and love and inaugurate it by His work, that He be faithful to this dangerous mission in face of the intense persecution it would unleash against Him, and that Jesus and His cause be vindicated in the Resurrection.

“Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want”(Mk 14:36). Jesus’ will was one with Abba’s; He was the faithful prophet and courageous liberator to the very end.

******************

This article is from my journal written while I was in two county jails from late January to late April, 2004, serving a 90-day sentence for “crossing the line” onto Ft. Benning, Ga., in a November 2003 protest against the U.S. Army’s School of the Americas. The School, now known as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), has trained thousands of Latin American soldiers, some of whom have returned to their countries to be notorious torturers, assassins, and other human-rights violators.

The complete version of the article can be found at: www.jailjournal.blogspot.com

Honduran Updates

2009-08-11T09:33:00.005-04:00

Dear Friends,

From the beginning, a Jesuit from the Missouri Province has been sharing updates and reflections on his experiences in Honduras since the recent governmental upheaval. I'm thankful to my counterpart for the Missouri Province, Sean Agniel, for passing these along for our edification.

If you would like to receive them, please email me at sim@jesuits-det.org or sim@jesuits-chi.org so that I might pass them along.

Peace!
Carrie

Violence in Peru - Jesuit Perspective

2009-07-02T14:48:00.005-04:00

Thanks to the Social Justice Secretariat for the Jesuits in Rome for this quick headline and information!

* Hotspots: Jesuits "cannot stay on the sidelines of events" in Peru

Violent clashes between police and indigenous people in northern Peru on 5 June left, according to official sources, 23 police officers and 10 protesters dead. Two hundred indigenous were injured, 61 are said to have disappeared and 83 have been arrested, of whom 61 are now on trial. Those who have been released from prison said they had been subjected to physical and psychological abuse.

The indigenous had been peacefully blocking a road for weeks to protect their land from the effects of a law passed in 2008 allowing its exploitation through the growth of biofuels, mining and oil drilling The violence was unleashed when police officers, who were given the word from the capital Lima to remove the protesters, moved in with tear gas and automatic weapons. The protesters were armed largely with spears. The law was subsequently revoked on 18 June.

A number of Jesuits are closely involved with the indigenous tribes of Awajun and Wampis in the area and are supporting the affected communities by reporting events, helping the wounded, visiting those in prison, advocating for detainees and facilitating the return of the displaced. César Torres SJ, coordinator of the social apostolate in Peru, said in a statement issued on 10 June: "It is our vocation to protect the life of all people and we feel sadness and outrage about any act to the contrary. Our presence in the area (Vicariato de Jaén) responds to a mission that the Society of Jesus has been entrusted with by the Holy Father; therefore we cannot stay on the sidelines of events."

For more information, links and videos, go to the SJS webpage that we have created here: http://tinyurl.com/luwu3q

WHINSEC Voting and Actions -- Courtesy of Ignatian Solidarity Network

2009-07-01T14:01:00.004-04:00

Action Alert
From the School of the Americas Watch

House of Representatives Votes to Force the Pentagon to Release Information to SOA WatchThanks to your efforts and hard work in defense of human rights, the culture of secrecy and lack of accountability surrounding Defense Department policies suffered a blow today when the U.S. House of Representatives approved the McGovern-Sestak-Bishop (GA)-Lewis (GA) amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2010.

(Click here to tell the Senate to follow their lead!)

The amendment forces the public release of names, rank, country of origin, courses and dates of attendance of WHINSEC's graduates and instructors to the public. The amendment was approved with a 224 to 190 vote! This is a major victory for the international human rights community! You spoke up and now we are one step closer to transparency and to closing the SOA/ WHINSEC!

But it's not over...In order for this amendment to become law, the text of the amendment has to be approved by a joint House and Senate conference committee. We need you to sustain intense pressure on the Senate for the next few weeks to make sure this amendment is approved by the conference committee!

Click here to send a letter to your Senator asking that they work for passage of this language -->

New Ignatian Spirituality Website!

2009-06-25T11:37:00.002-04:00

Loyola Press, a ministry of the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus, is pleased to announce the launch of www.IgnatianSpirituality.com.

We developed the website in response to the Society's 34th and 35th Congregations' call for "an Ignatian family network" to promote greater cooperation and unity among Jesuit apostolates.

IgnatianSpirituality.com offers information on and experiences of prayer, spiritual direction, retreats, and good decision-making from Jesuit and Ignatian sources. I believe that these resources will be helpful to you in your important Jesuit high school ministry. You will be able to direct students, staff, alumni, and parents to one place online where they will find practical information and suggestions for integrating Ignatian spirituality into their lives.

I'd be happy to talk with you at any time to get your ideas or reactions. Please call me at 773-281-1818 ext. 314, or e-mail me at pcampbell@loyolapress.com.

Sincerely,
Paul Brian Campbell, S.J.
Vice President
Loyola Press

New FMLN President in El Salvador - invokes Romero!

2009-06-05T14:05:00.002-04:00

El Salvador Inaugurates its First Leftist Government

On June 1 2009, Mauricio Funes and Salvador Sanchez Cerén were sworn in as the President and Vice President of El Salvador at the Feria Internacional Convention Center in San Salvador. It was a magical day for the Salvadoran people, social movement organizations, and the leftist FMLN party which Funes and Sanchez Cerén represent. Check out a video of the celebration here and view pictures of the inauguration here and here.

In a powerful inaugural address, President Funes promised that the change the people asked for with the election of the FMLN “begins now” and is in the hands of the people, not just the individual will of the President. He vowed to work with sectors of the social movement to “create a new national project” based on social inclusion and guided by the forces of hope and optimism.

Several steps that he and cabinet members, who were sworn in immediately following the ceremony, will take to confront the deep economic and social crisis in El Salvador include an employment program to build over 25,000 new houses, a central bank to guarantee credit to small-scale agricultural producers, and the re-imagination of the Rural Community Solidarity Network to guarantee access to health, nutrition and free public education for the most vulnerable sectors of society.

The address was imbued with the themes of social justice, equality, and of a “peaceful and democratic revolution.” He stated that El Salvador would no longer have a “government of the few, of the privileged” but one where all people would be “recognized for their talents and honesty, not for their connections or their last name.” He spoke of his teacher and mentor, Monsenor Oscar Arnulfo Romero, whose tomb he visited the morning of the inauguration and whose vision of a “preferential option for the poor” was a pillar in Funes’ discourse during the campaign.

From http://www.cispes.org/

Honduras Earthquake Updates from Jesuits in the region

2009-06-01T21:36:00.003-04:00

Find below two, short narratives from Jesuits (MIS Province) living in the region about the 7.1 earthquake the struck the Atlantic coast of Honduras on Thursday, May 28, 2009.

Dick Perl
have been through about 8 of these quakes in three different countries (Belize, Guatemala and Honduras), but today's shake at 2:25 am wins the prize.

I was awakened with the whole house shaking. My room is on the second floor, and at one point I thought, "The whole house is going down." The 7 foot high bookcase in my room (and another one like it in my office on the first floor) fell over. It fell across my door -- if I had had to get out quickly, it would have taken me a couple minutes to move the book case and books piled up in front of the door. Lamps on desks through the house also fell over. I couldn't believe the noise of the house shaking.

It lasted about a minute.

The 7.1 quake (which is pretty strong), had its center in the Caribbean about 85 miles from Punta Gorda. It was felt as far north as Mexico, and as far south as Nicaragua, and even some islands in the Caribbean. Relatively little damage in Belize, fortunately.

Jack Warner
Greetings from a shaken and very shaky Progreso. Just to let everyone know, since we seem to be in international news: We had a serious earthquake last night about 2:30 a.m. It was a 7.1 intensity; the epicenter was at sea some 10 kms. to the north of Roatan.

Given the intensity, we got off light; the thing that saved us seems to be the fact that the center was very deep, and the quake itself did not last too long. No one is hurt either of the Jesuit community nor of the Teatro family.

The BIG damage here in Progreso is the bridge over the Rio Ulúa: there are (were) two parallel bridges which handled the two different directions. The older one (from the 60's) is completely fallen; the newer one (built by the Japanese government some 5 years ago) is closed for the moment due to serious damage which hasn’t been evaluated yet. That is a major problem which it is going to cost a good deal of time to fix.

The anti-earthquake design of the San José house served us well; a lot of shelving that fell over and left a mess of litter, and that sort of thing, but no serious damage to the building.
The teatro building suffered a lot of small damage, and is going to take a considerable amount of repair. It’s here that the shortness of the quake clearly saved us: most of that lesser damage is in joints of the wood, which have come loose but not completely apart. That all needs considerablerepair, but only the doors of the building actually fell (and a lot of stuff: file cabinets fell over, shelves collapsed, that kind of thing). The lighting system was seriously shook up, but as far as we can tell so far no major damage (we’re not real sure because there is no electricity in thatzone of the city – a number of transformers fell downtown, which seems to be the reason for that). The house right across the street from us (also an ex-fruit company building) fell.
So we’re spending the day picking up the pieces – literally.

I haven’t been able to get much reliable info yet on what was the damage in the rest of the country. There are serious alerts in all the coastal towns for the possibility of some sort of tsunami-like thing, but that danger seems to me to be very remote. There seems to have been only one certified death in this area, a child in San Manuel (near Lima).
teatro la fragua
apartado 70
el progreso, yoro
honduras, c.a.
(504)647-0974fax: (504)647-0907
teatrolafragua@EcologyFund.net
teatrolafragua@gmail.com
http://www.fragua.org

Bombing of Catholic Church in Kathmandu

2009-05-26T10:52:00.000-04:00

The Detroit Province has long had a relationship with the people and Jesuits of Kathmandu, Nepal. Please read the above story about a bombing of the Church of the Assumption, Kathmandu's only Roman Catholic place of worship.

African Americans and the Auto Industry

2008-12-30T09:57:00.002-05:00

As we have been hearing much about the automakers' bailout by the US Government, I thought it interesting to share this article from the New York Times in today's (12/30/08) issue and offer it up to all of you for prayer and reflection.

Some of the statistics that are offered in this article really highlight the difference between this industry and say, the financial/banking area. "In all, blacks made up 14.2 percent of the total automotive work force in 2007, according to the policy institute report, compared with 11.2 percent of the overall American work force."

A study from the US Equal Opportunity Employment Commission states the following statistics: Within the Financial Industry subsectors, the percentage of African American officials and managers is highest in the Banking/Credit subsector (7.0 percent) with over 9.7 percent in overall professional jobs in this sector. In the Securities subsector, African Americans made up 4.4 percent in officials and managers but 7.0 percent of the professional jobs. The highest percentage of professional positions in the financial industry subsectors for African Americans is in the Central Banking area at just about 13.3 percent.

So, as we move forward in 2009, with this economy and the hard economic times ahead, let us remember that our language does matter and that we need to be aware of the complexity of these situations. I can't help but imagine that the commentary on the auto industry has been vitriolic because of our own prejudices about minorities, labor unions and the competition between the middle class and the poor.

Poverty Rates -- Curious where MI and OH rank?

2008-12-19T14:37:00.003-05:00

I really appreciate the collation of data by the site, Kaiser State Health Facts. As you can see from visiting the above link, there are a number of ways to view the information on the left hand side.

Regardless, what we are viewing is the fact that rates and of poverty are increasing. Not an easy thing to see or witness, regardless of how its presented.

Where are the Auto Jobs?

2008-12-14T18:37:00.003-05:00

As one would suspect, the situation of the major automotive companies (Ford, GM and Chrysler) is of tremendous interest to many Jesuits, partners and institutions in the Ignatian family.

Attached to this is a link to a diagram that shows the number of jobs that could be affected by a dissolution of the automakers.

Jesuits Issue Urgent Appeal for Zimbebwean Assistance!

2008-12-05T11:57:00.002-05:00

The new Zimbabwe provincial, Fr Stephen Buckland, SJ, has issued an urgent appeal for aid to starving Zimbabweans. Buckland is trying to get two shipments of food, valued at just over $300,000 each, to the country before Christmas. So far, the British Province's Jesuit Missions has helped raise enough funds for the first shipment, and has made a significant contribution toward the second shipment.

"While the protracted political continue, most ordinary Zimbabweans are starving," explained Fr Tim Curtis, SJ, director of Jesuit Missions. "Their currency is worthless and their salary does not even pay their bus fare to get to work." Buckland's inaugural homily as provincial stressed the need for Jesuits to respond to this hunger, instability and unrest, violence, and poverty in Zimbabwe. [Independent Catholic News, 6 August 2008]

Jesuit Contribution to Orissa Peace Building Process

2008-12-03T11:22:00.002-05:00

India Update:

Since anti-Christian violence broke out in the Indian state of Orissa on 23 August, Jesuits have been involved in many kinds of activities to mend the broken communities. Soon after the first outbreak of the violence, Mike T. Raj SJ (the Provincial of Jamshedpur), Prakash Louis SJ and Xavier Jeyaraj SJ went for a week to the area to coordinate the initial response together with civil society groups, international NGOs, faith-based groups and the Jesuits of Orissa.

In the course of the weeks that followed, Jesuits and their colleagues in social centres all over the South Asian Assistancy mobilised people for rallies and other direct action to protest the violence in Orissa, while the website www.jesaonline.org and frequent emails were used to report news from the ground. In mid-October, the triennial Convention of Jesuits in Social Action took place (see Headlines 10-2008) and the participants adopted a number of recommendations, which were subsequently supported by the Jesuit Conference of South Asia.

Click here to read their statement: http://jesaonline.org/forum22.html S. Tony Raj SJ and his team of Jesuits in Orissa are coordinating the work in Bhubaneswar and in the relief camps in Kandhamal. A coordination centre run by S. Tony Raj has been set up, which will house the documentation, media and legal work of the archdiocese. Jesuit lawyers have volunteered to help the victims file the all-important First Information Reports (FIR). Apart from financial help, the Jesuits intend to take up 30 villages (750 families) in Kandhamal district where they are working already, and to continue their peace building and rehabilitation work in the region.

(Source: Xavier Jeyaraj SJ jesadelhi@gmail.com)

Colombian Jesuit work receives death threats

2008-04-30T10:23:00.002-04:00

Colombia: Death threats against Jesuit project
On 10 April, the Development and Peace Programme of Magdalena Medio (Programa de Desarrollo y Paz en Magdalena Medio - PDPMM) was the second Colombian Jesuit programme to be targeted by a rearmed wing of the AUC paramilitary group, which calls itself the "Black Eagles - The Rearmament."

In this most recent communication the paramilitaries threatened priests, parishes, human rights groups and humanitarian workers with death, claiming the peace workers targeted were named by Colombian government sources as allies of the guerillas. The Black Eagles have been responsible for deaths and displacements throughout the Atlantic Coast and Southern regions of Colombia in the past year and appear to be growing in size and strength.

The message describes the parish priest of the Regidor municipality (in southern Bolívar, Colombia) as "an obstacle to the municipal government," the parishioners of Tiquisio and Arenal as "war workers," and members of the Development and Peace Programme of Magdalena Medio as "perpetrators of criminal acts against democratic security". The Catholic Dioceses of Barrancabermeja and Magangué and the Jesuit-run Development and Peace Programme of Magdalena Medio responded on 15 April with a joint statement addressing the threats against priests, parishioners, and humanitarian workers. Condemning the ongoing violence, the statement denounces the killing of over 2,000 people in the region since 1986, including 28 workers of the PDPMM.

The public statement can be found here: http://www.sjweb.info/documents/sjs/docs/PDPMM_ENG.pdf (in English) and here: http://www.sjweb.info/documents/sjs/docs/PDPMM_ESP.pdf (in Spanish); and on the website of the PDPMM http://www.pdpmm.org.co (in English, Spanish and German).

'Health Care Sunday' in Michigan -- 'Get your parish involved'!

2008-04-03T14:35:00.003-04:00

April 27 is "Health Care Sunday" in Michigan

This spring, Catholics committed to social justice in Michigan are joining thousands of other individuals in placing a proposal on the November ballot called "Health Care for Michigan." This proposal would require the Michigan Legislature to enact policies that control health care costs and ensure that all Michigan residents have basic health insurance. Click here to view the petition.

In conjunction with Cover the Uninsured Week, over 200 congregations from across the State of Michigan will be participating in "Health Care Sunday" the weekend of April 26-27. All across the state, announcements will be made about the Health Care Campaign and interested parishioners will be invited to sign the petition after Mass.

To sign on as a participating congregation or to help support the proposal, please contact Vicky Kovari vkovari@catholicsinalliance.org or Brian Peck bcpeck@umich.edu for more information on Health Care Sunday. If your parish wants to participate but is unable to do it on April 26-27, there will be an alternative weekend before the June 1 filing deadline.

The support of Catholic congregations and other people of faith will be essential to the success of this initiative. We hope you will seriously consider joining the hundreds of other faith communities in Michigan to support health care as a basic right. More information on the campaign is available at: www.healthcareformichigan.org.

"Enough!"

2008-03-17T14:08:00.002-04:00

At his Palm Sunday homily, Pope Benedict issued a strong statement in opposition to the war in Iraq --- statements that should quell any Catholic's questions over the Church's position in this area.

"Pope Benedict XVI issued one of his strongest appeals for peace in Iraq on Sunday, days after the body of the kidnapped Chaldean Catholic archbishop was found near the northern city of Mosul. The pope also denounced the five-year-long war, saying it had provoked the complete breakup of Iraqi civilian life.

"Enough with the slaughters. Enough with the violence. Enough with the hatred in Iraq!"
Benedict said to applause at the end of his Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square.

On Thursday, the body of Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho was found near Mosul. He had been abducted on Feb. 29. Benedict has called Rahho's death an "inhuman act of violence" that offended human dignity. On Sunday, Benedict praised Rahho for his refusal to abandon his flock despite many threats and difficulties. Benedict said Rahho's dedication to the Catholic Church and his death compelled him to "raise a strong and sorrowful cry" to denounce the violence in Iraq spawned by the war that began five years ago this week.

We join with our Chaldean brothers and sisters in sorrow for the loss of their beloved shepherd, Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho. His witness to stay with his people is an especially strong symbol during this Holy Week --- and similar to another tremendous pastor who's assasination anniversary is on March 24, 1980, Archbishop Oscar Romero (El Salvador).

How much more do we need to see to draw connections between the violence and destruction of these two sacred yet war-torn countries?

The Future of PEPFAR Help in an African Context

2008-02-28T10:22:00.009-05:00

Please read the following reflection from Fr. Terry Charlton, S.J. on his work with children who have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Nairobi. It's particularly helfpul to consider as Congress looks at PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) and its future funding.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Africa Needs an Effective Approach to AIDS

By Fr. Terry Charlton, S.J.
Jesuit Vocation Director, Kenya
National Chaplain, Christian Life Community, Co-founder and Chaplain, St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School, Kibera

I work in one of the largest slums in Africa, Kibera, located in Nairobi, Kenya. Some years ago I started St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School to educate young people who have lost either both parents to the AIDS-pandemic, or one parent and the remaining parent is infected. I am proud to say we now have 265 students, and we are supporting another 50 graduates to go on to college.

Kenya and several other countries have made real progress in fighting AIDS, with US support. On his recent trip to Africa, President Bush rightly received recognition for getting the ball rolling on expanding access to AIDS services in our region of the world, especially treatment and care for the sick and orphaned.

But, quite frankly, I am alarmed at how far removed from African reality his proposal is for the next five years of the program. Since Congress is now debating what direction to take this program, along with programs to address many health and development issues related to AIDS, I want to share what I have seen in Kibera and make a plea for realism.

We have learned a great deal about AIDS since 2003, when the U.S. first began its emergency response to the crisis in Africa. Anyone visiting us in Kibera would see that the AIDS issue cannot be viewed in isolation. My students, teachers and their extended families face inter-related problems rooted in poverty, issues of gender and a
broken-down health system. A smart U.S. response must address this context, including the dearth of qualified medical personnel and community health workers. And, to be effective, it would confront tuberculosis head on, since, as we have seen in Kibera, TB is what actually kills most people living with AIDS.

But the Bush approach, now taken up by the Republican leadership in the House, ignores these lessons. It does not seriously address any of these related issues and, worst of all, freezes funding at the current level for the next five years, even as the world is racing to meet the goal of universal access to all AIDS services by 2010.

This funding freeze would have a devastating impact on programs that serve the children I work with every day. So far, the U.S. AIDS initiative has provided crucial funding for programs that provide care for children, including school feeding programs, which have a broad impact. Yet, the President and his allies in the Congress would have these programs frozen in place instead of expanding them to meet the growing need.

Fortunately, an alternative is available. Congressman Tom Lantos, as chairman of the Committee responsible for AIDS programming in the House, understood that significantly greater funds are needed to fight AIDS and address basic capacity issues. One of the last things he did before he died of cancer was to propose five-year legislation which would update the U.S. response and provide $50 billion, not only for AIDS but also for children's programs, TB and malaria.

The Lantos proposal would also better meet the needs of women and girls. It would allow voluntary family planning services to women who are HIV positive and who do not wish to become pregnant. We can agree or disagree about the morality of contraception, but the truth is that helping women who may be weak and ill to avoid a dangerous pregnancy is about saving lives, and it would not promote abortion, as some pro-life groups have inaccurately stated.

The Lantos approach also eliminates the requirement that one-third of all HIV prevention dollars be spent on abstinence and fidelity. This funding restriction has been shown to not be workable on the ground. As someone profoundly committed to promoting abstinence and fidelity, my experience is that I can do my job most effectively when young people have the freedom to make moral choices. I am glad to see the Lantos bill still requires the U.S. to promote abstinence and fidelity as a part of a comprehensive approach.

Working in Kenya, I see people suffering and dying all too often from a disease that can be prevented. It is crucial that this program not become a political football, and I hope members of Congress of good will, from both sides of the aisle, can find a way to work together for the sake of Africa. Unless the U.S. AIDS program goes forward, together with programs that address the broader context of the epidemic, the ones who suffer the most will be the children I work with every day.

Terry Charlton, S.J.
Email: charlton@jesuits.net

Fr. Terry Charlton, S.J.
Jesuit Vocation Director, Kenya
National Chaplain, Christian Life
Community
Co-founder and Chaplain, St. Aloysius
Gonzaga Secondary School, Kibera

December 2007 -- Actions for Peace

2007-12-10T14:05:00.000-05:00

Peace on earth, End the war

December 21, 2007 ; 5:00-6:00PM

downtown Royal Oak

A Call for Peace
This holiday season our nation is still at war, as it hasbeen the last four years. In this time of generosity of spirit, we mustcollectively stand up for peace as members of faith communities and peacegroups joining together. Our leaders must hear our message--we yearn forpeace. Unending war is not the way of the spirit. Sometimes we must lead ourleaders. Now is such a time. Join the Peace Walk You are invited to join the peace walk on Fri, Dec 21from 5-6PM in downtown Royal Oak , chosen for its central location. We willassemble at Royal Oak First United Methodist Church at 320 W. 7th Street,beginning at 4:30. We will start the one mile walk through downtown RoyalOak at 5:10PM. A map of the route is included. "Peace on earth, end the war"signs will be available to carry. The church will offer hot water for teaand cocoa and restrooms for our use.Coming together - our message is made even more powerful by communicatingthat many area groups and faith communities have come together for thispeace vigil. If your group has a banner or sign that identifies it, weencourage you to bring it.

Iraq Moratorium
This walk is being held in concert with the IraqMoratorium, a call initiated by United for Peace and Justice to end the warin Iraq. UPJ is a coalition of 1300 organizations nationwide. Theyencourage citizens to host events each month on the third Friday to focusAmerica on the need to end the war. This is our second Third Friday event.More will follow. If you would like to help plan the next one, pleasecontact our team at wethepeople2008@ gmail.com. Parking: At the church, on the street, and also, in the city parkingstructure on S. Lafayette between W. Fifth St. and W. Sixth St.Chuck Altman, Carol Christensen, Jeffrey Kolakowski, and Rev. Rich Peacock For More Information http://www.11hour4p eace.org/>and wethepeople@ gmail.com

This is being organized by the group "11th Hour for Peace" who vigil againstthe war every Saturday 11-11:30 at Rochester Road & Big Beaver.

'Their War'?

2007-11-09T09:19:00.000-05:00

"In a nation of more than 300 million people, less than 1 percent serve in all the armed forces combined, active duty and reserve.

Compare that to previous wartimes:
4 percent served during Vietnam,
12 percent during World War II,
11 percent during the Civil War."

This quote from the article by Kristin Henderson, Washington Post, July 2007, is only a quick piece for reflection when considering the military engagements we are currently in.

I highly recommend you to read this piece and reflect on how our interaction, or lack thereof, with military personnel informs our current way of proceeding.

*click on the title 'Their War?' and it will take you to the piece; the link is also below:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/18/AR2007071802785_pf.html

California Jesuit takes a stand against torture

2007-11-09T08:57:00.000-05:00

A notice from John McGarry, S.J., the CAL Provincial, on an action taken by a Jesuit that corresponds with one of our international priorities, War and Violence:

"On Wednesday, October 17, Fathers Stephen Kelly, S.J., and Louis Vitale, O.F.M., were sentenced to five months in federal prison for their participation in a nonviolent act of civil disobedience at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, for which they were arrested on November 19, 2006. At the time of their arrest, Louie and Steve were trying to deliver a letter denouncing certain methods of “interrogation training” sanctioned by the Military Commissions Act of 2006 to then-commander Major General Barbara Fast. (The link to their letter can be found on the Province website: www.jesuitscalifornia.org.)"

Another update on this situation is in the most recent Catholic Worker, October-November 2007 issue written by Bill Quigley, a human-rights lawyer and Loyola New Orleans professor who represented Frs. Kelly and Vitale in court.

U.S. and Arms Sales to Developing World

2007-11-08T09:31:00.000-05:00

In a recent article in the New York Times (01/10/2007), it highlights the mammoth role of the US in selling arms to developing countries. I include the link above for your review to see the full article and attach a graphic that accompanied this piece.

As I read this piece, several items for reflection occurred to me:
1. We are currently using our sales of arms to influence 'developing' states. Yet, ironically, the sale of weapons rarely helps in dialogue or negotiations so the type of development we are seeking is unclear.
2. We are selling to countries whose records on democracy and human rights is questionable, at best. Pakistan, recently in the news for Gen. Musharref's decision to suspend their constitution, is a major recipient of US arms sales.
3. For Jesuits and colleagues in the continent of Africa, small arms grossly affect their daily lives. Concerns over safety and building skills for real dialogue between conflicting parties are exacerbated by the prevalence of guns.

At the World Social Forum held in Nairobi, Kenya in January 2007, I attended several workshops on this issue and learned that African countries are the most active at the United Nations level in trying to limit weapons coming into their countries.

The 10 US Jesuit Provincials have prioritized the issue of 'War and Violence' as it relates to our international relationships so that we all might informs ourselves and advocate for responsible change. Future postings will address this reality as a start.

If you want more information, don't hesitate to contact me....

Peace,
Carrie

2 Simple Ways to Support Immigration Reform -- NOW!

2007-06-06T19:20:00.000-04:00

This is a critical time for Immigration Reform -- and I'm requesting that you take just a few minutes to act on behalf of those who are most in need and vulnerable in our society right now.

*** "Immigration" issues have been named by the

Provincials of the US Assistancy as a social priority for us in the 110th Congress.

The debate in the Senate right now will make/break any immigration reform that could be possibleprior to the shifting of focus to the 2008 elections. ***

Please, please act... Below are 2 ways and sample email messages/phone messages you can use to engage this action. If you have any questions, please do NOT hesitate to contact me. With much of the academic calendar coming to a close, it is a busy time of year for many in our works. But 10 minutes of your time could affect the entire life of a fellow son/daughter of God.

Background:
The Senate has been engaging this issue for some time; debate resumed on June 5, 2008. According to the Justice for Immigrants campaign (http://www.justiceforimmigrants.org/), this is a KEY time to contact members of the Senate and communicate our message motivated by our Gospel heritage.

MI Senators:

Sen. Carl Levin(202) 224-6221

Sen. Debbie Stabenow(202) 224-4822

OH Senators:

Sen. George Voinovich(202) 224-3353

Sen. Sherrod Brown(202) 224-2315

2 simple ways YOU can act to help:
a. CALL
i. simply leave your message with a staffer with the suggested text below and make sure you leave your name and place of residence
b. EMAIL
i. Copy the text below into an email and sign your name (including your place of residence and title)
ii. Go to the following sites and use their automatic message service:
* Jesuit Conference -- http://capwiz.com/jesuit/home
* Justice for Immigrants (USCCB sponsored site) -- www.justiceforimmigrants.org/action.html

TALKING POINTS:
1. Our most simple message is 'we support amendments which strengthen family unity and oppose amendments that limit the numberof persons eligible for the Z visa legalization program.'

2. The USCCB does not support or oppose the Senate Immigration Bill, S. 1348. They are urging men and women of faith to see this billas the starting point and to make it better with the addition of several key amendments. We support the following amendments:
a. #1194 (Menendez-Hagel) which moves the cut-off date for family backlogreduction from May 2005 to January 1, 2007; This would help 800,000 applications and strengthen family reunification.
b. #1183 (Clinton-Hagel) which would move immediate relatives (spouses, minor children) of legal permanent residents from a capped category to the uncapped immediate relative category, thereby eliminating backlogs from this group

Sample text:
'Hello, my name is _________________________, and I live in the State of ______________. I am calling to ask Senator __________ to support comprehensive immigration reform by supporting the Menendez/Hagel amendment (#1194) to the Senate Immigration Bill S. 1348, as it would enable poeple who have gone through appropriate channels to maintain family unity through the backlog reduction provisionsof the bill. I do support the path to legalization for the undocumented, but believe in the issue of fairness that all families who applied before January of 2007 for family visas should be considered.

Secondly, I would ask Sen. __________ to please support the Clinton/Hagel amendment (#1183) to ensure that visas for spouses and children of Legal Permanent Residents are not capped in the bill's backlog reduction provisions. Families deserve to remain intact, and trying to keep them apart will only rip our social fabric and entice more undocumented immigration. Thank you!'

If you need any help in this, please call/email me. I am here to help...And thank you for your work in helping immigration reform be reformed in a logical manner that helps our society and echoes our faith!

2007-04-16T16:37:00.000-04:00

Iraq: Catholic Resources for Discernment

2007-04-13T17:00:00.000-04:00

Dear Companions in Jesuit Ministry,

Peace of Christ!

This is a traditional greeting on Jesuit letters, and it takes on special meaning in these days when our nation is struggling over how best to find an elusive peace in war-torn Iraq. We are all painfully aware of the great consequence and complexity of the current policy deliberations. They are not only political and military decisions, but moral and ethical ones as well. Our Catholic faith calls us to participation in the national debate, especially in its moral and ethical aspects. That call is not only to us individually but as community – whether that be family, neighborhood, parish, school, retreat house – and we write to encourage and perhaps facilitate further discussion and participation.

The search for reconciliation in Iraq and here at home over these frequently divisive issues will only bear fruit through thoughtful discernment and informed dialogue. Yet, complicated by politics and self-interested agendas, much of the current public discourse can be contradictory and confusing. Many of us struggle to sift through it all to find good and helpful material. As a contribution to our common effort at good citizenship, we would like to offer a series of collected materials from various sources that we think helpful . We encourage you to consider these materials individually and in community.

Perhaps you would want to ask yourselves these questions:
- Does this material and particularly its assumptions coincide with my own experience?
- What are the moral and ethical norms that underlie the argument? Are they applied appropriately?
- How is this helpful for my own understanding and my own discussion and action, however informal, regarding our national decisions regarding Iraq?

The first set in an ongoing series of materials is now available at www.jesuit.org/iraq.

We will provide other materials in the coming weeks. Any suggestions you might have for future materials would be welcome at outreach@jesuit.org. And we apologize if you have received these materials in multiple ways. We are trying to send it as widely as possible.

As Companions of Christ’s Mission, may we pray for guidance from the Spirit He has sent to be with us always.

James R. Stormes SJ
Secretary, Social and International Ministries

Jesuit Conference

Prayer Request for Jesuit shareholder Advocacy

2007-03-26T15:26:00.000-04:00

Prayer request for Jesuit shareholder advocacy
March 15, 2007

In 2003, Fr. Kolvenbach referenced the 34th General Congregation naming Africa as an area of apostolic preference for the Society of Jesus. (Apostolic Preferences 2003/01)

“Jesuits in Africa are engaged in the challenge of building up a young and vibrant African Church, rooted in the richness of different cultures, creating new bonds of solidarity among their peoples, and struggling to overcome the global forces that tend to marginalize the whole continent”

One concrete strategy to advance this apostolic directive has been shareholder advocacy. While our influence with host governments in lesser developed countries can be distant, we do have direct access to North American corporations that do business in these regions through our investments.

Particularly in lands which are resource-rich, the rewards of these natural gifts have generally eluded and often worsened the situation of people living near mineral wealth. The title of recent report by the Nigerian Catholic Bishops says it all, “The Travesty of Oil and Gas Wealth.” Through civil conflicts, corruption and environmental damage, investment which could improve conditions of host communities is often misdirected, lost or wasted. Sometimes civilians are caught in the violent clashes between armed interests, including contracted security forces. While host governments have a responsibility to their citizens, trans-national companies also have a vital role given their influence and infrastructure in these regions. In addition to our investments, the religious community brings the earned trust of host communities through local Jesuits ministries and other faith networks.

U.S. and Canadian Jesuit Provinces are united in our shareholder advocacy promoting human rights and global health. Jesuit provinces are currently leading shareholder dialogues with Bristol Myers Squibb, Monsanto and Occidental Petroleum.

For the past 2.5 years, we have also held dialogues with Chevron Corporation encouraging the adoption and deployment of a transparent, verifiable and comprehensive human rights policy to govern their exploratory, extractive, refining and distribution operations in the 180 countries where they operate. We maintain that human rights must include provisions for: sustainable development, consent of host communities, environmental stewardship, human rights training for employees and contracted security policies, and healthcare access.

On April 26, 2007 our Jesuit-led resolution will be considered at Chevron’s annual shareholder meeting before the full board of directors. Last year our resolution received an impressive 24% shareholder vote and we hope to build on that in the coming year. In the weeks prior to the meeting, Chevron shareholders will be casting their votes regarding this resolution. We petition all Jesuit institutions and friends of the Society who own Chevron stock to vote FOR of the Jesuit-led shareholder Resolution to develop a Human Rights policy.

We are thankful for the U.S. and Canadian Jesuit provincials who have unanimously supported this effort, as well as the other religious and social investors who have joined us, including Creighton and Marquette Universities who co-filed in support of our resolution. We enthusiastically invite others to consider joining this effort. We pray that corporate leadership within and beyond the energy sector, may see that their social license and long-term interests are best served by protecting human life and promoting the human potential of host communities. Please consider inviting your school, parish, religious community or organization to join the Jesuit shareholder advocacy effort through prayer and action.

Prayer:
Gracious God,
You gifted the earth with bountiful gifts –
gifts you intended to be shared equitably among all your peoples.
You crowned the splendor of creation with the gift of human life,
endowing each person with a measure of your own divine dignity.
Bless the efforts of those who work to insure that all share fairly in
your wondrous gifts.
Bless the efforts of those who work to insure that the dignity of all
your beloved children is protected and revered.
Move the hearts of those with power – corporate and civic leaders – to understand their responsibility to effect just policies and to be wise
stewards of your gifts.
May all persons of faith be tireless advocates for those who lack a voice in our world and may we all work unceasingly for the dawning of that justice without which there cannot be true and lasting peace. Amen.

National Jesuit Corporate Investment Responsibility Committee
Mr. Mark Potter (California Province)
Rev. Richard L. Millbourn, S.J. (Chicago Province)
Ms. Carrie Monnette (Detroit Province)
Mr. Tim Kelly (Maryland Province)
Rev. Michael Linden, S.J. (New England Province)
Rev. Kevin Cullen, S.J. (Missouri Province)
Ms. Mary Baudouin (New Orleáns Province)
Rev. Mark Hallinan, S.J. (New York Province)
Mr. William Lockyear (Oregon Province)
Mr. John Sealey (Wisconsin Province)
Fr. Winston Rye, S.J. (Upper Canada Province)
Ms. Anna Bradley (Jesuit Conference Consultant for Socially Responsible Investing)
Mr. John Kleiderer (Jesuit Conference Liason)

Metanoia - new issue now available!

2007-03-01T15:36:00.000-05:00

The newest issue of Metanoia, the Detroit Province Social and International Ministries publication, is now ready.

You can view it online here or you can download it and print if off from your own computer at the Detroit Province of the Society of Jesus website at: www.jesuitdet.org!

Peace,
Carrie

JCSIM Statement on Iraq - February 2007

2007-02-28T18:46:00.000-05:00

In early February 2007, the Jesuit Commission for Social and International Ministries (JCSIM), issued a statement in response to the call from President Bush about increasing military personnel in Iraq. It calls for greater efforts at a diplomatic response to the increasing violence rather than an increased number of US military personnel.

The name of the document is: "An Invitation to Persons of Good Will to Support Intensified Diplomacy Rather Than an Escalation of Military Force in Iraq". It was edited several times and signed by 8 of 9 members on the commission.

The full text appears below and copies of the statement will be sent out to each Jesuit community in the province with an invitation to take part in the 'actions' listed at the end. As the 4th anniversary of the US led invasion comes upon us on 19 March 2007, let us remember all those who are in need of our prayers and our actions for increased diplomacy. NOW is always the time to act for peace...

* * * * * * *

Statement by the Jesuit Commission for Social and International Ministries (JCSIM)
February 2007

An Invitation to Persons of Good Will to Support Intensified Diplomacy
Rather Than an Escalation of Military Force in Iraq

Prior to the outset of the Iraq War, members of the faith community expressed grave moral concerns about military intervention in Iraq and questioned whether the full consequences of such a war had been properly considered. Indeed, Bishop Wilton Gregory, speaking as the then President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, wrote:

“We join with Pope John Paul in the conviction that war is not ‘inevitable’ and that ‘war is always a defeat for humanity’…Our bishops’ conference continues to question the moral legitimacy of any preemptive, unilateral use of military force to overthrow the government of Iraq... Based on the facts that are known, it is difficult to justify resort to war against Iraq, lacking clear and adequate evidence of an imminent attack of a grave nature or Iraq’s involvement in the terrorist attacks of September 11. With the Holy See and many religious leaders throughout the world, we believe that resort to war would not meet the strict conditions in Catholic teaching for the use of military force.”

Given how prescient the moral concerns expressed by faith leaders proved to be, it is imperative that faith leaders speak out now as the President moves to increase the number of troops committed to the war in Iraq. We, the undersigned members of the Jesuit Commission on Social and International Ministry, join with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM), the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), and other persons of faith to express concern over this escalation in military force and to encourage our President and Congress to embrace a policy of broader diplomatic engagement that will not only seek to restore security, stability and reconstruction in Iraq, but also to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and prevent the return of civil war in Lebanon. The destabilization of Iraq, caused by the United States invasion and subsequent management of the ensuing conflict, has added to the already complex tensions existing in the region. This makes it all the more imperative that the United States make a concerted diplomatic effort to engage all the governments in the Middle East in a common effort to find solutions to the tensions that now threaten to engulf the entire region in a conflagration with unimaginable consequences.

Already, the Iraq war has had devastating consequences:
The Iraqi Health Ministry reports that in 2006, 22,950 Iraqi civilians and police officers died violent deaths. In the first six months of last year, 5,640 Iraqi civilians and police officers were killed, but that number more than tripled to 17,310 in the latter half of the year.

Last year’s spike in casualties occurred despite an ambitious U.S. military operation in the capital, “Together Forward,” that involved thousands of U.S. and Iraqi troops cordoning off some of the deadliest neighborhoods in Baghdad and conducting house-to-house searches.

More than 3,000 members of the United States armed forces have died in the Iraq conflict with more than 20,000 soldiers injured since the start of the Iraq war.

The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are now costing the United States government approximately $8 billion a month, $3,000 per second. This is in addition to the Defense Budget that in the last fiscal year was $463 billion dollars, or approximately $14,000 per second. There are calls now for increasing the size of the United States armed forces due to the strain experienced in fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. If approved, this increase will result in a further escalation in Pentagon spending. Defense spending, and the cost of military operations places real constraints on the ability of the United States to respond to the pressing social needs of the United States. It also limits the humanitarian and development assistance the United States is able to provide to other nations which would serve to stabilize nations and regions.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees believes that 1.7 million Iraqis are displaced inside Iraq, whose prewar population was 21 million. The U.N. also reports that roughly 40 percent of Iraq’s middle class is believed to have fled the country; this in the wake of violence that has cost the lives of at least 2,000 Iraqi doctors since the U.S. invasion in 2003. The flight has undermined basic services such as water and sanitation and disrupted commerce, making it increasingly difficult for Iraqi society to function. Neighboring countries are being overwhelmed by the influx of Iraqi refugees. Iraqi refugees now account for 10 percent of the population of Jordan, a nation of only 6 million persons – the equivalent of 30 million landing on U.S. shores. The U.S. has been sluggish in its response to this crisis allowing only 466 Iraqis to immigrate under refugee status since 2003 and allocating only $20 million for Iraqi refugee assistance.

It is clear that the United States needs to engage with the international community, particularly all the nations which share borders with Iraq, in creating a process that would end the endemic violence in Iraq, reduce sectarian tensions, mobilize humanitarian relief and reconstruction aid, train Iraqi security forces, and allow for the phased withdrawal of United States combat forces.

We call upon all people of faith, all people of good will, to do the following:
To declare one Sabbath day each month as a day of prayer and fasting for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Iraq, to acknowledge and begin to redress the suffering and violence endured daily by the Iraqi people, to remember the members of our armed forces who serve, and have served, in Iraq, and to petition that God grant comfort and peace to all who have lost loved ones in this conflict.

To write to President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice asking them to engage the international community in a united effort to find a path to peace in Iraq and to exclude no nation from this effort. We ask them, as well, to work with the international community in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as well as in forestalling a renewed civil war in Lebanon.

To write to their representatives in Congress calling upon them to press the administration to engage in a broad, diplomatic effort to address not only the conflict in Iraq, but the conflicts now threatening the wider Middle East. We ask Congress, as well, to oppose the escalation of the conflict and to seek the means by which a phased withdrawal of forces can happen sooner rather than later.

The Iraq War has proven the truth that ‘war is a defeat for humanity.’ The human cost of this war has been devastating and that devastation continues daily. It is time for the United States to recognize that a change in course in Iraq is required; not an increase in troops and attendant violence, but an increase in diplomatic efforts to engage all parties in the region in helping the Iraqi people to live together in peace.

Signed:
Mary Baudouin
Assistant for Social Ministries
New Orleans Province

Kevin Cullen, S.J.
Assistant for Social and International Ministries
Missouri Province

Mark Hallinan, S.J.
Assistant for Social Ministries
New York Province

Timothy Kelly
Assistant for Social and International Ministries
Maryland Province

Carrie Monnette
Assistant for Social and International Ministries
Detroit Province

Mark Potter
Assistant for Social Ministries
California Province

John Sealey
Assistant for Social and International Ministries
Wisconsin Province

William Watson, S.J.
Special Assistant for International Ministries
Oregon Province

Contacts to express your position:
The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
202-456-1111 (comment line)
202-456-2461 (fax)
president@whitehouse.gov

The Honorable Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of State
Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington DC 20520
202-647-6575
202-647-2283 (fax)
http://www.state.gov/

Links to congressional representatives
202-224-3121 (Capitol Switchboard)
http://www.house.gov/
http://www.sentate.gov/

USCCB Social Ministries Gathering - February 2007

2007-02-14T09:12:00.000-05:00

Over the past five days, men and women who work diligently for the Social Ministries in the Church gathered together for inspiration, renewal and action in Washington, DC. The gathering was held at the Hyatt Regency, just steps from the Capitol.

We heard a talk on the first night from Ron Rolheiser, OMI on "Spirituality of Social Justice in Hard Times". In it, he encouraged us to celebrate what we have done in the past 35 years (that being the time when our Church changed from a dominantly immigrant church to one of influence) but also to see how the difficulties: the seductive nature of the US culture and economy, the concern of 'burn-out'.

He shares some challenges from the Gospel, especially, the Johannine story of Jesus washing the feet of the disciples as the dominant 'Eucharist' scene in John's gospel. Like Jesus, we are challenged to change "the mantle of privilege into the apron of service" and encourage one another, especially contentious groups in the church, to wash one another's feet.

I will share more information from our other keynote speakers in the next couple of days: in particular, Prof. Rebecca Blank from the U. of Michigan Ford School of Public Policy and Charity Musamba, from Zambia, who has worked closely with the Jesuit Centre of Theological Reflection with Pete Henriot, SJ and others. Also, we had the privilege of lobbying our senators and representatives on various issues as well as hear personally from Sen. Chuck Hagel (R - Neb) and Sen. Bob Casey, Jr. (D - PA). Both were articulate, informational and challenging.

-- Unfortunately, pictures will be limited because my camera is recovering from Africa! --

World Social Forum Workshops

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On Monday, 21 January 2007, I attended the first day of workshops at the World Social Forum. Overall, my experience was good. There were many workshops that had logistical problems and never began or it was hard to hear.

I went to one workshop sponsored by Oxfam International on the recent "Arms Trade Treaty" introduced in the UN for support from all member nations. Left is a picture of the Kenyan Ambassador to the UN giving participants an update on the movement and why the restriction of selling small arms in Africa is so important. This was also of great importance to the Jesuits and partners working for the Social Apostolate in JESAM. (Jesuit Superiors of Africa and Madagascar)

Other workshops that I attended that day included: Building Peace Relationships with Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns and Rights of Women and Orphans in Africa sponsored by the African Collaborative (a local NGO).

The estimates for total numbers at the Forum range considerably... anywhere from 5,000 to 30,000. I would opt for somewhere closer to the first number.

(Pictures are slow in coming because reliable (and faster than slow) internet connections are on the sparse side. Thank you for your patience!)

Our Way of Proceeding

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Today, 19 January 2007, was the end of the Ignatian Family Encounter (IFE), a pre-forum meeting to the World Social Forum. We met in our workshops for the final time and then came together in a large plenary session to review our separate work and engage in communal discernment about next steps.

Above is a photo of my group, the "Let's talk about HIV/AIDS in Africa", sponsored by the African Jesuit Aids Network (AJAN). It was a very successful meeting time and I will be sure to publish the results of this as soon as I have time to type it up!

We concluded with liturgy celebrated by the Archbishop of Nairobi, the Most Reverend Ndingi Mwana a' Nzeki (picture, left - center) It was a wonderful moment and he offered many words of encouragement to the Ignatian Family (in particular, young Jesuits studying theology) to help the bishops of Africa to help enculturate the church and keep its catholic nature.

Tomorrow morning begins the World Social Forum; our group will head into the downtown area for mass and then join the procession into Uhuru Stadium where the opening ceremonies will be. I will be sure to review this event for you as soon as returning! (I am told it will take approx. 3 hours to return from downtown Nairobi given the traffic.) =)

Finding God in All Things

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Photo from Hekima College entrance with the Ignatian

Family Encounter (IFE) logo and World Social Forum Flag!

Today, 18 January 2007, is the second day of the Ignatian Family Encounter. Our days are structured and quite long -- we begin most plenary sessions at 8:15am and go until mass at 5:00pm. They are long days but filled with great information and reflection.

On day #1, we enjoyed a plenary session from Fr. Fraterne Massawi, S.J., (photo, center below) Moderator of JESAM and Dr. David Khaulem, Professor at Arrupe College in Zimbabwe, discuss how Ignatian identity informs the vision of social transformation.

On day #2, we had plenary sessions including Fr. Shirima Valerian, S.J., Provincial of the Eastern Africa Province and Sr. Ephygenia Gachiri, IBVM on how Ignatian pedagogy informs they way we work for social transformation.

While the conversations address the specific realities of the continent of Africa, I am trying to make connections for collaborative work with the US or realities that we can share for greater awareness and sensitivity in our own ministries.

Also, the workshop topics (and plenary review sessions!) are so expansive: HIV/AIDS, Refugees - Freedom of Movement, Management of Natural Resources, Conflict & War & Peace, and Debt and Trade in Development. I will try to post some 'interesting statistics' from the review sessions on the other side of the blog.

Jim Stormes, SJ (left) and John Kleiderer both work at the Jesuit Conference in Washington, D.C. in Social and International Ministries. They are part of the 5 person US delegation that includes myself, Fr. Steve Privett, SJ (President of U. San Francisco) and Mr. Tim Kelly, MAR Provincial Assistant for Social and International Ministries. These two are enjoying our down time just before mass!

Early Days in Nairobi

2007-01-16T23:11:00.000-05:00

Arrived on late Monday, 15 January 2007 to the Savelburg Retreat Centre, run by the Little Sisters of St. Joseph. It is housing approx. 70 participants for the Ignatian Family Encounter (IFE). Pictures of the Centre to follow later...

On 16 January 2007, prior to the evening's opening liturgy, we had the opportunity to walk around this area of town and to Hekima, the Jesuit

Theologate. Here are some pictures from the chapel and the beautiful stations of the cross...

And today, 17 January 2007, we are beginning our workshops and opening discussions. There are 5 workshops to choose from: Debt Relief and Trade; HIV/AIDS; Natural Resources; JRS; Conflict, War and Peace. I will be attending the HIV/AIDS discussions led by Michael Czerny, SJ and the African Jesuit Aids Network (AJAN). More to follow...

President calls for more troops in Iraq

2007-01-11T15:15:00.000-05:00

Today, January 11, 2007, President Bush traveled to Ft. Benning, GA in Columbus, GA in order to promote his new 'plan' to increase US troops in Iraq by over 20,000. This site is a familiar one to the Ignatian family as it is the site of the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), formerly known as the School of the America, SOA. It is known for training military personnel from foreign countries in tactics that have caused severe human rights abuses. Is it a coincidence that this location, home of the annual Ignatian Family Teach-In in November, is now a symbolic pulpit for this administration to begin another military action? Where are we turning a blind-eye to the human rights issues (ie. civilian killings, torture, oppressive military presence) in Iraq that were made known to us graphically in the 80's and early 90's in El Salvador?

To read the President's full speech on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 about the 'troop increase' to Iraq, following the following link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6803354

Jan. 7-13, 2007 - National Migration Week

2007-01-10T15:55:00.000-05:00

"Welcoming Christ in the Migrant"

January 7 - 13, 2007

Bishop Barnes, Bishop of San Bernadino and Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, issued a letter about National Migration Week. You can read the full text at the following link: http://www.usccb.org/mrs/nmw/bishopsletters.shtml.

Each year, this week means to draw our attention to all those in our society who face persecution in a 'migration experience' by remembering that the Holy Family

also faced their own 'migration' from Jerusalem to Egypt.

You can also receive further information on the USCCB's campaign, Justice for Immigrants, which deals with the advocacy and education surrounding the topic of comprehensive immigration reform at www.justiceforimmigrants.org

All Jesuits in the Detroit Province are invited to the Area Day on Saturday, March 31, 2007 at St. John's Jesuit in Toledo, OH; our topic is "Strangers No Longer, Immigration in the USA"... stay tuned for further info on the event!

Trip to Africa - Ignatian Pre-Forum and World Social Forum - January 2007

2007-01-02T16:12:00.000-05:00

On 14 January, I will leave for Nairobi, Kenya to attend a 4 day pre-conference, 'The Ignatian Pre-Forum Encounter", sponsored by the Jesuit Assistancy in Africa and Madagascar, JESAM, with the goal of bringing Jesuits and partners into conversation about 'our way of proceeding' in the face of various social issues.

This meeting will be followed by the 5 day conference, "The World Social Forum 2007", also in Nairobi. It is sponsored by the World Social Forum, an organization seeking to bring activists, social movements, networks, coalitions and other progressive forces from all over the world together for five days of cultural resistance and celebration; panels, workshops, symposia, processions, film nights and much much more.

For more info on the World Social Forum, visit: www.wsf2007.org

As often as possible, I will be sharing photos and information from these meetings' proceedings in the hopes of raising our awareness about the conditions and situations of the African continent, and more personally, to share the great work of our twinned province, the Eastern Africa Province.