Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific
3/F Sonolux Building, Ateneo de Manila Campus, Loyola Heights
Mail: PO Box 208, UP Campus, 1101 Quezon City, Philippines
Tel/Fax: +63 (2) 426 5974 E-Mail: jcapsj@sjapc.net
REPORT OF THE
SOCIAL MAPPING PROJECT
5th July 2010
(Updated 1st November 2010)
CONTENTS
Page
Executive Summary
3
Chapter 1: Introduction
5
Chapter 2: Overview of activities
7
Chapter 3: Key observations
20
Chapter 4: Emerging trends
28
Chapter 5: A reflection on the social context of our mission
30
Chapter 6: Strategic choices for the Society
35
Chapter 7: Recommendations
38
Chapter 8: Conclusion
41
Annexes
i. Overview of work in each theme
Migration
Environment and governance of natural resources
Poverty and sustainable development
Indigenous peoples
Youth, family and rehabilitation
Access to education
Civil society, participation and governance
Inter-religious dialogue and religious fundamentalism
Peace building and conflict resolution
Natural disaster preparedness, relief and reconstruction
42
48
53
59
65
70
73
78
82
87
ii. Social mapping process including survey and interview questions
93
iii. List of survey recipients, respondents and interviewees
100
iv. List of abbreviations
106
2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The increasingly global context of our mission today calls for more coordinated and decisive
supranational responses. Currently Jesuits and their collaborators are involved in a wide
range of social concerns throughout Asia Pacific. These include:
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Migration
Environment and governance of natural resources
Poverty and sustainable development
Indigenous peoples
Youth, family and rehabilitation
Access to education
Civil society, participation and governance
Inter-religious dialogue and religious fundamentalism
Peace building and conflict resolution
Natural disaster preparedness, relief and reconstruction
Individual ministries have been fruitful in terms of accompanying the marginalized,
providing direct services, building capacity, engaging policy-makers and influencing others
through a multiplier effect.
The present realities of Asia Pacific, however, require more coherent strategies and wellcombined efforts across provinces and apostolic boundaries. The increasing numbers of
vulnerable migrants, the fast-paced and inequitable economic development, threats to
marginalized groups, deep-seated conflict and ecological injustices are among the pressing
concerns in the region that invite a greater role for the Society and its collaborators.
This study recommends that the Society identifies common apostolic frontiers or priorities
to tackle at the Conference level through a multi-sectoral approach. For the immediate
term, (i) migration and (ii) environment and governance of natural resources can be
among the priority apostolic frontiers relevant to all countries of Asia Pacific. Jesuits and
companions are engaged in these fields in many parts of the region. Specific goals can be
identified for each of these two areas and strategies that involve all the relevant apostolates –
intellectual, social, pastoral, education, spiritual – can be formulated, implemented and
monitored at the Conference level.
The Conference has the potential to make a significant impact in the ten areas of social
concern mentioned above, by leveraging on the best of what persons and institutions in its
various apostolates can offer. However in order for these initiatives to be fruitful, there has to
be a concurrent effort to renew the Society’s commitment to social justice and to being an
international community in mission.
The social mapping project has revealed that only a small number of Jesuits are engaged in
full-time social ministries and these often experience a sense of isolation and lack of support.
It has also been highlighted that direct contact with the poor by Jesuits is decreasing. In fact,
the lack of commitment of Jesuits to being with the poor and to social justice is a recurrent
observation. Moreover, whilst there are a number of expert individuals and institutions in the
assistancy, current efforts seem to be piecemeal. There is a lack of connection among those
3
in the social apostolate as well as between different apostolates, especially between the social
and intellectual ministries. As a result, the sharing of expertise and the implementation of
joint projects has been minimal.
Where it occurs, the presence of professional and experienced lay persons leading Jesuit
organizations is one striking feature in the assistancy’s social scene. Yet these examples of
collaboration with the laity are rare. It appears difficult for Jesuits to find a synergistic
equilibrium in working with lay persons and with other religious.
Planning can be greatly improved. This refers to planning at the Conference and provincial
levels as well as within individual ministries. In particular, the Conference, provinces and
regions would do well to plan in terms of mission frontiers and not in terms of apostolates.
Finally, younger Jesuits in the social apostolate will grow if they are given the space to define
new paradigms of working. A number have inherited existing ministries pioneered by their
predecessors. Yet the local and regional contexts have changed. The younger generation of
Jesuits will respond to encouragement to flexibility. They are called to boldly re-define the
way ahead.
In summary, GC 35 urges Jesuits to build bridges across barriers so as to promote
reconciliation with God, with others and with creation. Located in Asia Pacific, a region
culturally and religiously diverse, economically dynamic and politically wide-ranging, JCAP
has to respond to this call to three-fold reconciliation with boldness and creativity. For this to
happen, it will necessarily first bridge internal divides so that there is a stronger sense of
common mission across apostolates, provinces, institutions and among Jesuits and their
collaborators.
4
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
“The different aspects of the crisis, its solutions, and any new development
that the future may bring, are increasingly interconnected, they imply one
another, they require new efforts of holistic understanding and a new
humanistic synthesis...The current crisis obliges us to re-plan our journey, to
set ourselves new rules and to discover new forms of commitment, to build on
positive experiences and to reject negative ones. The crisis thus becomes an
opportunity for discernment in which to shape a new vision for the future.”
(Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate, #21)
The mission of Christ in our world today faces many challenges as well as opportunities, both
at the societal level as well as within the Church. Thus the call to “re-plan our journey, to set
ourselves new rules and to discover new forms of commitment” has never been more urgent,
especially if this mission is to be carried out effectively and bear fruit in our times.
The first step in any such re-planning is often a re-awakening to the present realities about the
world around us and about ourselves.
In recognition of the need to examine the social context of the Jesuit mission in Asia Pacific
today, the Social Mapping Project was initiated by the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific
(JCAP) in early-2009. Around the same time, JCAP participants at the Jesuit international
social justice workshop in Madrid in November 2008 asked for a more comprehensive
conference-wide database of Jesuits in the social field.
Objectives
With the concurrence of JCAP Major Superiors in January 2009, the social mapping project
was launched. It has the following objectives:
1. To gain greater insight into the current social context of Asia Pacific, particularly
from the experiences of Jesuits on the ground;
2. To identify Jesuit institutions and individuals who are involved in creative initiatives
in the social field; and
3. To facilitate a discernment of how the Society is called to respond to the invitations
and challenges of the social context, especially through international co-operation.
Process
With inputs from Major Superiors and Social Delegates, the JCAP office identified and
contacted Jesuits and collaborators in each province and region who were involved in socialrelated initiatives. Through email surveys, information was sought from these persons
regarding their current work, their way of working, their network of contacts, future plans
5
and how they might benefit from greater international co-operation. A total of 104 persons
were contacted, comprising:
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Jesuits and lay persons engaged in the social apostolates of the assistancy;
Jesuits involved in social initiatives with other organizations and their
collaborators; and
Jesuits active in social-related concerns through the intellectual, pastoral,
education and other apostolates.
A total of 75 persons responded to the survey, from all provinces and regions in the
assistancy. Thereafter, interviews were conducted with selected individuals to gain greater
insight into the social needs they were addressing and the possibilities for greater
collaboration at the assistancy level. A total of 17 persons were interviewed.
With the information gathered, an analysis was conducted to identify common strengths and
challenges in the social ministries, gaps and opportunities, key themes on which Jesuits and
their collaborators are working and potential common frontiers at the assistancy level. The
findings and recommendations are presented in this report.
The JCAP office worked with a team of lay collaborators in these activities. The team
comprised:
 Fr Mark Raper SJ, President, JCAP
 Fr Denis Kim SJ, Social Coordinator, JCAP
 Ms Sandie Cornish, Assistant to Social Delegate, Australian Province (till
May 2010)
 Dr Anna Marie Karaos, Associate Director, John J. Carroll Institute on Church
and Social Issues (JJCICSI)
 Ms Christina Kheng, Consultant
Further details of the process as well as a list of survey recipients, respondents and
interviewees can be found in Annex 2 and 3 respectively.
Limitations of the project and uses of this report
The social mapping project is not meant to be a rigorous social-scientific research nor a
comprehensive survey of all Jesuits and collaborators who have been involved in socialrelated concerns. In particular it may not fully cover all the persons whose main work is not
in the social apostolate. Nevertheless it is comprehensive enough to give a general overview
of the social ministries in JCAP with their features and directions.
This report is written primarily for Jesuits and their collaborators, to be used as a tool for
discernment of apostolic priorities at the Conference, province, region and ministry level. It
is hoped that readers can gain fresh insights from this examination of the ground experiences
of a sampling of individuals and institutions in the assistancy and engage in further
reflection. Ultimately, it is hoped that such reflection will contribute to a greater
understanding of the mission of the Society in Asia Pacific today and lead to responses that
will bear much fruit.
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CHAPTER 2
OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES
The most basic question that the social mapping project sought to answer was: In what areas
are we now actively engaged? An initial survey revealed that Jesuits and collaborators in
Asia Pacific have been active in the following social-related themes:
1. Migration
2. Environment and governance of natural resources
3. Poverty and sustainable development
4. Indigenous peoples
5. Youth, family and rehabilitation
6. Access to education
7. Civil society, participation and governance
8. Inter-religious dialogue and religious fundamentalism
9. Peace building and conflict resolution
10. Natural disaster preparedness, relief and reconstruction
The following pages present a summary of the key findings in each of the above themes. A
detailed write-up can be found in Annex 1.
7
(I) Migration
In the area of forced migration, including refugees and forcibly displaced persons, Jesuit
Refugee Service (JRS) is a major advocate, service provider, accompanier and capacity
builder among non-government organizations (NGOs) in the region. JRS has an active
presence in Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea and
Australia, as well as representative offices and/or volunteer committees in Japan and
Singapore. It will also be opening a base in the Philippines to work with internallydisplaced people.
For other migrants, what’s striking is that the Society has active programs in receiving
countries but lacks organized efforts in most sending countries.
In receiving countries…
Jesuit centers that provide casework, medical & legal help, social and
learning activities as well as accompaniment for migrants include:
- Rerum Novarum Center in Taiwan;
- “Yiutsari” Jesuit Migrant Center in South Korea; and
- Jesuit Social Center in Japan.
In addition, individual Jesuits are involved in accompaniment, chaplaincy
work and pastoral care for migrants in:
- Australia;
- Cambodia (Vietnamese migrants);
- Hong Kong;
- Mainland China (African Catholic workers);
- Malaysia (Vietnamese migrants);
- Micronesia;
- Thailand (esp. through the prison ministry); and
- Vietnam.
Jesuits in certain parishes also serve a significant migrant population. These
include parishes in Australia, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore,
South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
Jesuit Social Services in Australia is engaged in direct services, advocacy,
settlement and community development programs for Vietnamese, African
and other migrants and refugees.
8
In sending countries…
- UGAT Foundation in the Philippines works with families left behind by
migrant workers;
- Ateneo de Manila University conducts research on the impact of
migration on families. Jesuits in the Social Commission are involved in
research on human rights abuses against Filipino overseas foreign
workers (OFWs);
- Jescom in the Philippines has produced a video entitled “Dwells God”
which highlights the situation of Filipino OFWs; and
- The Micronesia Seminar has produced documentary videos and
conducted research on emigrants’ economic contributions.
The Loyola School of Theology in Manila offers a Certificate in Migration
Theology in collaboration with the Scalabrinian Missionaries and the
Bishops’ Conference for Migration.
Within Asia Pacific, countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, China, Myanmar, Thailand
and Vietnam are major sources of migrant workers for the world. Respondents highlight that
sending countries actually play a critical role in improving casework, advocacy and pre-/postmigration accompaniment. The lack of links between Jesuit initiatives in sending countries
and those in receiving countries has been raised as an important challenge for the Conference.
9
(II) Environment and Governance of Natural Resources
Within the countries of the Conference, the work done on this theme has been multi-pronged
but generally uncoordinated, especially on the international level. There are those engaged in
research, teaching and capacity building whilst several others are involved in direct
grassroots efforts.
Among those doing research, advocacy and capacity building,
- JJCICSI in the Philippines is looking into Clean Development
Mechanisms as well as adaptation strategies of the poor to climate
change;
- ESSC works with indigenous communities in the Philippines on
assisted forest regeneration and management of forest resources;
- Manila Observatory is engaged in work on climate change, disaster
risk and vulnerability reduction;
- Jesuit Universities in the Philippines have been working on the issue
of mining and its impact on local communities; and
- Sr Maryanne Loughry of JRS Australia has been studying climate
change induced displacement in the Pacific.
A number of Jesuits and institutions are involved in organic and ecofriendly farming either through training, supporting or direct farming.
These include:
- KPTT agricultural training center in Indonesia;
- Mindanawon Initiatives for Cultural Dialogue in the Philippines;
- Rerum Novarum Center in Taiwan;
- Jesuit Service Cambodia; and
- Fr Kolbe Kim SJ in South Korea.
Jesuits teaching on development and environment, ecology and morality
include:
- Frs Joseph Puthenkalam SJ and Masayuki Semoto SJ in Sophia
University in Japan;
- Fr Francisco Cho SJ at Sogang University in South Korea; and
- Fr Sunu Hardiyanto SJ who has started a Center for Environmental
Studies at Sanata Dharma University in Indonesia.
Some have also started movements and are bringing the message to
others. These include:
- Br Dieng Karnedi SJ who established a “Trash Care Community” with
youth in Jakarta and is promoting care for creation in the seminary in
Indonesia.
Several Jesuit schools and parishes have integrated environmental
concerns into their facilities and institutional management and
programs. These include St Ignatius College Riverview and North
Sydney parish in Australia.
10
A working group headed by Fr Pedro Walpole SJ is being formed to explore practical
applications of Reconciliation with Creation among Conference members. As can be seen
from above, the Society has a rich resource of collective know-how, skills and experiences to
tackle ecological questions from various angles. Jesuit communities and institutions will
need to evidence greater leadership and readiness to act in this field.
11
(III) Poverty and sustainable development
Poverty is one of the most common issues tackled in the assistancy. The breadth of activity is
striking, spanning from direct services to advocacy in both rural and urban development.
Among those addressing rural development,
- Jesuit Service Cambodia supports villages in self-help projects;
- KPTT agricultural training center in Indonesia trains young people in
organic farming and entrepreneurship;
- SEARSOLIN in the Philippines trains international participants in
agricultural development;
- ESSC helps forest communities in Mindanao to better manage their
natural resources; and
- JJCICSI is engaged in land reform advocacy in the Philippines.
Among those addressing urban development,
- Fr Francis Park SJ works with the urban poor and families in
vulnerable housing situations in South Korea;
- Fr Jorge Anzorena SJ works with groups in different countries on
housing rights, slum upgrading and tenure for the urban poor;
- Rerum Novarum Center supports laborers in Taiwan;
- Jesuit Social Services Australia carries out research, policy and
advocacy work in urban poverty as well as capacity building and
neighborhood renewal in disadvantaged communities;
- Ateneo School of Government helps build capacity of government
and communities in the Philippines to address housing, health and
education issues; and
- JJCICSI is a major player in urban housing research.
Those that are involved in funding and development aid include:
- Jesuit Mission in Australia;
- Jesuit Social Center in Japan;
- Alberto Hurtado Center in Vietnam; and
- Jesuit Social Services in Thailand.
Apart from those addressing poverty directly, some Jesuits such as Fr
Peter Shimokawa SJ in Japan are also researching and teaching on its
root causes, such as neo-liberalism and its detrimental effects.
Many respondents see poverty as a central concern in Asia Pacific and the root cause of many
other social concerns such as migration, crime, trafficking and religious extremism.
Moreover, there are strong forces working against sustainable development. One thing that
stands out in this theme is that although many Jesuits are working on similar facets of
destitution, its causes and consequences, there is currently not much effort by the various
institutions to combine their strengths across provincial and apostolic boundaries so as to
make a more strategic impact. Some respondents also point out that the intellectual
apostolate in general does not seem to be connecting with Jesuits at the grassroots and vice
versa.
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(IV) Indigenous Peoples
Several Jesuits and collaborators have gained extensive grassroots experience with
indigenous communities through years of insertion and accompaniment.
Among those working with indigenous peoples,
- Rerum Novarum Center in Taiwan facilitates agricultural
projects and employment, runs supplementary classes for
Junior-high students and helped establish an Indigenous Families
and Women Service Center sponsored by the government;
- Mindanawon Initiatives for Cultural Dialogue in the Philippines
together with Fr Albert Alejo SJ engages in research, advocacy,
education and community organizing among tribal groups;
- Ateneo de Zamboanga University runs a holistic program for
indigenous communities in the city;
- ESSC helps forest communities in Mindanao to better manage
their natural resources whilst the Apu Palamguwan Cultural
Education Center focuses on indigenous education;
- Jesuit Social Services Australia works with indigenous people in
the criminal justice system and engages in capacity building for
disadvantaged communities;
- Frs Frank Brennan SJ and Brian McCoy SJ and others have been
working extensively with aboriginals in Australia;
- Fr Jojo Fung SJ accompanies the Orang Asli leaders in Malaysia
and researches indigenous religion; Br Anthony Dass SJ is also
actively engaged with Orang Asli families in Malaysia;
- Fr Yves Nalet SJ and other Jesuits are engaged in pastoral work
with hill tribes in Taiwan;
- Fr Vinai Boonlue SJ and Jesuit Social Services Thailand have
been involved in projects with indigenous groups;
- Jesuits in Indonesia are working with indigenous peoples in
West Papua and other areas; and
- Jesuits in Vietnam are also engaged with local tribes.
Jesuits in most of the above ministries are linked through a network
called “Jesuit Companions in Indigenous Ministry” (JCIM).
Their rich experience has much to contribute to the Society’s and the Church’s understanding
of indigenous cultures and religions. However some respondents regret the lack of integration
of their work with the rest of the Society. Moreover the continuity of this work among
younger generations of Jesuits may be uncertain. At the moment there does not seem to be
systematic efforts to identify and prepare new workers for this ministry. Yet effectiveness in
this field hinges on “starting early” to cultivate long-term relationships with and deeply
understanding indigenous communities.
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(V) Youth, Family and Rehabilitation
Several Jesuit institutions working in these predominantly social welfare fields are reputable
and leading organizations in their respective areas.
Those working with delinquent youth and addressing juvenile justice
include:
- Jesuit Social Services Australia;
- ERDA in the Philippines; and
- JJCICSI in the Philippines.
Those engaged in accompaniment and advocacy for prisoners include:
- Philippine Jesuit Prison Service;
- Jesuit Prison Ministry, Thailand;
- Jesuit Social Services Australia which assists indigenous people and
youth with intellectual disability in the prison system; and
- Jesuits who minister to migrants in detention centers. (See theme 1)
Those assisting leprosy sufferers include:
- Casa Ricci Social Services in China; and
- Historically at Culion in the Philippines.
In the field of HIV/AIDS,
- Casa Ricci Social Services in China runs centers and shelters.
Those serving people with disabilities include:
- Jesuit Service Cambodia; and
- Fr Edi Mulyono SJ who heads the archdiocesan social organization in
Jakarta, Indonesia.
In the area of mental health,
- Jesuit Social Services in Australia provides casework, counseling and
therapy;
- Micronesia Seminar conducts research on suicide; and
- Jesuit Social Center in Japan conducts research on mental illness.
The experiences gained by these organizations, their expertise in human services and social
programs, their networks and partnerships as well as their contacts with a wide range of
beneficiaries serve as a rich resource for the rest of the assistancy, including the pastoral,
education, spiritual, intellectual and formation apostolates. For example, Jesuit Service
Cambodia played a leading role in the formulation of a 12-point international agreement on
education for people with disabilities.
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(VI) Access to Education
Education is one of the core strengths of the Society. In addition to the mainstream Jesuit
schools found throughout the assistancy, there is also some effort to make education more
accessible to the poor.
The following provinces are engaged in access to education among the
poor:
- In the Philippines, the ERDA Group runs ERDA Tech School as well as
pre-school programs, educational assistance and alternative learning
and work skills programs;
- In Cambodia, Jesuit Service supports the national system and
supports schools for those unable to attend mainstream education.
Jesuits have also helped to start and oversee various schools
throughout Battambang diocese;
- In Australia, the province runs a senior college in a disadvantaged
community in partnership with a diocese. Jesuit Social Services also
provides vocational training to disadvantaged youth and plans to
develop a Jesuit Community College;
- JRS provides schooling for tens of thousands of Burmese refugees;
- The Refugee Tertiary Education Committee in Australia offers online
education to Burmese refugees in Thailand through a consortium of
educational institutions and JRS;
- In Indonesia, the province runs several technical schools and is
opening an urban school for the disadvantaged; and
-
East Timor has a Teacher Training institution in the planning phases.
Some respondents highlight that there is much more scope for sharing of expertise and
resources between mainstream Jesuit schools and alternative schools for the poor. As an
example, ERDA Tech has partnered with Xavier High School in the Philippines to enhance
staff capabilities.
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(VII) Civil Society, Participation and Governance
The Philippine province is most active in terms of direct work on this theme. Interestingly,
Jesuit institutions are playing strategic roles in training government leaders, educating
citizens and fighting corruption.
Among key efforts in the Philippines,
- Ateneo School of Government develops and trains leaders with
emphasis on social accountability, good governance and political
reform;
- Ehem, a Jesuit anti-corruption initiative, engages in research and
provides seminars, publications, manuals and training materials.
In future, Ehem will be incorporated into the Ateneo School of
Government;
- Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan promotes good citizenship rooted
in Christian principles and advocates voters’ rights and good
governance; and
- Ateneo de Zamboanga University runs a Center for Local
Governance.
In Japan, the Shimonoseki Labor Education Center has been a major
hub for local citizen’s movements and civil society networks.
Apart from the above, those working in other themes such as indigenous peoples,
environment, youth and sustainable development are also making a positive impact on public
policy and the capacity of beneficiary groups for participation and self-determination. A key
strength identified by respondents is the connection Jesuits have in some countries with
people and institutions at the top of the governance structure and also with the poor and the
grassroots.
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(VIII) Inter-Religious Dialogue and Religious Fundamentalism
Several Jesuits specialized in this field are bringing intellectual rigor to bear for the benefit of
Church and society.
Among those working on dialogue with Muslims:
- Fr Heru Prakosa SJ teaches Islam in the diocesan seminary and
Sanata Dharma University in Indonesia and is active in inter-religious
dialogue education and in joint projects with Muslims;
- Fr Aloysius Mowe SJ has been active with Muslim organizations in
Malaysia and researches and consults on Islamic issues;
- Fr Herman Roborgh SJ specializes in Christian-Muslim relations and
is active in leading inter-religious dialogue efforts;
- Fr Greg Soetomo SJ accompanies scholastics in immersion programs
and research activities on Islamic fundamentalism; and
- Although they live outside Asia Pacific, Frs Tom Michel and Dan
Madigan return occasionally to offer specialist support to the study
of Islam.
A significant number of Jesuits are experts on Buddhism and at least 6
Jesuits from Asia Pacific are now doing higher studies in related fields.
A key impact cited has been the transformation of attitudes in the Catholic community
towards believers of others religious traditions. Jesuits in some provinces such as Indonesia
have been key promoters of inter-religious dialogue in their countries. Respondents also
highlight that the East Asian Theological Encounter Program (EATEP) has been helpful in
the formation of scholastics in inter-religious dialogue, especially in regard to Buddhism. A
similar Conference program is being launched in 2011 in Indonesia, focusing on Islam.
17
(IX) Peace Building and Conflict Resolution
Direct work on this theme is mainly carried out in Indonesia, East Timor and the Philippines
where facilitating dialogue, capacity building and values formation are important aspects of
the work being done. In terms of advocacy, the JRS campaign against landmines and cluster
munitions has been a significant contribution to international peace building.
Among those working on this theme,
- JRS Indonesia helps communities affected by conflict in Aceh
through building capacity to manage risks and conflict. Its outreach
includes Acehnese youth, some of whom are combatants;
- JRS East Timor helps communities with internally-displaced persons
to prevent disputes and violence and better manage conflicts;
- Ateneo de Zamboanga University in the Philippines has a Peace and
Culture Institute which promotes peace issues and provides relief for
people affected by violent conflict;
- Fr Albert Alejo SJ together with Mindanawon Initiatives for Cultural
Dialogue in the Philippines has been actively engaged in dialogue
with Muslims and in the Mindanao peace process. Work is also done
with the Bishops-Ulama Conference and government representatives
in peace efforts;
- Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center in association with ESSC
in Mindanao promotes peace activities among youth and helps
communities to seek dialogue with armed groups;
- Fujen University in Taiwan established the John Paul II Institute for
Research into Dialogue for Peace and focuses on the study of peace
from a Chinese and Catholic perspective; and
- JRS Cambodia has been a key player in the international ban
landmines and cluster munitions campaign.
The Society’s good reputation and respect among Christians and non-Christians alike, as well
as its strong emphasis on dialogue have been cited as key strengths in this theme. However
apart from several educational and research institutions located close to conflict areas in the
Philippines, some respondents highlight the Society’s overall lack of real presence at the
frontier with communities in conflict.
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(X) Natural Disaster Preparedness, Relief and Reconstruction
An interesting contribution of Jesuit institutions to this theme, particularly in the Philippines,
has been the facilitation of dialogue between science, the government and local people in
responding to climate change. Some in disaster-hit countries have also been actively engaged
in relief and reconstruction following natural calamities. Very little disaster preparedness is
undertaken by Jesuit organizations.
In the Philippines,
- Manila Observatory researches into disaster risk reduction and
actively works with local communities to help them better respond
to disaster risks;
- ESSC carries out site assessments to ensure that poor communities
establish their residences on safe sites and are able to manage
potential hazards;
- Ateneo School of Government conducts research and builds
capacity of local governments to identify and respond to disasterprone communities; and
- Other organizations such as Ateneo de Zamboanga University,
Simbahand Linkod ng Bayan and ERDA are involved in direct relief
work and disaster preparedness.
In other disaster-prone countries,
- JRS Indonesia has been providing relief to those affected by
earthquakes in West Java and other areas. It has also been helping
communities in Aceh in disaster risk management and reconstruction
efforts;
- Jesuits in Myanmar have been assisting people affected by Cyclone
Nargis in 2008; and
- Jesuit Social Services in Australia provides counseling and
accommodation for those affected by bushfires.
Whilst there are many scientific organizations researching on natural disasters and many
social organizations providing humanitarian relief, Jesuit institutions such as the Manila
Observatory and ESSC are unique in combining scientific research with a human
development emphasis. Besides their scientific capabilities, they also have the capacity to
communicate with people at the grassroots to help them respond to natural disaster risk in a
constructive way, thus bridging the divides between science and the people.
19
CHAPTER 3
KEY OBSERVATIONS
The following highlights some points for reflection from observing the work across the
members of the Conference.
Commitment to the social apostolate
The number of Jesuits who are engaged full-time in the social apostolate is small - about 30
out of more than 1680 in Asia Pacific.1
Many of those in the social apostolate highlight their sense of being on the margins of their
provinces, lack of evident commitment in the Society as a whole and a lack of presence
among the poor.
“Social apostolate is not seriously promoted, planned and managed. It seems
to me that social apostolate might be as “burden” for the Province or might
be there is negative image of Jesuits who work for social apostolate works.
Jesuits who get involved in social works sometimes feel to be voiceless and
alone.”
- Adrianus Suyadi SJ, Director, JRS Indonesia, on the current gaps.
Among scholastics involved in the social apostolate, their passion, commitment and optimism
is evident from the feedback. They have been able to play leadership roles and are keenly
aware of the need for learning, networking and technical competence. However the current
culture in the Society, especially during their formation, does not seem to nurture this interest.
“Being Jesuit in Indonesia will necessarily join the middle class…social issues
would be more and more merely idealism and theoretical thinking. For young
Jesuits in formation, they still have dream of “another world is possible” but
they don’t get enough support from their ambience.”
- Greg Soetomo SJ, Indonesia, on challenges and difficulties
faced in Jesuit formation with a social dimension.
Although most countries in Asia Pacific have wide-ranging social problems, the level of
Jesuit social activity across provinces is uneven. The Philippine Province stands out in terms
of the volume, breadth and depth of social-related activities. The assistancy has about 32
social-related institutions and one-third of these are in the Philippines.
1
The figure of 1680 refers to all Jesuits including those in formation or semi-retired. It should be noted that we
do not have accurate figures for Jesuits who are currently in active ministry, which may be well under 1000.
Moreover since the mission of the whole Society requires commitment from all Jesuits and those sharing
actively in our ministries to a faith that seeks justice, some social initiatives (such as education for the poor) are
undertaken from outside the social ministries sector. Nevertheless, the observation about the lack of manpower
for the social apostolate has been consistently raised by those from the ground. Among the 30 or so Jesuits
identified through this project, a number are already semi-retired.
20
Yet what’s striking about all the themes being worked on is that the associated problems such
as urban and rural poverty, migration, ecological imbalances, etc are forecast to grow rather
than diminish in Asia Pacific. Also feedback suggests that most other organizations will
continue to be reluctant to engage in fields of work such as accompaniment of asylum seekers
and inter-religious dialogue. Hence many gaps remain to be filled in all countries.
Working as One Body
Current efforts in the social field seem to be piecemeal. There is a lack of connection among
Jesuit organizations and few joint projects are going on between them.
Some individual Jesuits also highlight that although they are working on significant social
problems, their provinces have not “missioned” them to the work and hence do not provide
support. Similarly, a number of centers seem to be struggling on their own with little
connection within the province or across the Conference to help them develop.
Skills transfer has been minimal. For instance, the vast wealth of JRS skills and know-how
does not seem to be filtering to other social ministries in the Jesuit family. It was observed
that Jesuit Universities, social centers and those at the grassroots do not seem to be talking to
each other.
“One challenge is how to make the different institutions talk and connect more
with each other…Another gap is connecting with Jesuit Universities. How can
the academic work support the research work and vice versa? The
universities are not talking to the social centers.”
- Ms Toni Yulo-Loyzaga, Director, Manila Observatory, on the
challenges faced and what is preventing Jesuit organizations
from meeting the gaps.
Some Jesuits are engaged in individual initiatives while others are working out of a Jesuit
institution. Hence competencies reside either with a person as in the case of individual
initiatives or with an institution. The Society currently has quite a lot of the former. The
disadvantage is that the competencies come and go with the person and there is no lasting
opportunity for the Society to deepen and cultivate its strengths in those areas. Whereas
within institutions, certain core competencies will prevail regardless of which Jesuit is
involved in it. Such institutions have been able to grow in particular strengths through the
years (e.g. JRS).
Given that there is still much more work to do in each theme, the sustainability of some of the
current works becomes a matter for strategic choice. How can the Society ensure
sustainability without over-institutionalizing the work or losing its flexibility to go to the
frontiers? Should sustainability be a concern at all, and if so when?
Collaboration with the laity
Among the social ministries in the assistancy, about 20% are currently headed by lay persons.
21
What’s striking about these persons is that they are professional, well-qualified and dynamic
lay leaders who have been heading major Jesuit organizations. They also have aspirations to
grow the work and are in tune with trends in the wider society. Sometimes they are clearly
more ahead of Jesuits in certain fields.
“Lay collaboration; Jesuits are following, not leading in this field of
governance and politics.”
- Mr Tony La Viña, Dean, Ateneo School of Government on
what is happening that is exciting, creative, has a lot of
potential and pushing the frontiers in the sense of GC 35.
However many of these lay leaders feel that the current collaboration is not deep. There
seems to be a lack of Jesuit presence, a lack of participation in leadership and true
collaboration. Many of the lay leaders are asking for more meaningful Jesuit involvement,
pointing out that collaboration should not be seen as merely appointing a lay person to head a
ministry and then leaving him or her alone to run it.
“I know the Society in Taiwan is ageing and dwindling in numbers.
Nevertheless I wish the Jesuits can be more pro-actively involved in the Center
and provide support in terms of personnel and finance. For instance, they
could help in fund-raising or send local or foreign Jesuits to be more involved
in its work.”
- Sr Wei Wei, Director, Rerum Novarum Center, Taiwan on
what the Jesuits should do more of with regard to social
apostolate in the China Province.
From the feedback, there is a repeated desire for Jesuits to contribute in terms of spirituality,
networking to the Jesuit family, theological reflection, a good “brand name”, support for
frontier work and help in setting directions according to the Church’s and the Society’s
priorities. On their part, lay people bring to the table their professional expertise and
alternative perspectives.
Collaboration with church and civil society
Most of the social programs do not seem to be conceived or planned out of joint efforts with
the larger church community or the dioceses. Instead, co-operation with others in the faith
community mainly takes the form of co-membership in advocacy networks, funding of
projects and joint assistance to individual beneficiaries.
Spirituality
The most commonly observed Ignatian traits cited by respondents are ‘going to the frontiers’,
going ‘where the needs are greatest’, being ‘flexible’ and ‘mobile’. ‘Option for the poor’ was
also commonly mentioned. (See also the section on current strengths and impact.)
22
There are a number of organizations whose members or staff feel that Jesuit Spirituality
needs to be brought closer to them:
“What we are missing now…is the presence of a Jesuit rector who can orient
the staff on Jesuit/ Ignatian spirituality and directions for mission.”
“The work is very secular; but I find the need to pull people back to reflect
and link what they’re doing to their faith and values, nurture what motivates
them and keeps them going.”
-
Ms Toni Yulo-Loyzaga, Director, Manila Observatory and
Mr Tony La Viña, Dean, Ateneo School of Government
respectively, on how the shape of their work is changing in
response to the expressions of the Jesuit mission in GC 35.
Balancing action and contemplation
It was observed that in the social ministries as a whole, there has been more action than
reflection and analysis. Perhaps due to the urgency of responding to social needs, not many
organizations and teams seem to be carrying out regular theological reflection, social analysis
or reflection on relevant social theories to guide their work.
The lack of planning is also quite evident in some cases. Apostolic discernment of mission
at various levels - Conference, province and the social apostolate – can be improved. There
also seems to be a lack of goal setting and strategic planning within individual ministries as
well as a lack of evaluation and self-reflection.
Respondents point out that the social dimension of the spirituality seems to be missing or
not given enough emphasis in Jesuit communities, schools, parishes, universities and other
institutions. Perhaps the situation varies across different institutions but one of the most
common observations among respondents is that the social perspective among Jesuits as a
whole seems to have diminished.
Current strengths and impact
In terms of strengths, it can be observed from the data gathered that some common positive
traits are evident among Jesuits and their collaborators in the social apostolate. These include:









Engaging closely with the people, accepting them unconditionally and being
welcoming;
Understanding local communities holistically and appreciating their culture when
others do not;
Being open to the unconventional when others shun it;
Going to the areas of greatest need;
Strongly committing to the work and to the social issue;
Possessing good knowledge and skills in the particular field;
Having wide networks with civil society;
Emphasizing dialogue; and
Bridging divides especially between the poor and policy-makers.
23
“Compared with other centers, the Jesuit migrant center focuses not just on
helping migrants to resolve their problems but also on hospitality and making
them feel welcomed and accepted.”
- Matteo Shin SJ, Director, Jesuit Migrant Center Korea, on
the strengths of the Jesuits.
“The Jesuits’ openness to dialoguing with the Islamic majority is our chief
strength. Jesuits in Indonesia are known as the primary motivators for interreligious dialogue, especially through the initiatives of the Jesuit-run Center
for Pastoral Work (for priests and religious).”
- Heru Prakosa SJ, Indonesia
The most common impact cited is when Jesuits are influencing others through a multiplier
effect, i.e. being a fire that kindles other fires. This seems to be the case for many of the
social ministries.
“In the case of ERDA, the Jesuits have been crucial in generating interest and
support for this kind of work.”
- Johnny Go SJ, Chairman, ERDA Group, Philippines
It is apparent that those who have been more impactful are the ones who were able to spot the
signs of the times, go to the frontiers where the gaps are and bridge to others from there. The
provision of thought leadership has also been seen as a fruitful niche role for Jesuits.
Interestingly, these factors coincide with Jesuit spirituality. From the ground experience, it
seems that the social apostolate has been fruitful in cultivating Jesuit spirituality in the
Society, although there remain areas for improvement.
Another strength is that the Society also has specialists in a wide range of fields: sustainable
development, indigenous peoples, youth, inter-religious dialogue, ecology, etc. These Jesuits
and collaborators have demonstrated a “learned ministry”, bringing to bear a good measure of
depth in their knowledge and skills.
The good reputation of the Society has also been cited as a strength, as well as Ignatian
spirituality and Catholic social principles, which serve as a normative framework.
Interesting features
A number of social centers and ministries have interesting and striking features. It would not
be possible to describe all of them in this report but a few are highlighted here to facilitate
further reflection on what can be learnt.
24
(i)
Holistic and pragmatic approach to ecology and environment:
Environmental Science for Social Change (ESSC)
ESSC carries out research on environment-related topics such as flooding, landslides,
forest cover, watersheds and mining, with a focus on capacity building of local
communities for security and sustainable development. It also accompanies forest
communities in the Philippines to help them manage natural resources in a sustainable
way and to ensure peace and stability where they live. ESSC has over 10 projects in
Mindanao and is particularly active with an indigenous community in Bendum which
has a population of about 300.
One of the interesting features of ESSC is that through its creative interaction with
science, local communities and local governments, the outcome of its work cuts
across almost all themes in the social apostolate – poverty and sustainable
development, indigenous peoples, youth, civil society and participation, governance,
peace building, natural disaster and ecology. It has also brought attention to
environmental concerns from the perspective of the South and has been firmly
grounded in the practical effectiveness of implementing ecological and social
programs among the poor. What could be leant from ESSC’s experience is perhaps
best described in the following remark:
“Many are mobilizing and advocating but what is needed is a little more of the
policy integration with program implementation with technical and culturally
sensitive capacity building.”
- Pedro Walpole SJ, Director, ESSC
(ii)
Bridging science and human development:
The Manila Observatory
The Manila Observatory is engaged in research on climate change and natural
disasters and works with the government and local communities to better respond to
disaster risks. One of its major impacts has been the introduction of tools that help
decision-makers work on the multiple concerns of sustainable development,
environmental change and the reduction of human vulnerability.
One of its unique features is that it is a major scientific institution in the Philippines
which also has the capacity to build relationships with poor communities. The
following remark provides some food for thought:
“Many scientists just want to do the science and have limited contact and
interaction with people and communities… A particular strength of Manila
Observatory is the commitment to science and its application and use in the
service of human development. What is specifically Ignatian is the ability to
combine the scientific and social traditions in the mission of supporting
human development. Manila Observatory is recognized as a scientific
institution which is concerned with human development and has the capacity
to talk to communities.”
- Ms Toni Yulo Loyzaga, Director, Manila Observatory
25
(iii)
Well-established structure and philosophy of accompaniment:
Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS)
In the social field, JRS is probably the best established multi-national Jesuit effort in
Asia. The regional office in Bangkok works with active JRS operations in Indonesia,
Australia, Papua New Guinea, Cambodia, Thailand and East Timor as well as
representative offices and volunteer committees in other countries. Wherever it
operates, JRS is widely recognized as a credible organization engaged with refugees,
internally-displaced persons, undocumented persons and asylum seekers.
One of the things that can be learnt from JRS is perhaps its strong philosophy of
accompanying persons and communities, as well as its regional planning and
organizational structure.
“Working for JRS for me is a very Ignatian way…to accompany tenderly, to
serve humbly and to advocate justly the rights of refugees and internally
displaced persons are core values of the Ignatian spirituality.”
- Adrianus Suyadi SJ, Director, JRS Indonesia
(iv)
Reaching remote frontiers through creative use of what is already
available: Refugee Tertiary Education Committee (RTEC)
The RTEC is an education initiative of Australian Catholic University, conceived and
promoted by one Jesuit, which provides online tertiary education for Burmese
refugees in jungle camps at the Thai border. It is now implemented through a
consortium of 2 Australian universities and 4 Jesuit universities in the US. Currently
there are 47 students doing the free online university courses. The RTEC hopes to
increase this to 2500 worldwide by 2019.
This effort has demonstrated a bold crossing of boundaries to enhance the lives of the
most marginalized. Promising youth are now able to participate in higher education
from within an area where this was previously impossible. This has been enabled by
RTEC’s leveraging on existing technologies as well as international and interapostolate collaboration. Perhaps what can be learnt from this program is that the
remotest gaps and furthest frontiers can sometimes be reached by creatively
combining the strengths and opportunities that are right at our doorstep.
Support needed
A number of respondents gave feedback about the support that they need. These are
summarized as follows:
At the provincial level:
a. Greater support from the province for the social apostolate. Respondents hope
to see the social ministries more integrated into the overall provincial planning.
26
Moreover in some provinces, social ministries seem to be a low priority in terms
of resource allocation.
b. Greater involvement of Jesuits in social organizations run by lay persons. Lay
respondents hope to see more Jesuit involvement in planning, direction-setting,
formation and spirituality.
At the Conference level:
c. Recognition and being “missioned” by the Conference (and/or province) for the
specific ministry; e.g. indigenous people, human rights, inter-religious dialogue.
Some respondents highlight the problem of not having their work recognized as an
official apostolate of the Society, with the accompanying direction and resources.
d. Facilitation of more networking among those with similar work in order to share
expertise, experience and information, to provide seamless services to
beneficiaries and to collaborate on joint projects. Some respondents have
indicated that it is useful to have basic information on who’s doing what in other
countries and to find ways to communicate more frequently. Some are also keen
to set up a consortium of Jesuit institutions to address particular concerns such as
climate change, migration and sustainable development.
e. Facilitation of more inter-apostolate collaboration and communication. A
number of respondents highlight the importance of collaborating particularly with
the intellectual apostolate. For instance, academic centers can make their research
more available or there can be joint projects where the intellectual apostolate
contributes research and theoretical work.
f. Facilitation of opportunities to contribute at a regional level. Some
institutions and individuals have relevant expertise to share with other parts of the
Conference and have expressed interest to contribute to other countries or at the
regional level in their field of work.
g. Formation and training for the social apostolate and for lay staff and
collaborators. Formation with a social dimension as well as in Ignatian
spirituality has been widely raised as an area of need. Some respondents have
also suggested that the Conference could link them with training opportunities at
international fora or facilitate study trips through the Jesuit network.
h. Support in terms of financial and human resources and specific expertise
needed in the work. A number of social ministries face an uncertain future in
terms of funding and/or human resources and enquired if the Conference could
help. Others also asked for support in terms of specific expertise such as
environmental management, micro-enterprise, models of development, etc.
27
CHAPTER 4
EMERGING TRENDS
From the social mapping data, a number of interesting trends appear to be taking shape:
1. Inter-disciplinary approach
Social ministry is no longer just about social expertise. There is an increasing
engagement of the sciences and other disciplines. This trend is most likely to rise
especially with ecology as a growing concern. The ESSC and Manila Observatory are
examples of institutions that embody such an inter-disciplinary approach.
2. No longer acting in isolation
Social issues are becoming more complex, more cross-border in nature and involving
multiple parties. There is an increasing trend of acting in partnership with other
organizations and with coalitions, sometimes across borders. Within the Society, it is
notable that there has been an emergence of networks at the Conference and global levels.
3. Meaningful collaboration with laity
Lay collaboration is no longer just about having lay staff or volunteers to assist in the
work. There is an emergence of professional lay leaders who desire their organizations to
have stronger links within the Jesuit family. The trend is towards finding a new
equilibrium in working with these partners so that both Jesuits and lay collaborators are
able to play effective, synergistic and inter-dependent roles.
4. Fruitful engagement with governments and other decision makers
Advocacy is becoming less about confrontation and more about engaging governments,
industry, military and other decision makers fruitfully through capacity building, policy
research and joint problem-solving. In this approach, relationship building, mutual trust
and technical competence become important factors.
5. A gestation period?
There has not been any significant emergence of new Jesuit social institutions within the
Conference in recent years. Many of the centers and programs were started some time
ago by pioneering Jesuits responding to the signs of the times ahead of others. But now
many of these programs are no longer unique: other church and secular organizations
have set up similar programs. Some of these existing Jesuit ministries have also been
passed on to Jesuits of the younger generation. It seems that several of these
organizations are either going through a review or restructuring or are in need of a
review.2
So perhaps we are at the crossroads…
In summary, it might be said that: “the old paradigm is dying and a new one is struggling to
be born.”
2
For example, ERDA in the Philippines has recently undergone a review and restructuring. The Center for
Global Concern in Japan has also taken on a new direction. Jesuit Service Cambodia is also scheduled for a
review in 2010 after a recent change of leadership.
28
Elements of the old paradigm:
 “Lone hero” going to the frontier with lay helpers and civil society networks
 Continuity of expertise among Jesuits is questionable
 Advocacy is more confrontational
Signs of a new paradigm:
 Younger Jesuits taking over established organizations
 Tending to be generalists with a broader skills-set rather than “experts” focusing on
one area
 Advocacy tends to be more subtle, engaging with rather than confronting
 Joint leadership with lay professionals; not just directing them
This “younger generation” of Jesuits may need to be given the space to re-invent the work; to
look for, or be missioned to, new frontiers; and to initiate organizational reviews which will
make the social institutions more relevant to the current times, rather than constrained to
carry on the work and vision of previous generations. Together with the rest of the Society,
they are challenged to discern anew the call for the Jesuits today.
In order to do this, it is necessary to take stock of the current social trends in Asia Pacific and
be mindful of how the social context is inviting the Society to respond. This is dealt with in
the next chapter.
29
CHAPTER 5
A REFLECTION ON THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF OUR MISSION
“Go out to the whole world, proclaim the Good News to all creation” (Mark: 16:15)
What are the needs and challenges faced today by the people of Asia Pacific, to whom we are
sent to proclaim the Good News?
The social mapping project has helped to bring together the collective encounters of Jesuits at
the frontiers working closely with the people. Naturally, there are limitations to these
insights. The experience of the social ministries alone does not tell the full story and it needs
to be complemented by learning from the pastoral, education, spiritual and other ministries.
Moreover, Jesuits and their collaborators are not present in every aspect of social, cultural,
religious, economic and political life in Asia Pacific. Nevertheless, as can be seen from the
mapping analysis, Jesuits in the social field are often in places of great need. Their
experiences and reflections can thus provide a good starting point for awareness of what
people, especially the most marginalized, face.
Along the lines of the themes surfaced from the mapping, the following are some key ideas
about the context of Asia Pacific that may hopefully facilitate further reflection on the
challenges for mission. (A more detailed description of the social context of each theme can
be found in Annex 1.)
A region where many still live without basic necessities and opportunities
Vast segments of the population in Asia Pacific live below the poverty line. This includes
more than 75% of people in East Timor and Laos, around 68% in Cambodia, more than 45%
in Vietnam and the Philippines, and 36% in China3.
In the countryside, rural households, small farmers and forest communities face increasing
challenges in sustaining themselves through agriculture. Many migrate to cities but here, the
urban poor are plagued by unstable employment, exploitation and homelessness. Both rural
and urban poverty in turn give rise to many other problems – lack of access to education,
juvenile delinquency, child labor, human trafficking, crime, drug abuse and poor health.
Children and youth often suffer the most. Poverty also perpetuates lack of participation in
society and is a seedbed for religious fundamentalism.
“Farmers are marginalized in Indonesia. The younger generation is not
interested in farming.”
Wartaya Winangun SJ, Director, KPTT Agricultural Training
Center, Indonesia
3
UNDP Human Development Report 2009. (The poverty line benchmark of US$2 a day is used.)
30
A region of significant migration
Countries in Asia Pacific are major sources of migrants for the world. China, the Philippines,
Vietnam and Indonesia are among the world’s top 25 suppliers of migrants, with China and
the Philippines in the top 10. Most of these go to other countries within Asia and to North
America. Asia Pacific is also home to a large number of immigrants, with more than 10
million migrants, many of whom are from other countries within the region. Hong Kong,
Singapore, Australia and New Zealand are among the top 25 countries in the world with the
highest immigration rates.4
From the respondents’ experience, the most vulnerable migrants are those from rural
backgrounds, those who work alone in isolated settings such as domestic workers, and those
who do not work within a legitimate corporate structure and whose employers are thus less
accountable. These include informal/illegal migrants and undocumented persons. Foreign
female spouses are also an emerging group of migrants facing problems. In addition, victims
of human trafficking, refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons are a
significant feature in the landscape of Asia Pacific.
“Migrants continue to be a group that needs attention. Their human rights
are often violated and because of their vulnerable position, they are unable to
speak out.”
- Matteo Shin SJ, Director, Jesuit Migrant Service, South Korea
A region home to many of the world’s indigenous populations
Asia as a whole is home to about 70% of the world’s indigenous populations and many of
these are found in the Asia Pacific region. Indigenous ethnic minorities add to the rich
cultural, social and religious traditions in Asia Pacific. However, they are often marginalized
and face greater social and economic problems. Moreover their way of life, their rich cultural
and religious heritage and their ancestral lands are increasingly being edged out by modern
society.
“The indigenous communities in Asia will increase because of better
healthcare. However their main struggle is in the maintenance of their
physical, cultural and religious space. Modern developments such as logging,
mining, leisure parks and urbanization are threatening these communities.
Indigenous people often feel they are being edged out of society.”
- Fr Jojo Fung SJ, Malaysia
A region that is religiously rich and diverse
Asia Pacific contains vast populations of the world’s major religions. Indonesia has the
world’s largest number of Muslims in a single country. The Philippines and Australia are
predominantly Christian whilst in Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar, Buddhism is the major
religion. Hinduism is practiced by minority groups in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia
while Taoism and Shintoism are practiced in China and Japan respectively. In addition,
4
Estimated from UNDP Human Development Report, 2009.
31
shamanism and many other indigenous religious traditions are also found throughout the
region. All this presents a rich opportunity for dialogue, mutual learning and joint action for
the common good. At the same time however, religion is being used as grounds for
dissension, suppression and even violence. As a result, fruitful relationships between
religious groups are yet to be fully realized in Asia Pacific.
A region where many lack good governance and meaningful participation
Corruption and poor governance continue to plague many countries in Asia Pacific and are
often seen as the underlying causes of persistent poverty, social division, political unrest and
environmental degradation. At the same time, active citizenship, especially among the poor
and marginalized groups, is often lacking and sometimes suppressed. In many societies,
people’s apathy and weak civic sense perpetuate the problems.
“The challenges in our country today are so vast and rooted in values erosion
and threat to democratic institutions. Greed and corruption has crept into our
people’s lives and with no exception. This self-centeredness of our people has
cost us in moral decay, and threatens to destroy whatever growth we may have
achieved in history.”
- Br Ismael Jose Chan-Gonzaga SJ, Scholastic, the Philippines
A region with sustained conflict and instability
Many parts of Asia Pacific continue to be inflicted by violent conflict, political and ethnic
tensions and terrorism. From the tensions between the two Koreas and the oppression of
ethnic minorities in China to armed rebel groups in southern Philippines, Aceh and Myanmar,
political turmoil in Thailand and terrorism in Indonesia, this region is not a stranger to longdrawn conflict and instability. It is notable that some conflicts over an apparent issue such as
religion are really about underlying interests such as resources or economic and political
power. In the end, it is the poor and vulnerable groups who suffer the most.
A region where many who fall out of the mainstream are often neglected
People with disability, mental health problems, HIV/AIDS, delinquent children and youth
and those in prison, especially prisoners who are foreigners or ethnic minorities, often do not
receive adequate care in many countries in the region. They are often shunned by society,
both in fast-growing economies where people are increasingly focused on the rat race as well
as in less developed countries where people and governments have other urgent priorities. As
a result, their well-being, rehabilitation and human rights are often neglected.
“The disabled in Cambodia are often the most marginalized. Local
Cambodians do not help them. Students often come to Bantaey Prieb with no
confidence in themselves.”
- Indon Oh SJ, Coordinator, Jesuit Services Cambodia
32
A region of natural disasters
Climate related disasters, climate change and environmental degradation increasingly and
massively displace people and leave them without protection today. Floods, typhoons,
tsunamis, extreme droughts and earthquakes have increasing impact in Asia Pacific. The poor
are often affected the most because of where they live and how they make a living (e.g.
agriculture and fishery). Hence disaster risk assessments and preparedness are important
concerns in Asia Pacific, as well as the on-going work of disaster response and reconstruction.
A region of ecological injustices
Care for creation has yet to be widely upheld in Asia Pacific. Emerging industrial economies
continue to aggravate pollution and climate change. Whole species of flora and fauna, not to
mention indigenous communities, are increasingly threatened in the rapid clearing of
forestlands for mining, agriculture and other uses. Climate change is also threatening whole
populations in Asia Pacific such as the Pacific islands. In many countries, poverty hinders
proper waste management, eco-friendly farming and other pro-environment concerns. Yet it
is the poor that are often impacted the most by environmental degradation. Moreover,
industrial negligence, corruption and poor governance of natural resources in countries like
China and Indonesia have also led to pollution and poisoning of soil and water, depletion of
natural resources, disease and injustices towards local communities.
A region of unsustainable economic growth
The world looks to Asia as a key economic engine to spur global growth in the 21st Century.
Although many people in Asia have benefited from economic development, those who are
already marginalized find themselves falling even further behind. Given the increasing social
divide and ecological imbalances, much of Asia Pacific’s economic growth is neither
equitable nor sustainable. Neo-liberalism, materialism and consumerism have been identified
as some of the detrimental trends that divide the people, suppress the poor and perpetuate
economic injustices.
Summary
In summary, it can be said that Asia Pacific is a region of great potential with its diversity of
cultures, religions and talents. However it is also a region with many challenges and
threatened by growing division. This includes division between
 A rising middle class and those who sink deeper into poverty;
 Mainstream and minority cultures;
 Those who govern and those who are governed;
 The people and their environment;
 Religious groups; and
 Ethnic groups
Moreover the lure of economic progress at all costs is increasingly over-shadowing the
guidance of moral values. There is a growing middle class with no religion, no values
formation and little social consciousness. Respondents observe that many people in modern
33
Asian societies don’t see why they should care for others. Marginalized groups such as
migrants, indigenous people and the homeless are not treated as equal human beings.
Within the Church, respondents also highlight the lack of a social spirituality. Parishes and
Catholics in general seem to be more interested in the devotional aspects of the faith and in
“therapeutic spiritualities” for their own consolation.
Against this backdrop, GC 35 reminds us that “this tradition of Jesuits building bridges
across barriers becomes crucial in the context of today’s world.” (GC 35, Decree 3, 17)
How do we feel called to respond to these challenges and invitations?
34
CHAPTER 6
STRATEGIC CHOICES FOR THE SOCIETY
“In a world that overwhelms people with a multiplicity of sensations, ideas, and images, the
Society seeks to keep the fire of its original inspiration alive in a way that offers warmth and
light to our contemporaries.” (GC 35, Decree 2, 1)
1. The Society has a huge potential to make an impact on society.

Potential strengths that can be tapped on include the global nature of the Society,
its links with economic and cultural elites, and its wide network of parishes,
schools and universities.

Whilst the social apostolate can help to address social problems directly, the
Society can make a bigger impact by mobilizing all apostolates to address the root
causes: lack of respect for the human person and for the common good,
detrimental economic practices, lack of good governance, etc. Much can be done
to influence this through the intellectual, pastoral, spiritual, education and
formation ministries. These can work together and provide not only the
motivations but also the principles and practices for a better way towards
economic and social growth in Asia Pacific.

For this to happen those in diverse apostolates would need to “talk” more to each
other. Right now, they often give the appearance of working in silos.

Within the Church, there is also a call to form religious and lay leaders in Asia
Pacific to engage more fruitfully in public issues.

All this calls for a re-think in the way we work together, and for planning in
terms of mission frontiers rather than in terms of apostolates.
2. But before this can happen, we can ask ourselves: to what extent are Jesuits really in
touch with the poor? The lack of presence with the poor has been a recurrent feedback.
Insertion seems to be diminishing in the provinces and regions of this Conference. There
also seems to be a lack of option for the poor in our activities.
“My hope is that we Jesuits know better the real situations where people
live …The environments where we live and work now are by no means a
stimulus to experience how people live around.”
- Ando Isamu, Director, Jesuit Social Center, Japan, on how
Jesuits can respond to the social challenges.
“Providing support mechanism and clear policy/commitment to the poor, not
just exaggerating that all apostolate works already inserted social dimension.
Real Jesuits’ presence among the poorest is a must.”
- Adrianus Suyadi SJ, on challenges and difficulties faced.
35
Yet one limitation has been the need to maintain relatively extensive institutions and
structures.
“We are too institutionalized. In Jesuit documents, there is strong emphasis
on the “frontier”, but if a Jesuit goes to the frontier, he becomes a renegade.
This is a structural problem because of the demands of maintaining
educational institutions; there is no space for a diversification of ministry.”
- Albert Alejo SJ, Ateneo de Zamboanga University, on what is
preventing Jesuit organizations from meeting the gaps.
As a result of this, are we losing our prophetic edge? This might be something that the
Society needs to re-examine honestly.
“So many NGOs, local and international networks and solidarities are going
on together. But many Jesuits are outside.”
- Hisashi Hayashi SJ, Director, Shimonoseki Labor Education
Center, Japan, on the major actions of others in addressing
social challenges.
Without a real presence with the poor and giving prophetic witness in society, we risk
losing our core strengths.
“The greatest strength of Jesuit action comes from Jesuits being embedded in
local communities and engaging concretely from this base. Where Jesuits are
embedded and connected, they can embody the GC 35 ideal of being at
frontiers and bridging. This is where we are at our best.”
- Frank Brennan SJ, Australia, on the
strengths of the Jesuits.
3. In relation to this, the Society might need to re-think the necessity and number of
institutions it is maintaining within the assistancy, together with the change of
demographic composition. In particular, provinces whose members are ageing and whose
numbers are shrinking or those that have many large institutions could explore
possibilities for consolidation within a province or across provinces so that economies of
scale can be reaped and personnel can be freed up.
4. Formation was significantly raised at the August 2009 social apostolate meeting as
something that needs to be improved. A number of respondents in the mapping project
also highlighted their concerns about inadequate formation and succession planning.
Some Jesuits such as Fr Greg Soetomo SJ of the Indonesian Province have been actively
looking into this. What can be addressed?

At the broader level, there is the formation that seeks to imbue all Jesuits and
collaborators with a greater social consciousness. This brings them in closer
touch with the people of Asia Pacific, especially those at the margins.
36

At the specific level, there is the formation that would encourage and prepare
some Jesuits for the social field. There is also the possibility of reviewing and revamping the formation curriculum, in view of emerging trends such as the need
for inter-disciplinary work, collaboration with laity and fruitful engagement with
decision makers such as those in government.

The third aspect is formation for collaborators, the church and the wider society.
Jesuit institutions have the potential to instill in people a sound social ethos and a
greater regard for the dignity of the human person. Those working at Jesuit social
centers are also in need of on-going spiritual and theological formation so that
their work is rooted in the faith and in Ignatian spirituality.
5. There are a number of individual Jesuits who are working on areas deeply relevant for the
social context of Asia Pacific such as inter-religious dialogue, human rights and
indigenous ministry. However for various reasons, they do not feel supported by
province or diocese structures. How can the Society give such persons the space and
mandate for their initiatives, perhaps at the Conference level? How can this work be
more collaborative?
6. Lastly Jesuits and collaborators need not go far to look for new frontiers. Wherever they
are working, many important gaps remain. What’s needed is perhaps to consider how to
make a bigger impact by coming together and combining strengths.
“Frontier does not mean something that is far from us, but something that is
also very close to us. Then, what we can do is to take part of the ministry that
we are doing and, in a creative way, thinking and working on those
challenges.”
- Dieng Karnedi SJ, Scholastic, Indonesia, on how Jesuits can
respond to the social challenges.
37
CHAPTER 7
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Common apostolic frontiers
Considering all the above discussions, it is very timely for the Conference to consider
specific apostolic frontiers at the international level and adopt a new way of working in
addressing them.
It is recommended that the following two themes be regarded as among the Conference’s
priority apostolic frontiers at least for the next 3-5 years:


Migration, especially care for forced migrants
Environment and governance of natural resources
At the Conference’s social ministries meeting in August 2009, these two themes were most
commonly identified by participants from the field as a high priority for joint efforts. They
saw these two themes as quite pressing concerns for Asia Pacific, and areas in which we
have some local experience and real possibilities for local and international co-operation.
In addressing these themes (and any other apostolic frontier which the Conference may
identify), the Conference will necessarily develop its ways of working. The two
recommended areas are not simply frontiers for the social apostolate alone but can be
frontiers for the Conference as a whole. They will require an integrated strategy that
leverages on all apostolates – intellectual, pastoral, social, spiritual, education, formation,
etc – and works across provinces.
In practical terms, it could mean planning responses through inter-sectoral teams and
implementing through various units across the Conference working jointly together. It also
implies having direction-setting, resource allocation and monitoring mechanisms at a
relatively high level in the Conference.
It is also recommended that regents be assigned according to the Conference priorities.
2. Provincial planning
Each province and region needs to carry out regular and proper planning for mission. This
entails regular reflection on their particular contexts and discerning the apostolic goals in
which the province/region feels called to make an impact. Resource and personnel
assignments as well as formation should then be guided by these goals. In this way, planning
would be based on common mission frontiers and not in terms of existing apostolates as the
starting point.
3. Formation
Formation across the board should have a renewed emphasis on the Ignatian Pedagogical
Paradigm. Jesuits and collaborators should find the space to reflect more on the context of
38
their mission and to pro-actively create opportunities for encountering people from various
segments of society, especially the marginalized. Formation should also facilitate a greater
sense of community in mission and foster more interaction between the apostolates so that
they do not work in silos.
4. Scholastics and young Jesuits
More can be done to encourage scholastics and young Jesuits who are interested in the social
apostolate. For a start, it is recommended that a focus group discussion be held for those who
have been involved in social ministry. This could give them opportunities to envision ways
forward for the Jesuit social apostolate and articulate what the new paradigm could be. In
addition, some scholastics could be identified for greater exposure and development in social
fields.
5. Support for key social initiatives
More support and encouragement is needed for those pioneering social initiatives in the
assistancy that can potentially make a significant impact. They include some of the work
being done in inter-religious dialogue, indigenous peoples, governance and the environment.
The support needed varies from facilitating networking, inter-unit collaboration and joint
projects to facilitating sharing of expertise and capabilities, providing resources, linking with
other Jesuit institutions, giving more formal recognition, strengthening spirituality and
facilitating economies of scale.
In addition, more effort is needed to explore how others can learn from and access the
expertise and capabilities of more established organizations like the Jesuit Refugee Service
and several others. There can also be a study of how the model of JRS and other established
organizations can be adapted to the other social ministries.
To do all this, it is necessary to have a full-time position for the conference social
coordinator, with dedicated resources for secretariat support.
6. Recommendations at the social ministry level
Apart from the above recommendations at the Conference level, the following are some
recommendations that social ministries in the assistancy can act on at their level:
a. Regular organizational review
Since Jesuit social ministries have the tendency of constantly moving to new
frontiers, their leaders need to be more conscious of ensuring that organizational
structures and resources adapt accordingly. Otherwise the work may not be
sustainable, adequately resourced or effectively implemented. This requires
regular dialogue and strategic planning to identify the mission priorities and
review the organization so that the appropriate changes can be made.
39
b. Creative strategies for financial and human resources
A number of centers and programs are facing issues with sustaining funding and
human resources. Since Jesuit social ministries tend to be involved in frontier
work, obtaining adequate financial and human resources at the local level is often
going to be a problem. Most potential donors, volunteers and staff would be
attracted to popular causes and not to unpopular ones. To attract funds and people,
Jesuit social ministries would need different strategies from organizations doing
mainstream and popular programs. They need to be more creative and target
niche markets. They can also combine efforts to achieve economies of scale or
share resources, instead of working in isolation.
c. More meaningful partnership between Jesuits and the Jesuit organizations run by
lay people
The social apostolate has the potential to provide models of new fruitful ways of
working with the laity. But first, the present collaboration needs to be improved.
A number of institutions which were started by Jesuits are now run fairly
independently by lay persons. However this does not mean that Jesuits no longer
have a role. Instead, they can complement the professional competence of lay
partners by providing formation, spiritual support, guidance in mission, alignment
with the direction of the Society and helping to ensure that the work is rooted in
the faith. Jesuits can also help lay collaborators link up with other Jesuit
apostolates such as universities, schools and parishes.
d. More depth and reflection
The social ministries need to incorporate greater reflection in their work. A more
conscious effort can be made within their teams to apply the Ignatian Pedagogical
Paradigm, to consolidate learning experiences, to review actions and to engage in
social, spiritual and theological reflection. In particular, they can consider how
their own experiences can further enrich the body of Catholic social teaching from
an Asian perspective. Through their work, they can reflect on questions such as:
What is the Asian perspective of human dignity? What have we learnt about
mission and evangelization in Asia? What have we learnt about dialogue with
religion, culture and the poor? And about being Church in Asia? These are
important questions to which those in social ministry have a lot to contribute and
thus deepen the Church’s understanding.
40
CHAPTER 8
CONCLUSION
The recommendations raised in this report are by no means exhaustive and mainly serve as a
starting point for further discernment and deliberation. Certainly there is much to do in terms
of the Jesuit mission in Asia Pacific. New challenges call for new ways of working and
trying out new approaches together. Hence it is no small consolation that across the
Conference there are signs of “newness”. These can be seen in the teams that are forming
across provinces, in the frontiers being addressed, in the review of formation and in the way
that some Jesuits and lay collaborators are working with each other. This social mapping
project hopefully serves as a small fire to kindle other fires so that there is a renewed
reflection on the context of our mission today and a generous willingness to serve more
faithfully.
41
ANNEX 1
OVERVIEW OF WORK IN EACH THEME
THEME 1: MIGRATION
Context
The size, nature and direction of population movements has changed since Pedro Arrupe
responded to the Indo-Chinese refugee crisis by establishing the Jesuit Refugee Service
thirty years ago. In the Asia Pacific region, people who live precariously outside their places
of origin, and whose dignity and human rights are not adequately respected, include
refugees, internally displaced persons, undocumented or unlawful migrants, migrant or
‘guest’ workers, victims of trafficking, stateless persons, asylum seekers and those with only
temporary protection from deportation. All are vulnerable. Only some are protected under
a particular international law treaty.
The frequency, size and shared vulnerability - and the complexity of these mixed flows - calls
for a review of our own response to those who do not fall under the JRS mandate. JRS
currently focuses on those who are forcibly displaced - asylum seekers, refugees, internally
displaced people – although it also has some contact with trafficked persons and
undocumented migrants. Gaps remain in our response to: undocumented or unlawful
migrants, migrant or ‘guest’ workers, victims of trafficking, foreign spouses, stateless
persons and persons displaced by disasters.
The international Ignatian Advocacy Network identified migration as one important focus
and the August 2009 JCAP Social Apostolate Gathering also chose migration as a priority for
Conference action and coordination. A JCAP Migration Network has been established and
several days will be devoted to this theme at the 2010 Social Apostolate Gathering. Local
and Conference action plans will be developed there. In addition, Frs Denis Kim SJ, Adrianus
Suyadi SJ and Sr Wei Wei will attend the Pre Forum for the World Migration Forum to be
held in Ecuador in October 2010.
What is being done?
Jesuit work with migrants and displaced people in the Asia Pacific region appears to focus
mainly on direct services and on forcibly displaced persons. The strongest network for these
activities is the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), although connections are also made with UN
agencies, local government bodies and other NGOs. JRS offices in Australia, Cambodia, East
Timor, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Thailand are engaged in accompaniment,
advocacy and direct services for asylum seekers and refugees. In the Philippines, efforts are
underway to establish a JRS office to serve forcibly displaced persons from conflict-ridden
areas in the south.
42
Some work is being done with migrant workers, particularly in Japan by the Jesuit Social
Centre, in South Korea by “Yi-ut-sa-ri” (a Jesuit migrant centre), and by Rerum Novarum
Centre in Taiwan.
Whether working with forcibly displaced people or with other vulnerable migrants, the
direct services offered usually include: material or financial support; assistance with housing
and emergency accommodation; education initiatives; health services; legal assistance;
pastoral care and psycho-social interventions; language classes; community building;
cultural activities to assist settlement or reintegration; and support in employment matters.
For migrants, assistance with workplace injuries, abuse, and unjust treatment by employers
are most commonly sought. Rerum Novarum Center also offers a female migrant shelter
service sponsored by the government.
A growing area of work pertains to foreign female spouses. Rerum Novarum Center in
Taiwan recently established a Service Center for Foreign Spouses and their Families. The
center provides casework and counseling for vulnerable and abused foreign spouses. It also
facilitates their adjustment to and integration with local society. At Fu Jen Catholic
University, students at the Service Learning Center help foreign spouses and their children
adapt to life in Taiwan. In South Korea, Yiutsari center and various Jesuits also attend to a
growing number of foreign female spouses seeking help.
Apart from the above centers, individual Jesuits and collaborators in other provinces are
also involved in migrant work. Fr Peter Tro SJ, a Vietnamese Jesuit from Australia presently
provides pastoral care to Vietnamese migrants in Malaysia. In Australia, Jesuits are working
with Spanish-speaking, Polish-speaking and Vietnamese migrants as well as providing
chaplaincy services for Filipino and Italian migrants. Jesuit Social Services offers direct
services, settlement and cultural and community development activities for migrants and
refugees (esp. those from Vietnam and Africa). It also engages in advocacy and
employment-related as well as juvenile justice work involving migrants. In Cambodia,
Jesuits have been active in pastoral, social and educational work with Vietnamese migrants
in Battambang. In Mainland China, Fr Dominique Tyl, SJ has been in contact with African
Catholic workers and provides pastoral care. Jesuits in Micronesia and Vietnam are also
involved in accompaniment of migrants. In Thailand, the Jesuit prison ministry assists those
imprisoned for migration offences. A large percentage of the prisoners are from Laos,
Myanmar, Cambodia and Nepal.
A number of parishes run or supported by Jesuits serve a significant migrant population and
some have masses and other services catered for them. These include parishes in Australia,
Cambodia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and
Vietnam; i.e. almost all the provinces in the Conference which tend to be countries of
destination or “receiving countries” of migrants.
Among countries of origin (i.e. “sending countries”), UGAT Foundation in the Philippines
provides counseling and accompaniment for migrants and their families. Dr Juan Aguilar at
the Ateneo de Manila University has undertaken research on the impact on families left
behind by outward migration from a village of Batangas. Jesuits in the Philippines are also
involved in research on human rights abuses against Filipino overseas foreign workers (OFW)
43
in Malaysia and other countries through the research cluster of the Social Commission.
Anti-human trafficking advocacy has also been done by some members of the cluster in
collaboration with other partners. The Loyola School of Theology offers a Certificate
program in Migration Theology in partnership with the Scalabrinian Missionaries and the
Bishops’ Conference for Migration. The objective of the program is to form ministers for
migrant ministry. Over at the Jesuit Communications Office, a music video has been
produced entitled “Dwells God” which highlights the situation of Filipino OFWs.
In the Federated States of Micronesia, the Micronesia Seminar has produced articles and
videos on Micronesian emigrants abroad, particularly in the USA, and has studied the
economic impact on Micronesia.
The migrant groups most in need vary from country to country. For example, in South Korea
the rural migrants, foreign spouses, North Korean refugees and trafficked persons were
identified as being the most in need while in Indonesia it was the migrant workers and
undocumented persons, and in Taiwan it is was domestic helpers, care-givers, migrant
spouses and migrant fishermen.
Efforts are being made to address causes of movement through disaster preparedness
programs (e.g. JRS Indonesia), accessing environmental research (e.g. from ESSC), promoting
inter-religious dialogue, and conflict management / resolution / transformation programs
(e.g. JRS East Timor). Research is being undertaken on the impact of climate change induced
displacement in Kiribati and Tuvalu by JRS Australia in order to better understand the
people’s needs.
Mostly advocacy appears to focus on the causes and effects of forcible displacement (e.g.
JRS Indonesia), the critique of asylum and refugee policies (e.g. JRS Australia), and lobbying
national governments for reform (e.g. JRS Indonesia and Jesuit prison ministry, Thailand).
Two international advocacy campaigns affecting displaced people were noted, both
promoted by JRS Asia Pacific. They are the campaigns against landmines, and against cluster
bombs. Rerum Novarum Centre is actively engaged in advocating to the Taiwan
government for better protection of migrant spouses and migrant workers, as well as in the
area of human trafficking.
The use of Ignatian criteria for choosing projects, especially going where the needs are
greatest and where there are no others to assist, is seen as distinctive by those involved in
this work.
Strengths
The international networks, organizational infrastructure and accumulated know-how of the
Jesuit Refugee Service is a major strength for the work with forcibly displaced people. A
challenge will be to learn from and access this experience without diluting the specific focus
of JRS.
The Jesuit Migrant Centre in South Korea sees its biggest impact being in providing
hospitality, acceptance and accompaniment. Rerum Novarum Centre in Taiwan sees its
44
grassroots experience in direct service, multicultural staff and professionalism as its
strengths and these help to ground its advocacy work. Its greatest impact is understood to
be in increasing migrants’ awareness of their rights.
Education is an area of strength for the Society in the Asia Pacific region and we are well
placed to provide access to education for displaced people and other vulnerable migrants.
Two interesting initiatives in this area which may be replicable or adaptable are: i) the online
tertiary education project for asylum seekers on the Thai Burma border initiated from
Australia and involving also US Universities; and ii) the school for foreign workers and their
children organized by the Jesuit Social Centre in Japan in partnership with three other
religious orders, and run by volunteers.
In Indonesia, a key strength cited is that the Jesuits are well known and respected by the
people – including other believers - for their engagement in a variety of areas of life.
Emerging areas
Displacement due to disasters seems to be becoming increasingly common in the Asia
Pacific region. Disaster preparedness, risk reduction and disaster response are growing
areas of involvement, particularly in the Philippines by Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan and by
JRS Indonesia.
Climate change is already causing displacement in the Asia Pacific region in a number of
ways, including the increasing frequency of extreme weather events. In the Pacific it
threatens to create a whole new class of stateless persons as islands become uninhabitable.
Work is being undertaken on the science of climate change, and on the psycho-social impact
on those affected, but more needs to be done to extend and integrate insights from these
fields, and to connect them with practical responses.
Changing patterns of economic development will also influence the size and direction of
population movements. JRS Indonesia is already considering the implications of Indonesia
becoming a destination country for asylum seekers and refugees rather than a country of
transition or first asylum.
The phenomenon of migrant spouses is also a growing area of concern.
Gaps & challenges
Migrant workers, within the Asia Pacific region, and from the Asia Pacific region, are a
particularly significant and growing group. Our work with them seems to be largely ad hoc
and localized, for example significant work is undertaken in Korea, Japan and Taiwan while
in Indonesia, this is a gap. More could be done to connect efforts in sending and receiving
countries, and in relevant regional and international fora. Links with the global Ignatian
Advocacy Network should be helpful.
45
There is a gap in our information about Jesuit action in sending countries. This mapping
exercise did not directly survey the pastoral ministries and it may be that action in sending
countries is undertaken more from a pastoral than a social justice perspective.
Advocacy and policy work on migrant workers’ rights, and work aimed at social and political
integration, remain frontiers where more work is needed.
Better connections with those researching models of sustainable development would be
helpful.
A number of respondents noted a lack of existential connection between Jesuit
communities in their countries and the migrants. The JRS philosophy of accompaniment
provides a solid foundation for its work and gives expression to the Society’s repeated
exhortation to Jesuits regularly to spend time in direct contact with the poor. Without such
a foundation the work with vulnerable migrants risks misunderstanding their experiences
and needs, and even disempowering them.
More needs to be done to ground the work in a normative framework and in an ethical
vision of development. In some places Jesuit publics, such as the families whose children
attend our schools, seem to have little sympathy for migrants and even refugees, although
the movement of the latter appears to be considered more legitimate. These publics may
be employers of migrant workers. Faith formation and ethical reflection could be fruitfully
integrated into awareness raising activities.
A truly corporate response of the Society seems to be lacking in some places. A number of
responses seem to be the work of a particular Jesuit, or his small organization, rather than
an effort or mission of the whole Province. Fundraising for Jesuit projects is not coordinated
and may result in internal competition for donors.
Possibilities
There is a desire for an Asia Pacific Migration Network among Jesuits with a designated
contact person in each province and region. It would provide a forum for the exchange of
information and experience and a vehicle to work together to: improve the preparation of
prospective migrants; improve laws and attitudes in receiving countries; undertake
advocacy to help people to understand migration’s costs, benefits and complications; and
provide tie ups at both ends to build a supportive system to help families of migrants. A
start was made at the 2009 Social Apostolate Gathering and the 2010 Gathering provides a
key opportunity to develop this initiative further.
In sending countries Jesuit universities could do more to ensure that their graduates have
realistic expectations about working overseas.
Truly collaborative projects seem to be few and networking could be improved, particularly
by reaching beyond Jesuit connections. Joining efforts under the leadership of other
46
religious orders, such as the Scalabrinians and Columbans, who have been more active
among migrants, could be considered.
There was support among respondents for the establishment of schools for migrant workers
and their families along the lines of the Japanese Jesuit Social Centre’s collaborative model
although the availability of resources and personnel may be challenges.
Collaboration between the intellectual and social apostolates could be helpful in setting out
a clear normative framework for our engagement across the migration spectrum. How do
we understand the varying moral claims made on us by different categories of migrants?
How do we prioritize our responses? How are we guided in this by Catholic Social Teaching
and the Ignatian tradition?
Cross-cutting themes
Many respondents noted that the following were cross cutting themes connected with
migration:
 Environment and governance of natural resources
 Civil society, participation and governance
 Peace building and conflict resolution
 Inter-religious dialogue and fundamentalism
It was also clear that there are strong links with the themes of poverty and sustainable
development and natural disaster preparedness, relief and reconstruction.
47
THEME 2: ENVIRONMENT AND GOVERNANCE OF NATURAL RESOURCES
Context
Environmental issues such as climate change mitigation and adaptation, the governance of
natural resources and sustainable development are widely recognized as key challenges for
the 21st century. In the Asia Pacific region significant suffering due to rising sea levels and
the increased incidence of extreme climatic events is already evident. The unsustainable
management of natural resources impacts particularly heavily on indigenous populations.
Yet environmental concerns have too often been dismissed as a western luxury.
What is being done?
The two main ways in which Jesuits are currently responding to environmental issues and
the governance of natural resources are through capacity building and facilitation activities
and through research.
The capacity building and facilitation activities include:
 Training and capacity building for using Clean Development Mechanisms, and
evaluation of such work by the John J Carroll Institute on Church and Social Issues
(JJCICSI) in the Philippines;
 Conflict management training for communities with environmental issues by the
Ateneo School of Government (ASoG) in the Philippines;
 Facilitation of indigenous youth to conduct assisted natural forest regeneration in
their community by Fr Pedro Walpole SJ through Apu Palamguwan Cultural
Education Centre (APC) in Bendum, Philippines;
 Assistance to tribal committee in managing their community water system by APC,
Philippines;
 Capacity building for communities and local governments in environmental resource
management and planning undertaken by Fr Pedro through Environmental Science
for Social Change (ESSC), based in the Philippines but serving the whole region; and
 Supporting local communities in sustainable management and restoration of forests
by Asia Forest Network (AFN) through:
- accompaniment in negotiations;
- seeking synergies with other sectors to increase support for poverty
reduction and human security in forest areas;
- building capacity of landscape level alliances in participatory governance
approaches to natural resource management;
- communicating social justice concerns in forest law enforcement, governance
and trade;
- monitoring regional and national waves;
48
organizing regional and cross-country thematic exchanges to catalyze
learning; and
- facilitating south-south interactions.
(The ESSC serves as the secretariat for the AFN)
-
The research activities include studies into:
 Climate change induced displacement in the Pacific by Sr Maryanne Loughry for JRS
Australia;
 Training of the young in organic farming and business skills by Fr Greg Soetomo SJ
and scholastics in Indonesia;
 Development and the environment by Fr Joseph Puthenkalam SJ at Sophia University
in Japan;
 Climate change, disaster risk and vulnerability reduction by The Manila Observatory
(MO) in the Philippines;
 Adaptation strategies of the poor and vulnerable to climate change by the John J
Carroll Institute on Church and Social Issues (JJCICSI) in the Philippines;
 Land use issues by JJCICSI; and
 Costs and benefits of mining in the Philippines by the Ateneo School of Government
(ASoG) in Manila.
A number of Jesuits and collaborators are involved in organic and eco-friendly farming. For
example, Fr Kolbe Kim SJ is involved in the Rural Ministry in South Korea and is practicing
and promoting organic farming as well as accompanying the rural farming community. The
Rerum Novarum Centre in Taiwan, Jesuit Service Cambodia, Mindanawon Initiatives for
Cultural Dialogue in the Philippines and the Agricultural Training Institute (KPTT) in
Indonesia are also providing training in organic farming.
Other stand alone projects include:
 The Outdoor Experience – a program of Jesuit Social Services Australia which uses
the healing power of nature for young people with drug and other problems; and
 Disaster reduction and prevention programs run by JRS Indonesia to address causes
of displacement.
Some efforts are being made to improve the ecological sustainability of our own facilities.
These include Br Dieng Karnedi SJ’s promotion of Trash Care Community (separation of
waste, composting and recycling) in the seminary in Jakarta, the waste reduction, recycling
and renewable energy efforts of St Ignatius College Riverview in Australia, and Jesuit Social
Services Australia’s green group which is developing environmental policies and practices
across the organization. Some parishes in Australia have environmental interest groups and
are integrating environmental concerns into parish life.
There is some limited involvement in protest actions organized by others such as Fr Hisashi
Hayashi SJ’s (Shimonoseki Social Centre in Japan) support for anti nuclear power actions,
actions against an artificial island, and against water source contamination through dumping,
49
and Fr Kolbe Kim SJ’s involvement in protest against the four big rivers project in South
Korea. These appear to be individual commitments rather than corporate commitments of
the Society as a whole.
Some theological reflection and teaching on ecology and morality is taking place, for
example by Fr Franciso Cho Hyun-chul SJ at Sogang University in South Korea and Frs
Masayuki Semoto SJ and Joseph Puthenkalam SJ at Sophia University in Japan. Over at
Sanata Dharma University in Indonesia, Fr Sunu Hardiyanto SJ has started a Center for
Environmental Studies. At a more popular level, the Faith Doing Justice web project in
Australia also provides reflection and resources for action on this theme. So far, these
efforts appear to be more a matter of personal interest than a truly corporate commitment
of the Society.
Strengths
Capacity building seems to be where the Society currently has the most impact on this issue
in the region. Capacity building is Fr Pedro Walpole’s key strategy and he is a major
resource for animating and supporting the action of others. Another notable feature of Fr
Pedro’s engagements is their integrated approach to related social issues in the region and
their combination of research, networking and grassroots action.
The Jesuit universities and the Society’s connections with other universities provide a strong
base for research. The Jesuit tradition of engagement with science may strengthen the
credibility of environmental efforts and awareness raising with broader publics.
The pastoral and community networks have great potential for raising awareness, modeling
and promoting more ecologically sustainable practices. Fr Kolbe Kim’s insertion among poor
farmers and his practice of organic farming offer prophetic witness in his community. He
feels that his impact is greatest in being a guide and reconciler for different branches of the
Korean Catholic Farmers’ Association and sharing in their life.
Distinctively Ignatian features of the work include the imitation of Jesus, poor and humble
through direct insertion, a commitment to learned ministry through research, and achieving
a multiplier effect through capacity building.
Emerging areas
Over recent decades, awareness of the place of right relationship with creation within the
mission of the Church, and of the Jesuits, has been growing. General Congregation 35’s decree
on mission adopts a framework of promoting reconciliation with God, with others, and with the
whole of creation. In response, the Social Justice Secretariat has been renamed the Social
Justice and Ecology Secretariat. Further, an international Ignatian Ecology Network has been
established and a seven year plan for generational change has been produced.
50
In the Asia Pacific region the 2009 Social Apostolate gathering considered the environment to
be one of the top Conference wide priorities for action, and the Conference itself has agreed to
make reconciliation with creation a key element of its mission. The JCAP Major Superiors have
undertaken to work with individuals and institutions within their own provinces and regions to
develop concrete programs and initiatives that promote reconciliation with creation. The Social
Ministries have been commissioned to animate and resource this environment agenda in
cooperation with all ministries and with those in formation, in order to promote environmental
awareness and to build effective and cooperative networks. Fr Pedro Walpole is appointed to
animate programs and initiatives in the Conference relating to the environment. Initiatives will
focus on 1) management practice of Jesuit institutions; 2) youth education; and 3) the
governance of natural resources.
Gaps & challenges
The witness of our own lifestyles and the management of our own facilities could better
reflect the environmental concerns of recent General Congregations. Recent Conference
decisions have recognized this and made it a priority for action.
Deepening and developing involvement in this very important area, which is a relatively new
field for us, provides an opportunity to proceed in a new way in the spirit of GC 35’s decree
6 concerning collaboration for mission - and the challenge of doing so with appropriate
humility. Collaboration with other orders such as the Columbans and Franciscans, who have
been more active on this theme in the Asia Pacific region than the Society, could be
considered. For example, the Columbans have been engaged in advocacy concerning
mining in Mindanao for decades, and the Franciscans have long been active on resource
management issues in West Papua. There are also many civil society groups which could
benefit from the Society’s support and the engagement of its networks.
International connections could be better utilized for advocacy regarding the socio-cultural
and environmental impact of mining and forestry practices.
Within the Jesuit family, exchange of experience and technical expertise among Jesuit
environmental efforts are currently limited.
Relatively little has been done to bring theological reflection and moral teaching concerning
the environment to bear on a renewed examination of key sources of Ignatian spirituality in
the Asia Pacific context. How might the spirituality of the Exercises be better presented to
help us respond to environmental challenges today? What does it mean to see God in ALL
THINGS in Asia Pacific today? Much more could be done to promote locally incarnated
reflection on existing Jesuit resources such as We Live in a Broken World.
Possibilities
The appointment of Fr Pedro Walpole to animate initiatives relating to the environment
within the Conference will be an important driver for action. There is great potential to
51
draw more effectively on the research and knowledge of our own people and institutions to
inform our own practice and stances. The means exist to share good practice from different
contexts. As well as good practices from our own region, we also have access to a much
broader range of examples internationally. For example a number of Jesuit universities and
colleges in the United States have extensive sustainability programs. Our own knowledge
and awareness may need to be improved. Connection with the international Ignatian
Ecology Network and the Ignatian Advocacy Network on the Governance of Natural
Resources may be helpful in this.
We have much to learn from other networks in our own region which have a deeper history
of engagement than ourselves. Fr Pedro Walpole’s existing practice of collaborating in the
works of others, rather than establishing separate Jesuit works, shows how a multiplier
effect can be achieved by even small numbers of well prepared Jesuits being strategically
engaged. This experience could inform Jesuit activity.
International collaboration for advocacy on issues concerning the governance of natural
resources, for example regarding mining by Australian companies in the Philippines, could
be fostered.
Connections with the spirituality and formation ministries will be important for our future
capacity. Sensitivity to right relationships with creation will need to be strengthened in
formation programs for Jesuits and collaborators. Specific training will be needed for at
least some Jesuits to engage deeply with the technical aspects of these issues.
Social analysis and theological reflection elements of existing exposure and immersion
programs for school students, young adults and Jesuits in formation could be strengthened.
On the day prior to the 2010 Social Ministries meeting, a small group will work with Frs Pedro
and Denis Kim to plan a strategy and agenda for stimulating greater environmental awareness
in Jesuit institutions and communities in Asia Pacific.
Cross-cutting themes
Poverty and sustainable development
Indigenous peoples
Civil society, participation and governance
Peace building and conflict resolution
Natural disaster preparedness, relief and reconstruction
52
THEME 3: POVERTY AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Context
Poverty, destitution and income inequality are cited by many respondents as the major
social challenges in their country. In rural areas, the majority of people commonly live
below the poverty line. Respondents highlight the deteriorating situation of small farmers
because of unfavorable government policies, threats from businesses, various forms of
injustices, threats to forest communities and disinterest among the young in agriculture. As
a result, ordinary rural households find themselves increasingly marginalized.
In urban areas, unemployment and housing are major issues. With the continued trend of
migration to cities, countries in Asia Pacific are expected to see more urban population
growth, urban poverty, homelessness and slum communities. Respondents observe that
blue-collar workers, especially illegal migrants from the rural areas are especially vulnerable.
They have no rights and are often exploited by employers. Moreover in a globalizing
economy, blue-collar workers have less power and are more vulnerable to job instability,
low wages and poor working conditions.
Respondents cite complex factors and various root causes associated with poverty: poor
governance, environmental mismanagement, neo-liberalism, etc. Poverty is itself a cause of
many other problems such as crime, drug abuse, family dysfunction, migration, trafficking
and religious extremism. Perpetuating the problem of poverty is the apathy of people and
rising materialism in many countries. Some respondents also observe the passivity of the
poor and their dependence mentality, as well as the lack of political will of the government.
What is being done?
The response of the Society to both rural and urban poverty has been wide-ranging. This list
is not exhaustive but intended to give examples:
(i) Rural development: Building capacity of forest communities, villages and farmers
In the Philippines, particularly in Mindanao, the Environmental Science for Social Change
(ESSC) has been helping local governments and communities to better manage their natural
resources, including indigenous forests and lands so as to meet community needs in a
sustainable way. One of these initiatives includes the Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education
Center (APC), which works particularly with the Bendum community to provide holistic
education rooted in the indigenous culture. On behalf of the Asia Forest Network (AFN), the
ESSC links forest communities to global platforms and builds their capacity to gain greater
ownership over their forest lands.
Over at Xavier University, the South East Asian Rural Social Leadership Institute (SEARSOLIN)
provides training for international participants in sustainable development, agricultural
management and poverty alleviation.
53
In Indonesia, the Kursus Pertanian Taman Tani (KPTT) agricultural training center was
started 30 years ago and trains young people in organic farming and entrepreneurial skills.
In Cambodia, Jesuit Service Cambodia runs rural development programs for village
communities. It provides resources and animates community members to organize
themselves for various infrastructure (wells, ponds, roads) and agricultural projects. Jesuit
Service also runs rice and cow banks, microfinance as well as nutrition and healthcare
services. It has been catalyzing the formation of farmers’ associations as a way to empower
the rural communities through self-organization. To-date, about 215 villages have been
assisted.
The Jesuits in East Timor, particularly Br Thaddeus Tha SJ, cooperate in a small model farm
in Suai for the benefit of the surrounding communities and to promote agricultural
development. Though the land is rich, people lack skills and tools. Hence the Jesuits assist
the communities to work on a common rice field.
In South Korea, Fr Kolbe Kim SJ is engaged in organic farming and accompanies communities
of farmers to support them and promote greater understanding of the agricultural rural
community.
In Myanmar, Fr Amalraj SJ has been engaged in consultancy for dioceses to build capacity in
social development. Jesuits are also assisting the poor with livelihood projects, which is an
area of work that gained impetus after the major cyclone disaster in 2008.
(ii) Urban development: Organizing the homeless and supporting workers
In Japan, Fr Hisashi Hayashi SJ from the Shimonoseki Labor Education Center has been
involved in workers’ movements and the homeless. The Center is also significant as a hub
for civil society activity in Japan. Fr Peter Shimokawa SJ has been active in accompanying
the homeless and in community organizing and movements for housing rights. Another
person who has been very involved with the homeless and slum dwellers is Fr Jorge
Anzorena SJ. He was instrumental in starting the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights which
brings together communities to share ideas, organize themselves and undertake advocacy.
For his work , Fr Anzorena received the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1995.
In South Korea, Fr Francis Park SJ has been engaged in social action on urban poor housing
issues, community organizing and research in community-centered development, presently
focusing on the youth. His work in housing rights for the urban poor is a continuation of the
initiative of Fr John Jung Il-woo SJ, who also received the Ramon Magsaysay award.5
5
The experience of Jesuits such as Fr. Jung is characteristic of social ministry at the time. According
to Fr Francis Park, “the Jesuits, particularly Fr Jung, lived out, developed, and articulated a spirituality
and pastoral policy for the ministry to the urban poor. It focuses on being a neighbor to the poor,
recognizing the work of Christ among them, building community, working for their empowerment, and
building solidarity.”
54
In Indonesia, Fr Edi Mulyono SJ heads the Jakarta Archdiocese’s Social Institution (Lembaga
Daya Dharma – LDD) which organizes credit unions, micro-enterprise, workers’ rights
education, enrichment activities and provides housing assistance, healthcare and
emergency assistance for workers. In Taiwan, Rerum Novarum Center, started in response
to the lack of help for workers, promotes awareness and advocates on labor issues. It also
assists workers in difficulty with employers or needing legal and medical help after
workplace injuries.
Jesuit Social Services in Australia is engaged in capacity building and advocacy as well as
neighborhood renewal in disadvantaged communities. It also assists the self-help
organizations of ethnic communities such as the Vietnamese and African communities. In
addition, it is engaged in research, policy and advocacy work in urban poverty and
homelessness. The Social Development Council of Ateneo de Zamboanga University in the
Philippines is involved in assisting communities with sustainable economic and social
development programs and in building capacity.
(iii) Development aid: Channeling resources to development projects
In Thailand, Jesuit Social Services has been involved in rural development and direct aid. It
distributes daily living needs and equipment to rural villages in Thailand and Cambodia. It
also assists some villages with agricultural development activities and has helped to start
farmers’ associations in Cambodia. Support is also provided for hill tribe girls in livelihood
skills training (e.g. dress-making).
In Vietnam, the Alberto Hurtado Center for Pastoral and Social Service channels funding for
development projects from overseas donors to local groups and monitors their progress.
Some training in social work skills is also conducted.
In Japan, the Jesuit Social Center has initiated Camboren and Japa Vietnam – two NGOs
mobilizing locals to be engaged in development aid for Cambodia and Vietnam respectively.
In Australia, Jesuit Mission raises resources and supports Jesuit works in East Timor,
Cambodia and Myanmar.
In East Timor, as director of the local Propagation of the Faith Society, Fr Filomeno Jacob SJ
works with the local church in ensuring aid for pastoral and sometimes development
projects around the country.
(iv) Research and teaching: Influencing policy and public opinion
At the John J Carroll Institute on Church and Social Issues (JJCICSI) in the Philippines, the
Urban Poverty and Governance Group works with grassroots communities and local
governments in city profiling, planning and other research projects. It is also engaged in
advocacy in urban housing and resettlement programs. The Rural Development Team
55
conducts research on access to land and enhancing productivity. It is also engaged in
advocacy for agrarian reform and land use.
The Ateneo School of Government (ASoG) helps build capacity of local governments and
communities to address basic needs in housing, health and education. The School promotes
indigenous science and technology approaches to alleviating poverty and also trains youth
in social entrepreneurship.
The Manila Observatory (MO) contributes to sustainable development and risk reduction for
the poor through various projects such as Urban Poverty Morphology and Mapping, Climate
Change Adaptation/Mitigation and Rapid Risk Assessment for Rapid-Onset disasters.
In Japan, Fr Peter Shimokawa SJ at Sophia University teaches international economics and
focuses on the detrimental effects of widespread neo-liberalism. Together with other
faculty, he is reorganizing the Institute for the Study of Social Justice (ISSJ) into the Center of
Global Concern (CGC) which will engage in research and praxis on more global issues.
Also at Sophia University, Fr John Joseph Puthenkalam SJ teaches sustainable development
and seeks to enhance students’ awareness of developing country perspectives. He is an
Advisor to a student NGO engaged in development aid. Fr Vincente Bonet SJ teaches human
rights, social issues, and Catholic social teaching. He is also involved in Camboren.
At the Driyakara School of Philosophy in Indonesia, Fr Herry Priyono SJ teaches and
researches on economic, political and social issues including the detrimental impact of neoliberal policy. He has worked with advocacy groups, NGOs, grassroots organizations and
international agencies in advisory, capacity building, research and advocacy roles.
Strengths
As evident from the above works, Jesuits and collaborators are tackling poverty at many
levels. Throughout Asia Pacific, they are engaged in programs with rural communities as
well as the urban poor. Their collective skills span from development aid, direct services,
accompaniment, capacity building and community organizing to research, knowledge
creation, advocacy, educating governments and providing thought leadership on
fundamental principles.
In many of the above programs, Jesuits and their collaborators work closely with the poor.
Be it a rural or urban project, they journey alongside grassroots communities and have
gained extensive ground experience, long term relationships and deeper insights into their
concerns. Some have also cultivated co-operative relationships with the government
through providing training and consultancy or co-operating on projects and research. In
addition, many are well-connected with civil society networks especially through advocacy
work in homelessness, urban housing and agrarian reform.
There is a wide range of specialist expertise available in the assistancy. This includes
expertise in housing for the urban poor (JJCISCI, Ateneo School of Government, Fr Jorge
56
Anzorena, Fr Peter Shimokawa and Fr Francis Park, to name a few), sustainable natural
resource management for the rural poor (ESSC), agricultural and entrepreneurship training
(SEARSOLIN, KPTT), organic farming and rural development (KPTT, Jesuit Service Cambodia),
labor issues (Shimonoseki, Rerum Novarum Center) and economic and social research
(Jesuits in Indonesia and Japan).
In terms of impact, many respondents identify the conscientizing of people as a major
impact, particularly the economically well-off. Some also note the increased capacity and
welfare of communities they work with. A few organizations have been able to influence
government policy and actions while some have been fruitful in mobilizing the poor.
Emerging areas
A key emerging area is the need to address the root causes of poverty. For instance, some
respondents point out the increasing importance of efforts to counter detrimental economic
principles and practices such as neo-liberalism. This includes examining and influencing
government policies and the actions of multinational companies and their stakeholders.
Fruitful engagement of governments is also becoming increasingly important. Solid
research and effective teaching have helped some Jesuit institutions to be a value-add
partner to those in public office and thus influence governance and policy actions for the
poor.
Gaps & challenges
Despite these successes, there is still a long way to go. It has been pointed out that not
enough Jesuits are involved with (or even genuinely concerned about) the poor. Yet the
experience of those in the field show that positive changes can be achieved provided there
are enough people working on the issues intelligently, consistently and collaboratively.
Whilst most Jesuit individuals and institutions have their own fruitful external networks,
there is little collaboration among Jesuit entities themselves, even among those working on
similar issues. Many respondents have sounded out their interest in getting together with
others in the assistancy for joint projects and exchanging of experiences and models.
Some respondents have also pointed out the lack of advocacy by Jesuits in many countries.
Without addressing systemic and policy issues, poverty alleviation work can be a bottomless
pit.
Possibilities
Since different units in the assistancy are tackling poverty from different angles, there is
potential to combine expertise and develop more integrated strategies for sustainable
development. Asia Pacific is a region of fast economic growth but much of this is not
57
human-centered or sustainable. There is thus potential for a coherent assistancy-wide
agenda on this issue. Jesuit universities, social ministries and individuals at the grassroots
could come together to articulate a common sustainable development agenda and explore
joint initiatives.
Countries like China, Vietnam and Cambodia will continue to see both increased
urbanization and rural poverty. Jesuits in these provinces and regions may eventually be in
need of good models from more established social ministries in other provinces to guide
their work. The Conference could facilitate the sharing of experiences and models. 6
There also needs to be better connection between the intellectual and grassroots work.
JJCICSI provides a good integrated model. Although it is a research institution based in a
university, it also actively participates in advocacy coalitions which include many field and
grassroots organizations. In this way, its research agenda is guided by the real issues faced
by those in the field and its research outputs are thus put into action.
Finally Jesuits also have the potential to help deal with poverty at its root causes. Jesuit
universities, schools and parishes can do more to change minds and hearts, demonstrate
solidarity and promote economic approaches that are more equitable for the disadvantaged.
This is something the Society is strategically placed to do in view of its contacts with decision
makers, businesses and other influential people.
For this to be possible, whilst the social apostolate continues to need more people to be at
the frontlines with the poor, respondents point out that those in the other apostolates also
need to be more in touch with the poor. As someone notes, “unless we are aware of the
social realities happening around us we will not be challenged…The environments where we
live and work now are by no means a stimulus to experience how people live around.”
Cross-cutting themes
Migration
Environment and governance of natural resources
Indigenous peoples
Youth, family and rehabilitation
Access to education
Civil society, participation and governance
Peace building and conflict resolution
6
For example, the approach of several respondents has been to see the strengths of the poor instead of their
weaknesses and to animate their self-help. As one respondent pointed out, “If I were to speak as a Christian, I
am not just looking for Christ on the cross within the poor but I would also like to seek the resurrected Christ
within them”.
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THEME 4: INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
Context
Indigenous peoples are a key feature in the demography of Asia Pacific. Asia as a whole
contains about 70% of the world’s indigenous populations and many of these are found in
the Asia Pacific region.7
From the experience of respondents, indigenous peoples possess the strengths of a rich
cultural heritage and close-knit community life. However they tend to be marginalized in
society, have lower education, face greater poverty and higher rates of unemployment, drug
and alcohol abuse and juvenile delinquency. They are often exploited and sometimes fall
victim to human trafficking. Apart from some who live in city fringes, most tend to live in
rural and forest communities. Those who come to the cities are often discriminated in
society and shunned by employers. Moreover, the cultural values and religious beliefs of
indigenous peoples are sometimes suppressed by mainstream society and national policies.
Internationally, there is the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. In reality
however, respondents observe that efforts by the government and NGOs within each
country are often fragmented. Meanwhile indigenous communities continue to face an
uphill struggle in coping with cultural preservation, social acceptance and their own
development.
What is being done?
Jesuits throughout Asia Pacific are working with indigenous peoples in many ways.
In Taiwan, Rerum Novarum Center is a recognized leading organization in helping
indigenous people with employment in the metro-Taipei area as well as in the Nantou area
(attacked by the strongest earthquake in Taiwan 10 years ago). The center has established
an Indigenous Families and Women Service Center in the Nantou area sponsored by the
government. It also supports agricultural livelihood projects in line with fair trade and
organic farming principles. The center facilitates training of farmers and helps to sell their
products. In addition, it runs a night school which has helped many indigenous junior-high
students level up and move on to higher education. Currently, the center is run fairly
independently of the Jesuits in terms of funding and programs. In the area of pastoral work,
Fr Yves Nalet SJ and four other Jesuits run parishes among the hill tribes and also attend to
development, education and poverty issues.
In Thailand, Jesuit Social Services supports programs for hill tribe communities in agriculture
and education, rights and quality of life for women and children as well as production of
7
Figure from International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs. Although many Asians in mainstream
society are “indigenous” in the broad sense of the word, this theme refers specifically to indigenous
ethnic minorities such as aboriginals and hill tribes whose way of life is increasingly edged out in a
fast-modernizing Asia.
59
music in tribal languages. Fr Vinai Boonlue, SJ is also involved with indigenous peoples. In
Vietnam, the projects funded by the Alberto Hurtado Center for Pastoral and Social Service
include projects for ethnic minority children. Several other Jesuits are also engaged in
ministry to indigenous groups. In Indonesia, Jesuits are involved in parish, social and
education work among indigenous peoples in West Papua and other areas.
In Malaysia, Fr Jojo Fung SJ is appointed to the indigenous ministry by the diocese. Through
his accompaniment of village heads, the indigenous communities have been able to play a
greater leadership role in the issues that affect them. Fr Jojo is also engaged in research and
theological reflection on indigenous religion (shamanism) with a view to develop an
indigenous aboriginal theology. Br Anthony Dass SJ also works actively with Orang Asli
families in Malaysia and engages others such as Basic Ecclesial Communities to be involved.
In Australia, Jesuit Social Services supports indigenous peoples released from prison (where
they tend to be over-represented) and provides community development and capacity
building for disadvantaged communities. Fr Brian McCoy SJ is engaged in research with the
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people focusing on men’s health. Having lived with
indigenous communities for more than 30 years, he continues to publish, raise awareness
and collaborate with indigenous people especially in health-related projects. He also
provides support for post-graduate indigenous researchers and students. Fr Frank Brennan
SJ has been extensively involved with indigenous people, having been awarded the Order of
Australia in 1995 for services to indigenous people and named a Living National Treasure in
1998 for his work on the Wik native title debate. Fr Pat Mullins SJ also provides
accompaniment through a parish located where there is the highest concentration of
indigenous peoples.
In the Philippines, a number of Jesuit academic institutions and social centers are engaged
with indigenous peoples. In Mindanao, the Mindanawon Initiatives for Cultural Dialogue
(Mindanawon) carries out research, advocacy, education and community organizing among
tribal groups. Its library is a major resource for cultural analysis and anthropological studies
in Mindanao. Mindanawon offers college scholarships coupled with formation in
administrative skills and socio-political and cultural issues. For tribal leaders and indigenous
community barangay officials, Mindanawon provides training in governance, development,
legislation and management. It also does cultural sensitivity training and workshops. For
farmers, it supports livelihood projects in organic farming by providing raw materials, tools
and marketing. Through the initiative of Mindanawon and other agencies, the Philippine
government now has the Institute of Indigenous People’s Education. Fr Albert Alejo SJ, who
is closely involved in Mindanawon, has also been assisting to draft the Philippine Bishops
statement on indigenous ministry.
The Social Development Council at Ateneo de Zamboanga University engages in economic
programs, cultural preservation and understanding as well as dialogue for peace and
development. One of its most significant impacts is a holistic program for an indigenous
community in the city which covers education, economic development, sustainable
agriculture, cultural understanding, children’s needs and access to water.
60
The Environmental Science for Social Change (ESSC) headed by Fr Pedro Walpole SJ, as the
secretariat for the Asia Forest Network, works with indigenous communities in sustainable
development. It has been promoting indigenous rights to ancestral domains in state
forestlands and is also working on documentation of traditional knowledge and practices for
natural resource management for use in negotiating with the government.
In association with the ESSC, the Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center (APC) works
with indigenous people in environmental projects such as assisted natural forest
regeneration and water system management. It is also helping to strengthen indigenous
leadership and management capacity with regard to water and forest resources and
livelihoods.
APC has a major role in the integration of indigenous education and culture. It runs a
primary school for indigenous children which serves as a case study in using a multilingual
curriculum that integrates indigenous culture. Students also learn to harness resources
from their natural surroundings. APC is also developing modules to teach indigenous
culture in public elementary schools. On a regional and national level, it is part of advocacy
efforts to promote multilingual education (MLE) in the Philippines so that indigenous
children are not alienation from their mother tongue and cultural roots.
Access to education for indigenous children is also provided by the Educational Research
and Development Assistance Foundation (ERDA). It has a pre-school program and an
Educational Assistance Program which provides school supplies and related expenses.
Children from indigenous communities are among the beneficiaries of these programs.
Finally, three Jesuit universities in Mindanao have a joint research project entitled “Mining
in Mindanao: Analyzing Stakeholders and Identifying Strategic Engagements”. With the aim
to better understand the complexity of mining and its impact on indigenous communities,
they have been co-operating in this research and disseminating the findings to key
stakeholders.
Strengths
A common strength that the Society has gained is the extensive grassroots experience of
Jesuits and collaborators in working with indigenous communities. Those involved in this
ministry have developed trusting relationships, in-depth knowledge, credibility, empathy
and a holistic understanding of the indigenous way of life. For some Jesuits, this has come
through extended immersion at the frontiers with indigenous communities. As a result,
these Jesuits are able to be relatively effective in the important work of community
organizing, accompaniment, advocacy and program design and implementation.
Another common feature in Jesuit works among indigenous peoples is the respect for and
preservation of indigenous culture, religious tradition and relationship with the natural
environment. This has been achieved hand-in-hand with progress in development.
61
There are also individuals and institutions that have gained specialist knowledge in various
aspects of indigenous work. These include the APC in inculturating education, Fr Frank
Brennan in human rights, Fr Brian McCoy in men’s health, Fr Jojo Fung in indigenous
spirituality, Fr Pedro Walpole in indigenous ecology, Mindanawon in dialogue and the peace
process and the Mindanao Jesuit institutions in the effects of mining.
From the feedback of those on the ground, much of the impact has been the increased
capacity and competence of the indigenous people while maintaining their cultural roots.
There has also been improved well-being and sustainable development particularly through
the communities’ healthy co-existence with their natural environments. Greater awareness
of their rights and their potential to take action has also been cited as one of the fruits of
the Society’s work. Finally the solidarity of Jesuits and their collaborators with the
indigenous people has been evident through their pastoral, educational and social
development work.
Emerging areas
The right of rural indigenous communities to own and live in their forestlands and ancestral
domains is an important issue. This is increasingly being threatened by growing
urbanization and exploitation of natural resources in Asia Pacific. Land rights for indigenous
peoples is often not just a survival issue but a religious one as well. Tribal roots and
ancestral spirits are closely tied to physical locations. Some Jesuits have been assisting the
indigenous communities in this area of land rights and such work will be increasingly
important.
The voice of the indigenous peoples themselves also needs to be better heard. Many NGOs
claim to “speak for” them but what’s important is their sense of self-determination, ability
to participate in society and have their own voice. The Society’s efforts in indigenous
education and capacity building have helped to achieve this and more can be done to
remove barriers to participation.
Efforts to help mainstream society better appreciate indigenous religion go a long way
towards indigenous communities’ greater acceptance by society. This is especially so for
those communities whose indigenous religion is often misunderstood or suppressed. Hence
Jesuits’ initiatives on understanding indigenous theologies can make an important
contribution to the church and society.
Gaps & challenges
A common challenge faced by respondents is the lack of stable sources of funding for their
work and the lack of human resources. This affects sustainability, scaling up and planning
for the long term. Another difficulty cited by some respondents is the lack of recognition
from the Society at the provincial and conference level for the indigenous ministry. As a
result, the lack of financial resources, human resources and institutional leadership has not
been addressed.
62
There is still much to do on the indigenous peoples front. Respondents highlight the need
to focus on indigenous youth who form the next generation of community leaders. They
face the tensions of remaining rooted in their indigenous culture and integrating with
modern society.
Economic development opportunities remain limited for indigenous communities and
advocacy work is needed for more favorable laws. Moreover formation of the general
public in the spirit of Catholic social teaching is needed to help them better respect the
dignity of indigenous communities.
Possibilities
Work on this theme is very much an engagement in the triple-dialogue with poverty,
religion and culture. Hence the strengths gained by those in indigenous ministry are
important assets for the mission of the Society as a whole. The Conference could consider
ways to provide support and resources for their work. Moreover since long-term
relationships are critical to effective indigenous ministry, the next generation of Jesuits and
lay collaborators needs to start early in cultivating relationships.
Those working in this ministry can consider “pooling” their programs to achieve economies
of scale. For instance, financial needs for education and training programs can perhaps be
pooled together under a common banner so as to attract regional foundations and donors.
In addition, there is much scope for individual and institutional experts to apply their
knowledge and skills beyond the province for the benefit of other indigenous communities
throughout the assistancy. Some are already doing so.
The Jesuit Companions in Indigenous Ministry (JCIM) was formed in 1999 and provides a
possible platform for the Conference to coordinate the above efforts. This network could
be encouraged and given resources to formulate and implement a concrete agenda for a
more coordinated indigenous ministry in Asia Pacific.
Beyond those directly involved, there is also a need for Jesuits as a whole to demonstrate
greater solidarity with indigenous communities. This would give a strong counter witness to
their exclusion and marginalization by society. Jesuit communities, schools and parishes
throughout the assistancy can consider being more inclusive of indigenous peoples in their
activities and community life.
Lastly and perhaps most importantly, the Society might need to consider whether and how
the insertion of its members in indigenous communities in the past is to be continued in
future. Should younger Jesuits be identified and prepared for this? Is there a shift in the
way of working on this theme? This is something that might need to be discerned at the
Conference level.
63
Cross-cutting themes
Environment and governance of natural resources
Poverty and sustainable development
Youth, family and rehabilitation
Access to education
Civil society, participation and governance
Peace building and conflict resolution
Inter-religious dialogue and religious fundamentalism
64
THEME 5: YOUTH, FAMILY AND REHABILITATION
Context and current work
(I) Children, youth and family
Although economic development has been significant in Asia, many families still remain
poor and increasingly vulnerable in a fast-paced society. Marriage and family values are
coming under pressure. Respondents observe that in modern cities, youth are stressed by
pressures to succeed and are prone to becoming disenchanted and disengaged. Many drift
into juvenile delinquency. In rural villages, young people living in poverty are susceptible to
exploitation, trafficking, religious fundamentalist influences and crime.
Jesuits are responding in a variety of ways. In the Philippines, UGAT Foundation provides
individual, marital and family counseling, seminars on family life and related topics. It also
provides training and development for counselors and therapists. The Educational Research
and Development Assistance Foundation (ERDA) runs rehabilitation homes for children in
conflict with the law. It also provides residential care and educational assistance for street
children and helps former child scavengers find alternative ways of making a living. ERDA
has been involved in advocacy for children’s rights. The John J Carroll Institute on Church
and Social Issues (JJCICSI) is engaged in training, coaching, research and advocacy on
women’s issues and juvenile justice. It provides values formation and capacity building of
community leaders and village officials in the principles of restorative justice and in handling
cases of children in conflict with the law. It also runs a direct service program for undernourished children. Together with a coalition of NGOs, JJCICSI has made significant gains in
influencing Philippine policy and legislation on children in conflict with the law.
Jesuits Social Services in Thailand supports values-education and social activities for children
and youth as well as educational scholarships to prevent young girls from going into the sex
trade. In Australia, Jesuit Social Services has been active in direct services and advocacy for
disadvantaged youth as well as youth in the justice system.
In Japan, Fr Jorge Anzorena SJ has been working on the issue of women and child abuse
while in Indonesia, Fr Edi Mulyono SJ, as head of the Jakarta Archdiocese’s Social Institution
(Lembaga Daya Dharma – LDD) is also involved in programs for disadvantaged children. In
addition, JRS Indonesia accompanies women and children in Aceh to support economic and
community participation.
The Hsinchu Catholic Social Service Center in Taiwan serves the elderly and families through
day care centers and counseling for domestic violence and other issues. In Korea, Fr Matteo
Shin SJ has been involved in children and youth services and has experience in the
Therapeutic Community Model as a holistic halfway house. In Micronesia, the Jesuits
produce materials and hold workshops on family issues such as parenting of youth.
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Apart from the above, many other Jesuit individuals and institutions are also involved in
family and youth work through pastoral and education ministries, indigenous ministry,
environment and sustainable development.
(II) Mental health
In the area of mental health, respondents point out that depression, addiction and other
mental health disorders are becoming more widespread in Asia. This is partly because of
economic pressures but also because the traditional support structure of the extended
family is rapidly breaking down. Some respondents observe a loss in the sense of purpose in
life among people in their countries. Moreover many Asians see mental health as a taboo
subject and are thus not aware of or unwilling to seek help. Within Asia Pacific, Japan and
South Korea are among the world’s top 10 countries with the highest rate of suicide.8
In Japan, the Jesuit Social Center carries out research on the situation of people with mental
illness and explores ways for Jesuits and the Church to help. The Micronesia Seminar also
carries out research on suicide. In Australia, Jesuit Social Services supports people with
mental illness and addiction problems like drug and alcohol addiction. It also does suicide
prevention and counseling. Art, music and wilderness therapy are among the wide range of
creative interventions offered.
(III) Prisoners
The criminal justice system and the situation of prisoners in many Asia Pacific countries are
often not in keeping with human dignity and justice. This is especially so for more
vulnerable groups such as foreigners, ethnic minorities, the intellectually-disabled and the
poor.
In Thailand, the Jesuit Foundation Prison Ministry was initiated by the Jesuits in 1991 and is
now led by a lay person. It accompanies prisoners individually and in groups, acts as a link
with their families and collects data related to prisoner transfer treaties. The team reaches
out to about 1900 prisoners in 10 prisons around the Bangkok area and focuses on foreign
prisoners who have no relatives to help them. The Philippine Jesuits Prison Service (PJPS)
was established in 1994. It provides counseling as well as pastoral, sacramental, medical
and other social services for inmates, released prisoners and their families. It also offers
scholarships for children of inmates and carries out advocacy for penal and judicial reforms,
assistance to juvenile delinquents and related concerns. Jesuit Social Services in Australia
supports indigenous peoples released from prison as well as youth with intellectual
disability in the criminal justice system.
In Japan the Jesuit Social Center engages in advocacy through the “Stop the Death Penalty:
Religious Communities’ Network”. This network is an open forum for discussion on the
death penalty in Japan and advocacy for its abolishment.
1
According to figures from the World Health Organization.
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(IV) HIV/AIDS and leprosy
In Asia Pacific, adult prevalence rates for HIV/AIDS range from <0.1% in the Philippines to
1.4% in Thailand.9 Although prevalence in most Asia Pacific countries is lower than the
global average of 0.5%, the incidence of HIV/AIDS is increasing in countries such as
Indonesia and Vietnam.
In China, Casa Ricci Social Services has established about 20 centers in 10 provinces, in
partnership with local governments and NGOs. These centers are mainly staffed by local
Chinese women religious with only 1 Jesuit working full-time. It serves people with leprosy
and also those with HIV/AIDS. Casa Ricci provides rehabilitation centers for adults, boarding
centers for infected students, community centers in leprosy villages, kindergartens for
children of infected persons and centers for sex workers.
Jesuit Social Services in Thailand promotes awareness of HIV/AIDS among minority groups,
provides seed money to sufferers for micro-enterprise in rural areas, food for children with
HIV/AIDS and scholarships for orphans of deceased HIV/AIDS victims. Fr Jorge Anzorena SJ
in Japan has also been engaged with HIV/AIDS sufferers. In Micronesia, public education
materials on HIV/AIDS are produced and disseminated.
In the Philippines, the Foundation for Assistance to Hansenites (FAHAN) of the ERDA Group
provides assistance to people with leprosy, encourages them to seek treatment and
promotes their social integration. It also provides educational assistance for children of
infected persons.
(V) Disability
War, violence and lack of access to healthcare have made disability a common occurrence in
some Asia Pacific countries. Respondents observe that people with disability are often
among the most marginalized in society and have limited opportunities to maximize their
potential.
Jesuit Services Cambodia is one of the major NGOs helping the disabled in Cambodia. It
provides aid, rehabilitation and livelihood support. Its main programs include residential
centers for disabled children and Bantaey Prieb, a center which runs a holistic vocational
training school for the physically handicapped. The center also provides post-graduation
support and runs in-house workshops to provide jobs and income as well as a wheelchair
production and distribution service. In Indonesia, the archdiocesan institution LDD headed
by Fr Edi Mulyono SJ also engages in disability services.
2
Figures from UNAIDS.
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Strengths
Through their activities in this theme, Jesuits have shown solidarity with the groups of
people whom society would rather forget – prisoners, street children, juveniles, persons
with mental illness, HIV/AIDS, disability, etc. Some successes in advocacy, influencing policy
and raising awareness on these issues have been highlighted by respondents.
One common feature in many of these services is the close working relationship with the
government at the practical level. Most of the programs involve on-going partnerships with
the government either in terms of funding, personnel, service delivery, licensing or
ownership. Another feature is the wide involvement of the laity either as staff or volunteers,
often in leadership roles. Some of these organizations also have fruitful networks with
other groups for advocacy and sharing of knowledge.
A fair amount of specialist capability has been built. In the area of youth work in particular,
the ERDA Group and Jesuit Social Services Australia are relatively well-established in terms
of professional expertise, experience and organizational capacity.
Emerging areas
One respondent highlighted that the area of children and youth is an urgent and important
ministry in Asia Pacific. This pertains especially to the empowerment of vast numbers of
children and youth facing poverty and social exclusion.
A lay respondent pointed out that Jesuits have a rich spirituality that can be a great help to
people with mental illness, disability, HIV/AIDS and delinquent youth, etc. The Society could
consider how to better tap on this strength and share its spirituality more deeply with these
people. As Pope Benedict XVI points out:
“the development of individuals and peoples depends partly on the resolution of
problems of a spiritual nature … The new forms of slavery to drugs and the lack of
hope into which so many people fall can be explained not only in sociological and
psychological terms but also in essentially spiritual terms.” (Caritas in Veritate, #76)
Gaps & challenges
Respondents cite the need for training and capacity building of local staff. Requests for
knowledge about social methods and models were commonly raised. Some respondents
highlight that in addition to direct services, Jesuits should also undertake more advocacy on
behalf of these groups. They see an uphill task in terms of raising awareness since these are
the “forgotten people” of society. The need for more stable sources of funding is also a
challenge faced by some.
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Possibilities
Many of the activities in this theme are carried out by what could be regarded as the
Society’s “direct service organizations”. Although the beneficiary groups vary, there are
common features among many of these organizations in terms of:

being relatively labor-intensive in providing direct services to beneficiaries and
having extensive contact with them;

requiring professional social work expertise and suitable service models;

dealing with beneficiary groups inherent in every country regardless of economic
advancement or ethnicity; and

providing (or having the potential to provide) a common range of services that
include casework, counseling, rehabilitation, public education, social integration and
policy advocacy.
There is much potential for networking and sharing of knowledge among these
organizations. Some of the common knowledge would include models of human
development, counseling and rehabilitation approaches, shelter operations, employment
assistance, program evaluation and advocacy strategies.
Moreover some centers have gone through a phase of rapidly expanding their direct
services due to urgent social needs. This may have come at the expense of proper
organizational structures, professional expertise and value-add work such as research,
capacity building and advocacy. The Society could identify the organizations that need
strengthening in these areas and approach the more established institutions for help. A
systematic training and consultancy program could be devised.
The question of Jesuit continuity in some of the programs may also need to be examined. A
few of the institutions have only one Jesuit actively present while some have none at all.
The issues of accountability, support and spirituality might need to be addressed for these
institutions.
Cross-cutting themes
Migration
Poverty and sustainable development
Indigenous peoples
Access to education
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THEME 6: ACCESS TO EDUCATION
Context
Access to education for poor people and communities plays a vital role in addressing
poverty, promoting sustainable development, and facilitating social and political
participation. Much Jesuit educational activity in the Asia Pacific region has focused on the
formation of future leaders among social and economic elites. While this traditional
strategy has its place, it can lead to an identification with the wealthy and powerful and an
experiential distance from the poor. The Ignatian Advocacy Network has identified access
to education for all as an international focus. It is a key challenge for the demographically
youthful societies of the Asia Pacific region.
What is being done?
In the Philippines the Educational Research and Development Assistance Foundation (ERDA)
provides access to basic education for marginalized children. It has a preschool program, a
technical high school, a program for older street children and out-of-school youth, an
alternative learning system with an accreditation and equivalency program, and an
educational assistance program. The Ateneo de Zamboanga University provides informal
education and literacy programs for some communities as well as weekend tutorials for
elementary students. The Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center (APC) provides
primary education for indigenous children and advocates mother tongue based multilingual
education in the Philippines. The Ateneo School of Government (ASoG) focuses on capacity
building by training local government officials to think more creatively and critically about
how to improve access and quality of education.
In Cambodia, Jesuit Service Cambodia focuses on improving the quality of primary
education through teacher training. It also runs alternative schools for poor children, assists
students with schooling packs, extra classes and a small library, and provides vocational
training for the handicapped. In Battambang, Apostolic Prefect Msgr. Enrique Figerado SJ
and fellow Jesuits have been involved in establishing a number of schools.
In Japan, Fr Joseph Puthenkalam SJ advises a student NGO, Meguko, which works to provide
education for all children, especially the disadvantaged.
In Indonesia the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is able to provide some scholarships for
indigenous students. The Indonesian Province also runs technical schools.
The Alberto Hurtado Center for Pastoral and Social Service in the Vietnam Province
channels donations to support the education of the poor and provides some training
courses in social work.
The Refugee Tertiary Education Committee, based in Australia, delivers an innovative
program which provides online education to asylum seekers and refugees on the Thai-
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Burma border. Partners in this enterprise include JRS, the Australian Catholic University,
Open Universities Australia, Regis, St Louis, Gonzaga, and Holy Cross College. In Mount
Druitt in the west of Sydney, the Australian Province has partnered with the Catholic
Education Office of the Diocese of Parramatta to provide a high quality senior college in a
community suffering from entrenched disadvantage. In addition Jesuit Social Services
provides vocational training to disadvantaged young people and is planning to develop a
Jesuit Community College for disadvantaged people across the life cycle.
Fr Arthur Ledger SJ is assisting in planning for a Jesuit school in East Timor, which has very
little educational infrastructure.
Strengths
Ignatian characteristics of these efforts include going where the need is greatest and seeking
to achieve a multiplier effect.
The Society also has a wide and well regarded presence in education across the region.
Efforts aimed specifically at providing access for the poor and excluded can potentially piggy
back off existing Jesuit schools and universities. The Refugee Tertiary Education Committee
provides an example of how existing ministries can be leveraged to provide access. Creating
partnerships and connections between Jesuit schools serving the more well-off and
educational efforts among the poor can be a work of building bridges of practical solidarity.
For example the Xavier School has ‘adopted’ ERDA Tech providing mentoring to improve
ERDA Tech’s staff capabilities.
The Society is well placed to provide capacity building for education. Jesuits and their
supporters bring a lot of educational skills and experience to the task. Providing structured
opportunities seems to be the key.
Emerging areas
The Society has mainly focused on academic rather than vocational education. Informal and
vocational education may be new approaches which might also provide pathways into more
formal or academic education.
The use of online education may provide new opportunities to enable geographically
dispersed existing educational efforts to be of greater service to a new audience.
Digital inclusion is an important new frontier for new generations. Facilitating access and
being a constructive presence in new social spaces created online are a challenge.
Gaps & challenges
This theme was not clearly communicated in the first mapping questionnaire. The Ignatian
Advocacy Network’s expression ‘education with a social dimension’ was not widely
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understood by respondents whereas the second questionnaire used the plainer expression
‘access to education for all’. A further limitation of the data is that the education sector
was not directly surveyed. Hence the information on this theme is limited.
It seems that efforts to provide access to education for all are largely ad hoc rather than
systematic.
The Society’s experience in education is largely in privileged contexts. This raises the
question of how much of the good practices can realistically be transferred to poorly
resourced organizations in contexts of entrenched disadvantage.
While bridges of practical solidarity are desirable, without careful attention there is a risk
that relationships of dependency and condescension could develop. Without such bridging,
there is a danger that Jesuit education efforts may reinforce socio-economic stratification.
Possibilities
Reflection on successful efforts in the region and beyond would be helpful. For example Fr
Johnny Go SJ has visited the United States to study the Cristo Rey network of schools and
could be invited to share his learning more broadly. He also intends to visit Jesuit technical
schools in Indonesia.
Professional exchanges and secondments between education institutions and the
placement of regents could be expanded and made more regional.
Dialogue between the education ministries and social ministries could be useful in
understanding the current engagement better and planning for further action.
Cross-cutting themes
Migration
Indigenous peoples
Poverty and sustainable development
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THEME 7: CIVIL SOCIETY, PARTICIPATION AND GOVERNANCE
Context
The field encompassed by this theme is very broad since governance underpins most, if not
all, issues addressed by the social apostolate. Poor or bad governance is often one of the
principal causes of persistent poverty, inequitable access to resources and basic services,
environmental degradation, armed conflicts and many other social problems.
However, the works surveyed in this thematic paper are those specifically concerned with
making the relationship between the governed and those who govern more responsive to
human development and open to citizens’ participation.
There is great diversity in political systems in the region, from stable democracies to fragile
ones, one-party states and societies under military rule. Active citizens’ movements exist in
some of the countries while independent collective action by citizens is suppressed in others.
In many countries, bad governance is experienced as injustice, corruption and
powerlessness arising from a basic lack of transparency and accountability of the
government. Civil society organizations and poor people’s movements have emerged as
vital actors in governance not only to exact accountability from power-holders but also to
influence state policies and programs in favor of poor and disadvantaged groups and
communities.
However, ordinary people’s apathy and weak civic sense is a problem (e.g. Japan and the
Philippines). The lack of concern of ordinary people for politics and public issues (“people
power is almost dead in Japan” as cited by one respondent) was noted, although
participation of people in elections may indicate that there is still an interest in affecting
changes in political power. There is a perception that values are being eroded and
democratic institutions are constantly being threatened by greed and corruption.
What is being done?
Jesuit works in this theme include leadership development, poverty research, capacity
building of state institutions and communities, political education, policy advocacy and
support for poor people’s movements.
Jesuit centers dedicated to the formation of leaders in government or in civil society include
Ateneo School of Government (ASoG) in the Philippines and Jesuit Social Services (JSS) in
Australia. ASoG is involved in developing and training leaders of local governments to think
creatively and critically on how to reform politics while JSS intends to run a leadership
program aimed at nurturing next generation leaders for justice. ASoG also runs an anticorruption education program in select government and non-government institutions.
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Several centers are engaged in citizens’ political education and capacity building of citizens’
movements. The main mission of the Shimonoseki Labor Education Center (Japan) is
organizing and facilitating local citizens’ movements in Japan. It collaborates with the
catholic workers’ national and international movements and participates in networking of
citizens groups to support causes of disadvantaged groups.
The Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan, as the socio-political arm of the Philippine province,
engages in values-based (i.e. Catholic social teaching) political education of citizens,
including voters’ education, education in farmers’ rights and the role of the church in sociopolitical issues. The ASoG and Ateneo de Zamboanga University’s Center for Local
Governance (ACLG) also conduct electoral education programs and election monitoring
activities. Ehem, a Jesuit anti-corruption initiative headed by Fr Archimedes Lachica SJ and
Dr Ronnie Amorado, provides seminars on fighting corruption and whistle-blowing. It also
carries out research and produces books, manuals and videos on good governance and
fighting corruption. It provides training modules for schools and churches. In addition, the
Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao has also recently requested for its seminars.
There are plans to integrate Ehem into ASoG.
In Indonesia, the Perhimpunan Pendidikan Demokrasi (Association for Democratic Education;
not clear if it is a Jesuit center) based in Jakarta is supported by human rights lawyers, prodemocracy activists and policy analysts and has extensive contacts with universities, NGOs,
political leaders and political parties.
Some works aim to support and build the capacity of communities and poor people’s
movements for policy advocacy in the framework of participatory governance. Fr Jorge
Anzorena SJ works all over Asia collecting and disseminating good practices in people-led
processes in slum upgrading and housing, in support of local and region-wide advocacy on
housing rights for the poor. The Environmental Science for Social Change (ESSC)
(Philippines) engages in capacity building of communities and local governments,
particularly in community forestry.
A number of social centers provide research and/or policy advocacy support to
organizations that aim to give voice to marginalized groups or influence government policy
and decision-making on specific issues affecting these groups. The John J. Carroll Institute on
Church and Social Issues (JJCICSI) (Philippines) does research on issues affecting the urban
poor, small farmers and children to influence legislation and the implementation of social
policies and programs. ERDA (Philippines) and JSS (Australia) support advocacy of
children’s rights. ERDA organized Children’s Associations and got an ERDA-trained child
leader appointed as the first child commissioner of the National Anti-poverty Commission,
ensuring that children’s rights are given a voice in the proceedings of the Commission. The
Perkumpulan Prakarsa in Indonesia engages in policy research to enrich the knowledge of
civil society towards developing alternative policies and strategies on a variety of issues such
as decentralization, public services provision and governance of international financial
institutions. The results of these studies are used by universities, as well as by NGOs, local
and national governments and political parties.
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Environmental governance, specifically in forest resource management, is another area of
involvement. The Asia Forest Network works towards improving forest law enforcement and
governance (FLEG) in Asia Pacific by strengthening the voice of civil society in decisionmaking processes and implementation. It does this by facilitating more effective
information collection and dissemination, improving civil society monitoring for increased
government accountability, and increasing regional and national civil society engagement
for political support. It has active partners in Cambodia (Natural Resources Protection
Group), Papua New Guinea (Ecoforestry Forum), Indonesia (Telapak) and China (Global
Environmental Initiative). The ESSC (Philippines) actively engages the Philippine
government on forest management policy through its membership and participation in the
Philippine working group on community resource management.
Strengths
One identified strength is the connection Jesuits have in some countries with people and
institutions at the top of the governance structure and also with the poor and the grassroots.
One respondent (ASoG) believes that the Philippines has much to offer in the field of
governance; it has strong capacity building and education programs in social accountability,
environmental governance, local governance and political reform. ASoG has a very good
program on local governance and it now has international programs that allow it to have a
presence in Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand (where it has courses, partners and grantees).
According to this respondent, the strongest initiatives in governance in the region have been
anti-corruption work (Philippines), human rights and land rights monitoring (Indonesia); and
environmental governance through the work of Fr Pedro Walpole SJ with Jesuits in
Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia).
Jesuit-lay collaboration is strong in this theme. What is particularly noteworthy is that
Jesuits are following, not leading, in the field of governance and politics. However the lay
leaders see the need for deeper spirituality. As one respondent highlighted, work in this
field is very secular, but there is a need to pull people back to reflect and link what they are
doing to their faith and values, nurture what motivates them and keeps them going. This is
an important contribution of Jesuit spirituality to the work.
Emerging areas
One emerging movement is towards active citizen engagement in governance and finding
more sophisticated ways of working with government around the principle of social
accountability. One respondent observed that the concept of social accountability
(relationship between citizens and government) will deepen and there will be a need for
more direct forms of building practices, institutions and capacities for social accountability.
There is an existing regional network of anti-corruption groups that the ASoG is affiliated
with – the Affiliated Network for Social Accountability (ANSA) which is involved in
procurement monitoring.
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Gaps & challenges
One gap identified is finding an effective role for Jesuit institutions in political reform and
political change. Somewhat related to this, but which can also be a separate concern is
bringing together different actors, linking people and institutions to each other to achieve
bigger impact. It was observed that there are many NGOs, local and international networks
and solidarities working together, “but many Jesuits are outside” these networks.
The lack of men (Jesuits) is a challenge, even though it is acknowledged that lay people are
clearly taking the lead in this arena.
Another respondent commented that being part of the Church and having concern for
institutional survival can sometimes be limiting factors because the Jesuit centers cannot be
perceived as directly interfering in politics.
Yet another challenge articulated is how to actually live out “real democracy from the
grassroots (i.e. from the bottom)”.
Respondents from the Philippines emphasized the need for developing a social spirituality
and a spirituality of integrity that is particularly relevant to the work of those involved in
reforming systems of governance and combating corruption. Integrating Ignatian
spirituality more firmly in the work and organization of the most active social centers in this
theme (e.g. ASoG) is a felt need.
Possibilities
There was a desire expressed, particularly by respondents from the Philippines, Indonesia
and Malaysia for collaboration to improve advocacy for good governance in the countries of
the region. Such networking is vital not only for information exchange and knowledge
production but also for providing “encouragement of community” to overcome “intellectual
and spiritual isolation.”
ASoG believes that a working group on governance can be formed because there is enough
experience in the region. Given the strength of ASoG in capacity building for social
accountability, it wants to expand and expressed willingness to be a lead institution in the
working group for sharing good practices, experience and building capacity in the region for
engaging government and promoting social accountability.
In the next few years, there would be a great deal of interest and resources for work related
to climate change. ASoG is also interested in forming a consortium of Jesuit institutions for
climate change and environmental governance.
Possible courses of action for responding to the challenges identified above were suggested
and these could be explored in future discussions. One of them concerns the development
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of a social spirituality and spirituality of integrity. A spirituality of integrity and public service
could be promoted among Jesuit university alumni as part of the social justice thrust of the
education apostolate. This can be done through symposia and conferences that strive to
deepen and enrich reflection by bringing together insights and intellectual resources from
the fields of sociology, politics, spirituality and public service. The development of a social
spirituality could also benefit from greater collaboration between the social centers in Jesuit
colleges and universities and the pastoral ministry in Jesuit parishes. The spirituality centers
could develop a social spirituality within its own programs.
Cross-cutting themes
Environment and governance of natural resources
Poverty and sustainable development
Indigenous peoples
Youth, family and rehabilitation
Peace building and conflict resolution
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THEME 8: INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE AND FUNDAMENTALISM
Context
The Asia Pacific region is extraordinarily diverse religiously and culturally, and almost
everywhere Christian communities are in the minority. To be a Christian in such a context
calls for engagement with other faith traditions and dialogue with cultures. In Malaysia and
in Indonesia which is home to the world’s largest Muslim population, dialogue with Islam is
of key importance. Meanwhile in Thailand, South Korea and Japan dialogue with Buddhism
is more significant, and in many parts of the Pacific it is engagement with indigenous religion
and beliefs that is crucial. In the Philippines and in Australia with their majority Christian
populations, dialogue with Islam takes on a different complexion.
The rise of fundamentalism and the exploitation of religious and cultural differences for
political purposes make the challenge of interfaith dialogue one of the most critical frontiers
for Jesuit action today.
Recent General Congregations have understood inter-religious dialogue to be an essential
dimension of the mission of the Society of Jesus, and the Federation of Asian Catholic
Bishops Conferences has committed itself to a triple dialogue with the poor, with other
faiths, and with cultures. Nonetheless, some Christian communities in the Asia Pacific
region appear to believe that they have much to teach and little to learn in interfaith
dialogue.
What is being done?
A number of Jesuits are engaged in teaching and research on inter-religious dialogue. They
include:
 Fr Herman Roborg SJ, Jesuit Theological College, Australia;
 Fr Herry Priyono SJ, The Driyarkara School of Philosophy, Indonesia;
 Fr Heru Prakosa SJ, Sanata Dharma University, Indonesia;
 Fr Greg Soetomo SJ, participatory action research via scholastics immersion in an
Islamic boarding school, Jakarta, Indonesia; and
 Fr Aloysius Mowe SJ from Malaysia, who spent a year researching aspects of Islamic
law affecting non-Muslims in Islamic polities at the Woodstock Theological Centre,
Georgetown.
Although they live outside Asia Pacific, Fr Tom Michel SJ and Fr Dan Madigan SJ return
occasionally to offer specialist support to the study of Islam.
A significant number of Jesuits are experts on Buddhism and at least 6 Jesuits from Asia
Pacific are now doing higher studies in related fields.
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Another key mode of action is the establishment, promotion of, or participation in,
interfaith groups engaged in the dialogue of life and/or the dialogue of religious experience.
Those involved in this area include:
 Fr Herman Roborg SJ, Parramatta Diocese, Western Sydney, Australia;
 Jesuit Social Services Africa Program, Melbourne, Australia;
 Fr Greg Soetomo SJ, scholastics immersion in an Islamic boarding school, Jakarta,
Indonesia;
 Fr Heru Prakosa SJ, who coordinates a Jesuit network on Muslim dialogue within
Indonesia;
 JRS Indonesia, in dialogue of life and action; and
 Ateneo de Zamboanga University in the Philippines, which integrates inter-religious
dialogue into all of its development programs.
In a similar vein, Fr Aloysius Mowe SJ has been actively working in partnership with Muslim
organizations in Malaysia that are working for democratic change, greater transparency in
public life, human rights and pluralism. These include the Institute for Policy Research and
the Middle-Eastern Graduates Centre, which is now part of a new regional organization,
SEAMUS (Southeast Asian Muslims for Freedom and Enlightenment).
Some Jesuit scholars are resources for analysis and advice to others. These include:
 Fr Herman Roborg SJ, interfaith advisor to the Bishop of Parramatta, in the west of
Sydney, Australia;
 Fr Aloysius Mowe SJ, analyst consulting German and Australian diplomatic missions
in Malaysia as well as other parties on Islamic issues.
The East Asia Theological Encounter program (EATEP) for scholastics incorporates
immersion experiences in an Islamic boarding school in Indonesia, and a program in
Thailand focusing mainly on Buddhism but also to some degree on Islam. It is considered a
particularly important initiative combining experiential learning and contextual theology in
the formation of Jesuits for a mission that includes interfaith dialogue. It is hoped that the
EATEP will also broaden in scope.
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Strengths
The dialogue of theological exchange requires specialist knowledge of other religious
traditions as well as one’s own. The Society has some specialist scholars who bring
intellectual rigor to bear on their engagement and are able to effectively address ignorance
of other religious traditions.
Jesuit organizations in the Asia Pacific region, such as the Jesuit Refugee Service, commonly
employ believers of other religious traditions and in so doing give practical witness in the
dialogue of life and action. Their service of all without distinction according to belief is a
source of credibility and trust in the communities in which they work.
The greatest impact of Jesuit work for inter-religious dialogue seems to be in the
transformation of the attitudes of the Catholic community towards believers of other
religious traditions.
It is observed that the Ignatian characteristics of this work include a commitment to learned
ministry and openness to dialogue.
Emerging areas
A key area for development pertains to existing institutions within the Ignatian family. For
example, how are Jesuit schools and colleges promoting inter-religious dialogue?
Another emerging area is that in some communities, dialogue with those who profess no
religious belief and those who actively promote atheism may be a new kind of engagement.
Gaps & challenges
A key challenge for the continuing development of this work is its evaluation and the
development of indicators of effectiveness; e.g. actual impact on conflicts. For example, has
it helped to check fundamentalism? What have been the outcomes? What is the actual
social impact?
Much of the current activity in inter-religious dialogue focuses on Islam. Dialogue with
Buddhism, Hinduism, animism and indigenous belief systems could be expanded.
Moreover most of the work has been undertaken in educational and pastoral settings.
More could be done in the social ministry setting.
While the intellectual contribution of the Society is a strength, the dialogue of life, of action,
and of religious experience may not be receiving adequate attention. This work is
vulnerable to being left to specialists rather than being integrated into every aspect of
mission action.
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Possibilities
The EATEP is helpful in making young Jesuits more responsive to the challenges of social
development in general and of inter-religious dialogue in particular. This program could be
expanded to reach scholastics in other provinces of the Conference or adapted and
replicated elsewhere.
Heru Prakosa suggests that inter-religious dialogue can be a means to the end of social
transformation by facilitating joint action with other believers on the roots of
fundamentalism and religious tensions. Where poverty and inequality are addressed
religious tensions are less likely. Joint action with believers of other religious traditions on
shared social concerns could be a new frontier.
Networking within the Conference, and internationally, among those engaged in this work
was considered to be desirable. Such networking could facilitate critical reflection and
evaluation.
Cross-cutting themes
Poverty and sustainable development
Peace building and conflict resolution
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THEME 9: PEACE BUILDING AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Context
In many parts of the region, people are suffering because of violent conflicts that do not
only put lives in danger but also displace large populations, disrupt livelihoods and ruin all
possibility for families and communities to establish stable lives and to develop. Some of
these conflicts have long historical roots which make their resolution in the near future
highly unlikely. Conflicts rooted in religious differences exist in Malaysia, Indonesia and
Southern Thailand. Conflicts between opposing political factions exist in Thailand and East
Timor. Inter-ethnic conflicts occur in Myanmar and Solomon Islands. In Cambodia,
conflicts have occurred over the post-war reconstruction effort. Other conflicts have arisen
over the control of natural and economic resources, especially in societies where large
numbers of people are poor and economic development is hindered. Still others have been
sparked by separatist movements such as in Tibet, Aceh, China and the Philippines, and by
repressive regimes as in Myanmar.
Many conflicts are multi-layered. In the Philippines, for instance, the rebellion being waged
by ideological groups such as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Communist New
People’s Army in the conflict areas of Mindanao is being complicated by clan wars and by
struggles over mining, logging and smuggling operations. In many such cases, resolving the
conflicts require complex long-term solutions. At the same time, there is the immediate
need of responding to the human costs of these conflicts. Child soldiers are found among
the MILF and NPA in Mindanao. Indigenous peoples are being killed by rebel groups
because they are suspected of siding with the military.
What is being done?
Jesuit work in peace-building and conflict resolution is confined to a few countries but is
quite diverse, ranging from direct work with those affected by conflicts, including
combatants, to advocacy. Facilitating dialogue, capacity building and values formation are
important aspects of the work being done in this area.
Jesuit centers are involved in peace-building efforts in conflict areas in Indonesia, specifically
in Aceh, and in Mindanao in the Philippines. Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Indonesia has
integrated its peace-building and conflict resolution work into its program of preventing and
responding to displacement (induced by conflicts as well as natural disasters). The overall
goal of the program is to build the resiliency and capacity of Aceh rural communities to
manage conflict and natural disaster risks by integrating risk reduction mechanisms in their
education and in their village planning processes. Within the context of inland and coastal
areas of Aceh (tsunami and violent conflict affected areas) prone to further displacement,
there is a need for building the capacity of the community to manage their past experiences
and destruction resulting from violence. As mandated, JRS contributes to assisting
communities reduce or solve root causes with a more pro-active approach, building their
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awareness and capacity so that they can be empowered to manage conflict. JRS is also
involved in conflict management for Acehnese youth, some of whom are combatants.
Another area of involvement of JRS is participation in campaigns to ban land mines and
cluster munitions. The overall goal of the program is to promote and encourage countries
of the Asia Pacific region to sign and ratify treaties on preventing the use of landmines and
cluster munitions.
In East Timor there is an initiative to set up a conflict management mechanism at the subvillage level in areas where internally displaced persons (IDPs) are being re-integrated. This
is to encourage local authorities to seek peaceful solutions to unresolved or recurrent
problems that could jeopardize community stability and peace.
In the Philippines, the Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center (APC) works in Bendum,
Bukidnon (in the island of Mindanao) where opposing government and rebel groups are
present and threaten people’s safety and overall community stability. Here the center helps
and facilitates people to overcome their fear, with the goal of empowering them to seek
dialogue with the armed groups and assert their right to a zone of peace. The
Environmental Science for Social Change (ESSC) also works with the youth in Bukidnon to
engage them in dialogues for peace. Ateneo de Zamboanga University’s Peace and Culture
Institute (APCI) engages in dialogue, seminars and discussions on peace issues and provides
relief assistance to people displaced by violence in conflict areas. Some Jesuits in Mindanao
have been active in the Bishops-Ulama Conference, promoting and facilitating dialogue that
involves communities, the military and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. In particular Fr
Albert Alejo SJ and Mindanawon Initiatives for Cultural Dialogue have been engaged in
active dialogue with Muslims and making the Mindanao peace process more public and
participatory. This is done in collaboration with the Bishops-Ulama Conference and
government institutions coordinating peace efforts in the region.
Some Jesuit centers are actively involved in peace-related campaigns. In Japan, the
Shimonoseki Labor Education Center is involved in the local anti-war and nuclear weapon
movement and is a member of the national peace and justice solidarity.
Many conflicts in Asia are conflicts over natural resources. The Asia Forest Network engages
in capacity building of forest departments and civil society organizations in participatory
approaches to manage such types of conflict.
Strengths
The Jesuits as a Catholic religious order is well known and respected by people, not only by
Christians but also by other believers. According to one respondent, the order has good
resources (human as well as asset/finance resources), a good reputation and is present in
almost every field of life. Jesuits also have a strong and clear spirit and mandate/mission:
promoting faith, justice and harmony (in dialogue with God, with others and with nature).
Jesuits also have an international network that enables them to collaborate with each other.
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Some indication of perceived strengths in this area can also be gathered from responses to
the survey questions about where Jesuits think they have made the biggest impact and what
areas of knowledge, skills and experience they think they can share with others.
Inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue seems to be an area of strength, which is
important to peace-building and conflict resolution particularly in culturally diverse societies.
Two Jesuit centers, namely JRS Indonesia and Ateneo de Zamboanga’s APCI are doing work
in this area. APCI facilitates and assists indigenous people in communities to engage in
multi-cultural dialogue for peace and development. JRS Indonesia practices dialogue in
action through its volunteers who have different religious affiliations but work and live
together promoting peace, faith and justice while assisting communities.
Living out the core values of Ignatian spirituality is considered a strength by JRS Indonesia.
Implementing JRS’ vision and mission: to accompany tenderly, to serve humbly and to
advocate justly the rights of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) are core values
of Ignatian spirituality. Collaborating with other people of good will, promoting religiouscultural dialogue in social action, promoting peace and harmony in implementing programs
are other important aspects of the Ignatian spirituality.
Having educational and research institutions strategically located close to conflict areas (e.g.
Ateneo de Zamboanga, Ateneo de Davao, Xavier University in Mindanao, Philippines) has
also been identified as a strength. Moreover the Jesuits have had a major impact in peace
building by producing graduates who have gone into peace-building work either in
government, international or local NGOs.
The work with indigenous communities which enables them to become conscious and
effective agents in peace-building is another strength. The APC helps the indigenous
community of Bendum and other poor communities to achieve some stability and sense of
community and thereby become a voice for peace in their area. This has mainly been
achieved through the provision of access to basic education.
Emerging areas
In the Philippines, part of the work of Fr Albert Alejo SJ has moved towards pushing for
intra-faith dialogue towards peace. This involves creating venues for people of the same
faith, those who are more open to dialogue with other faiths and those less open, to
exchange perspectives on approaches towards peace. It is hoped that this initiative would
help increase understanding of peace issues and broaden the constituency for peace within
the dominant faith communities. Another emerging area in Fr Alejo’s work is developing
peace analysis or strategies for maintaining and managing peace after a conflict is resolved.
Where conflicts over natural resources are concerned, the Asian Forest Network made the
observation that increased capacities in diagnosis, planning and negotiating agreements are
leading to shifts in forest ownership from government/public to smallholder/community.
This movement enables communities to exercise more effective control over natural
resources in their areas.
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Gaps & challenges
One perceived challenge pertains to the Jesuit way of responding to social problems. JRS
Indonesia regards direct contact with and presence among the poor as a major challenge in
this regard. In the Indonesian Jesuit context, it is observed that there is no significant Jesuit
presence among the poor. According to one respondent, social apostolate is not seriously
promoted, planned and managed. It sometimes feels that the social apostolate is a
“burden” for the Province or that there is a negative image of Jesuits who work for the
social apostolate. Jesuits who get involved in the social ministry sometimes feel voiceless
and alone.
This perception is echoed by a Filipino Jesuit who claimed that in Jesuit documents, there is
a strong emphasis on the “frontier”, but if a Jesuit goes to the frontier, he becomes a
renegade. Yet presence in the conflict areas is essential for enriching reflection. He believes
that this is a structural problem; because of the demands of maintaining educational
institutions there is “no space for a diversification of ministry.”
Another gap identified is research that would shed light on the economics of war and
conflict in particular settings. There is no peace center that undertakes this kind of
research. We also lack peace analysis or knowledge on how to maintain and manage the
peace achieved after the conflict has been resolved.
Combining the peace apostolate with effective communication is another challenge. At the
heart of conflict is miscommunication and a distortion of truths. This realization emerged
out of the consultations conducted with the help of Jesuits and lay partners in Mindanao
over the aborted Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain in which different
communities and stakeholders participated. Universities could play an important role in this.
Equipping Jesuits with spiritual and theological education that provides a grounding in
reconciliation, the preferential option for the poor, and the Jesuit understanding of mission
as well as with the necessary professional skills and education relevant to their work in the
social ministry is very important. There is also a need to articulate where peace is in
Ignatian spirituality.
Another set of challenges pertains to the larger socio-economic and political environment.
APC cites the limited economic development in certain areas, resulting in problems of food
and financial security, as a difficult environment for peace-building.
Still other challenges are organizational in nature. For JRS Indonesia, acquiring the
appropriate legal status and finding the appropriate local organization or local church to
hand over its works are key challenges. Instability of funding was also cited as a challenge
for some (e.g. AFN).
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Possibilities
Some possibilities for networking were indicated in the survey responses such as that of
Jesuits seeking synergy in activities and agendas (AFN). It was noted that many are
mobilizing and advocating but what is needed is greater integration of policy and program
implementation with technical and culturally sensitive capacity building (which is not
specific to peace-building but is a cross-cutting concern or challenge shared with the themes
of environment and governance of natural resources and indigenous peoples).
JRS Indonesia expressed a desire for animating and encouraging the building of networks
among various apostolate works in the region, even outside Jesuit networks. It was also
suggested that an office or secretary of Jesuit social apostolate be created at the province
and conference levels that would take a role in animating, supporting, channeling social
apostolate works and facilitating possible collaboration with other Jesuit institutions.
In the Philippines, the universities in Mindanao are being looked upon as potential agents
for promoting a culture of peace and dialogue in the region. A consortium might be formed
with the three universities to undertake research, promote reflection and dialogue and
engage in peace analysis.
The development of a “peace spirituality” can draw from GC 34 and from the structure of
the sacrament of reconciliation.
Jesuits, inserted in communities and having connections with opposing parties in conflict,
can act as neutral parties for facilitating dialogue. It seems that the Church as a whole can
do more in resolving differences, promoting dialogue and social harmony.
Cross-cutting themes
Environment and governance of natural resources
Civil society, participation and governance
Inter-religious dialogue and religious fundamentalism
Migration
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THEME 10: NATURAL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS, RELIEF AND RECONSTRUCTION
Context
Natural disasters like floods, typhoons, tsunamis and earthquakes have been occurring with
greater frequency and have had massive impacts on communities in various countries of the
region. Climate issues are likely to affect poor people the most because of where they are,
which makes poor communities particularly vulnerable to climate-induced disasters. They
can also bring about a predisposition for conflict such as conflict over food, water and the
preservation of indigenous cultures.
In many cases, the government of the countries where these disasters have occurred has
limited capacity to respond to the effects of the disaster and bring relief to the affected
population. Foreign governments and international organizations have usually responded
by bringing aid to the affected communities, although domestic political and social factors
sometimes inhibit the timely and effective delivery of relief assistance. Rehabilitation
requires a much bigger effort for which the existing capacities of local actors (government at
various levels, NGOs and communities), and not only the mobilization of international
support, have been critical. Because of the connection of some disasters to environmental
management, building communities’ capacities both in environmental management as well
as in risk reduction and disaster response have emerged as key social challenges.
What is being done?
Jesuit social centers help communities prepare for and respond to natural disasters in
Indonesia, Philippines and Australia. In addition, the Asia Forest Network being coordinated
by Fr Pedro Walpole SJ is documenting local experiences of environment-related disasters in
forest areas in different countries, as well as local capacities to adapt to climate change.
A great part of Jesuit work in this area involves providing direct assistance to people
affected by disasters. In Australia, Jesuit Social Services provides counseling and
accommodation to individuals and families affected by bushfires. Jesuit Refugee Service
(JRS) in Indonesia provides food items and housing units for the poorest families affected by
natural disasters such as the recent earthquake in West Java. In the Philippines, various
social centers provide relief assistance to people affected by natural disasters, namely
Ateneo de Zamboanga University’s Social Awareness and Community Services and
Involvement (SACSI), Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan (SLB) and the ERDA Group. These social
centers engage in quick mobilization of resources for humanitarian relief, receive donations
from benefactors and manage the distribution of relief assistance. In addition, ERDA
provides training in disaster preparedness and the management of evacuation centers and
facilitates psychosocial activities for children and youth to help reduce disaster-related
trauma. SLB engages in psycho-social interventions in post-disaster situations.
Disaster risk reduction is another important work being attended to by JRS in Indonesia and
the Manila Observatory (MO) in the Philippines. JRS runs a disaster risk reduction program
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aimed at preventing future displacement in the Aceh Selatan District. The overall goal of the
program is to build the resiliency and capacity of Aceh rural communities to manage natural
disaster risks by integrating risk reduction mechanisms in their education and in their village
planning processes. Within the context of inland and coastal areas of Aceh (tsunami and
violent conflict affected areas) prone to further displacement, there is need for building the
capacity of the community to manage their past experiences and destruction caused by
disasters. As mandated, JRS contributes to assisting communities reduce or solve root
causes with a more pro-active approach, building their awareness and capacity so that they
can be empowered to manage risks and respond to disasters.
The Manila Observatory engages in disaster risk and vulnerability mapping, risk analysis,
development of decision-support tools, early warning systems design and instrumentation,
risk communication and rapid risk assessment. These are services offered to communities
to reduce and manage the risk of disasters. The Environmental Science for Social Change
(ESSC) undertakes site assessment of relocation sites for homeless urban poor to identify
hazards and help the community plan remedial actions.
The Ateneo School of Government in the Philippines engages in a unique type of
intervention by providing policy support to national agencies in addressing climate change
impacts. It has produced a ranking of disaster-prone provinces and an assessment
framework that could help guide local governments in determining disaster-prone and
vulnerable communities and plan appropriate responses.
In Myanmar, Fr Amalraj SJ works in post-cyclone disaster rehabilitation, including the
provision of housing, livelihood regeneration, and skills training in some areas. He works
with the local dioceses and NGOs on disaster risk reduction (DRR) and has produced a
manual on DRR and Catholic Social Teaching.
Strengths
A particular strength identified by a key respondent is the commitment to science and its
application and use in the service of human development. Speaking on behalf of a sciencebased institute, the Manila Observatory, she believes that what is specifically Ignatian in
what the institute does is the effort to combine the scientific and social traditions in the
mission of supporting human development. The nature of the risks to development
continues to change and MO continues to examine the impacts of these changes in a
scientific way so that development policy-making and decision-making would be better
informed by science-based analysis. The human development impact is an important
consideration in the scientific investigations done by MO, exemplified by its current
involvement in hazard and vulnerability analysis. MO is recognized as a scientific institution
which is concerned with human development and has the capacity to talk to communities.
Working more closely with the grassroots, the ESSC brings the use of scientific tools and
methodologies (e.g. the use of maps and remote sensing technologies) to local communities
so that the knowledge can empower these communities to take action and manage more
effectively the risks and resources in their environment.
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Globally, Jesuit institutions (observatories) try to bring science where it can have real
application to the lives of people.
Another strength seems to be the work in pre-disaster science and risk reduction. Most
other groups are involved in post-disaster relief and rehabilitation work.
In post-disaster relief, Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan in the Philippines has had rich
experiences and has developed modules and materials in psycho-social interventions.
Having linkages with the Catholic Church is another perceived strength. Linking with the
Catholic Church and its network of parishes can be useful for mobilizing people for disaster
risk reduction and rehabilitation. During the extreme rainfall, flashflood and landslide
events in Real, Infanta and Nakar, Quezon in 2004, the bishops and parish priests were able
to help people get organized for relief when barangay officials could not move without
instructions from the mayors (who were in Manila at the time following up on the release of
relief and rehabilitation funds for victims of a previous typhoon).
In terms of linkages, MO is also able to work with visiting scientists from other academic and
research institutions.
Jesuit spirituality and the Jesuit network are also regarded as strengths. According to one
respondent, the Jesuit religious order is well known and respected by people, not only by
Christians but also by other believers. The order has good resources (human as well as
asset/finance resources), a good reputation and is present in almost every field of life.
Jesuits also have a strong and clear spirit and mandate/mission: promoting faith, justice and
harmony (in dialogue with God, with others and with nature). In addition, Jesuits have an
international network that enables them to collaborate with each other.
Living out the core values of Ignatian spirituality is considered a strength by JRS Indonesia.
Implementing JRS’ vision and mission: to accompany tenderly, to serve humbly and to
advocate justly the rights of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) are core values
of Ignatian spirituality. Collaborating with other people of good will, promoting religiouscultural dialogue in social action, promoting peace and harmony in implementing programs
are other important aspects of the Ignatian spirituality.
Emerging areas
The movement is towards building partnerships. Right now, MO has entered into research
agreements with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines, the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the US and Kyushu University
(Space Weather) in Japan. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Pacific Disaster
Center (PDC) based in the University of Hawaii is being reviewed. MO was also recently
approached by the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center in Thailand as a research resource
for climate modeling and urban risk reduction covering four Asian cities, including Metro
Manila.
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Regional and global partnerships need to be strengthened. IRRI and MO are trying to
determine which climate models more accurately reflect local climate impacts on rice crops.
The NASA-MO research partnership concerns the tracking of trans-boundary pollutants over
Southeast Asia and their possible impacts on sub-regional climate, i.e. “forcings”. NASA
actively supports the hydro-meteorological disaster research and has featured MO’s work
on its website. The MOA with PDC will address trans-pacific disaster risk research on slow
and rapid onset disasters including El Nino, typhoons and tsunamis, among others. MO also
has agreements with JAXA, the Japanese Space Agency and UNOOSA, the United Nations
Office of Outer Space Affairs. Both give MO access to satellite imagery for research and
rapid risk assessment during disasters.
Asia Forest Network has over 1600 network members and 30 country partner organizations
in Southeast and South Asia. While the network has a broader focus on natural resource
management, environmental protection and governance, the network has been
documenting local experiences of environment-related disasters in forest areas and local
capacities to adapt to the effects of climate change.
According to a respondent, what’s new and exciting is discovering ways by which science
can transform development and impact on the poverty situation; and how it can support a
new way of decision-making at both the policy and community levels.
Gaps & challenges
One particular weakness cited by a respondent is understanding vulnerability and being able
to communicate to people so that they will act on their vulnerability in a constructive way.
We also need good examples of “post-disaster reconstruction” and risk management. MO
has been studying and sharing the experience of Bangladesh in developing evacuation
centers that make use of architectural and engineering solutions for providing temporary
shelters to affected people during disasters.
Another challenge is how to make the different institutions talk and connect more with each
other. Many scientists tend to be focused only on the science and have limited contact and
interaction with people and communities. New ways of linking could be developed. There is
a need to develop new communication tools based on a platform that will allow different
institutions to be connected with one another and to share information. The Manila
Observatory is a good example of a “bridging institution” which tries to connect the
scientific community with issues affecting communities on the ground.
Jesuits will need to strengthen their commitment to science and develop ways of effectively
communicating applications of science to people. An example is what MO is trying to do for
Mindanao, which is to create a platform for analyzing risks of disaster that impact on food
security, water, health and energy. An output of this effort is an integrated risk assessment
of natural and man-made disasters that could help inform development plans, policies and
work in Mindanao. This initiative grew out of the Jesuit-sponsored “Conversations on
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Mindanao.” The idea is to develop and strengthen a scientific infrastructure to support
development in Mindanao.
Another gap is connecting with Jesuit universities. How can the academic work support the
research work and vice versa? According to a respondent, there is currently little
interaction between the universities and the social centers involved in scientific work for
disaster risk reduction. Still another gap or difficulty being encountered is the lack of
resources, including human resources (as faced by ESSC), to pursue the work of helping
communities adapt to climate change.
Finally, a serious challenge pertains to the Jesuit way of responding to social problems. JRS
Indonesia regards direct contact with and presence among the poor as a major weakness in
this regard. In the Indonesian Jesuit context, it is observed that there is no significant Jesuit
presence among the poor. Social apostolate is not seriously promoted, planned and
managed. It is perceived that the social apostolate is a “burden” for the Province or that
there is a negative image of Jesuits who work for the social apostolate. Jesuits who get
involved in the social ministry sometimes feel voiceless and alone.
Equipping Jesuits not only with spiritual and theological education but also with the
necessary professional skills and education relevant to their work in the social ministry is
also important.
Possibilities
There are possibilities for networking. MO is willing to do “public education” on climate and
disaster-related issues, as it has done after typhoon Ondoy. It will maintain and strengthen
its partnerships with other scientific institutions in other countries. It would like to share
and explore new methodologies for reducing risk. MO would also have an interest in
meeting and collaborating with other regional institutions that are working in the same or
related program areas, basically atmospheric science, remote sensing-based poverty
mapping, urban and environmental geomatics, seismology and space weather.
ESSC underscores the need to learn and listen especially from the local context when
engaging in networking or sharing knowledge.
Lines of communication could be more opened or strengthened. There could be a
mechanism for active inter-institutional and international conversations on disaster risk
reduction and management (such as a message board). Another possibility is to have an
exchange or support program for capacity-building among Jesuit and lay scientists in the
Society.
JRS Indonesia expressed the desire for animating and encouraging the building of networks
among various apostolate works in the region, even outside Jesuit networks. It was also
suggested that an office or secretary of Jesuit social apostolate be created at the province
and conference levels that would take a role in animating, supporting, channeling social
apostolate works and facilitating possible collaboration with other Jesuit institutions.
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Cross-cutting themes
Migration
Environment and governance of natural resources
Poverty and sustainable development
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ANNEX 2
SOCIAL MAPPING PROCESS
1. The JCAP office approached Major Superiors and Social Delegates in early-2009 to
recommend for the survey Jesuits and collaborators in their respective provinces who
were actively engaged in social-related initiatives.
2. An initial list of 68 names was obtained, which included those in the social apostolate as
well as Jesuits in other ministries who were active in social-related concerns. A letter was
sent via email to these persons inviting responses to questions about their work and
interest in international co-operation. A copy of this letter is at Annex 2a.
3. An initial analysis of the responses was carried out. It was observed that there were
significant gaps in the list of contacts from some provinces. Also, the fields of work
actually being done did not fully correspond with an initial set of themes that were
proposed.
4. At the assistancy meeting of social delegates in August 2009 (the first one held since 5
years), further publicity and support was generated for the social mapping project. With
more interactive discussion about its objectives and scope, representatives at the meeting
were able to provide additional names of persons who could be included in the mapping.
In total, a list of 36 additional contacts was obtained. This has helped to cover some of
the gaps.
5. A revised list of themes was drawn up to more accurately reflect the actual work being
done by Jesuits and collaborators in the assistancy. More detailed questions were also
added. A copy of the revised survey form is at Annex 2b. This revised form was sent to
the list of 36 additional contacts as well as the initial list of 68 contacts, some of whom
responded a second time.
6. To obtain greater insight on the social context and the possibilities for international cooperation, 17 persons from various provinces and regions were interviewed. They were
selected based on their activity in each of the themes identified, their experiences and
knowledge of the field as well as potential for assistancy-wide collaboration. A copy of
the interview questions is at Annex 2c.
7. Data from the survey and interviews were analyzed by the social mapping team in order
to piece together the work within the assistancy on each theme, the strengths and gaps,
emerging areas and possibilities for collaboration and support. An overall analysis was
also done to surface common observations, emerging trends and recommendations.
8. An initial presentation was made to JCAP Consultors in March 2010 and their comments
have helped in the fine-tuning of the analysis and the writing of this report.
9. The draft report was circulated to Major Superiors and Social Delegates in June 2010 to
check if they would like to include any additional persons or initiatives from their units.
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ANNEX 2a
SAMPLE LETTER WITH THE INITIAL SURVEY QUESTIONS
Dear _____ ,
Peace and Easter greetings. Your name has been proposed to us by _____ as someone who
may be interested in and able to assist with a current project. In the Old Testament story,
Lot had to find ten just persons. Our task is easier. We seek to identify persons in the Jesuit
network in Asia Pacific who are engaged effectively in seeking justice.
In summary the aims of this mapping and social research project are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
To gain greater insight into the social needs of people and societies in Asia and
the Pacific as they correspond to our Jesuit mission today.
To identify and to encourage the persons and institutions in the Jesuit network
with capacity for leadership in responding to these needs.
To build strategic partnerships among these persons and institutions.
To identify strategies for greater cooperation between the Jesuit institutes of
learning and the pastoral and social ministries.
To help JCEAO and the Jesuit Provinces and Regions in their planning regarding
international cooperation, institution building and also in the formation and
preparation of personnel, Jesuits and partners, to serve in our fields of mission.
May we explain the steps we are taking:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Our purpose is to discover effective (and possibly new) ways of working
together in Asia Pacific in pursuit of our mission, a faith that does justice.
The social ministries are a good place to begin, but we are not restricted to those,
for example we are surveying the Jesuit universities too. That complementary
exercise is formulated in this way: “To foster every possible form of
collaboration among persons, team, centres and journals, promote working in
networks and choose strategically those institutions that can assure excellence in
research”.
At the same time as ‘mapping’ persons and institutions engaged effectively in
social analysis and action, we seek to develop a social analysis of the context of
our mission which will assist Jesuit planning for our mission in Asia Pacific.
Many persons engaged in the field who are inspired by the mission of the Jesuits
have already reflected on and studied the social context of that mission. So
before we undertake any further study, we want to check in with and learn from
them.
We are organising our project around the eight thematic areas named in an
international Jesuit workshop on advocacy held in Madrid last year. Indeed
each Jesuit Conference is forming teams to work around these themes, which are:
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6.
7.
Migration
Peace and Human Rights
Education with a social dimension
Development Aid
Alternative models of sustainable development
Governance of natural resources
Ecology
Religious Fundamentalism
In summary, our project commences by finding the Jesuits and colleagues of the
Jesuits active in these fields. Our purpose is to learn how they and their projects
will benefit from international cooperation.
The JCEAO social ministries meeting of delegates from each province and region,
scheduled for Manila this 17-21August, gives an excellent opportunity to work
together on this project.
If this project interests you, please answer the following questions:
1.
In which of the above named themes are you now working? What is your
focus, your objectives and your way of working?
2.
Are you working alone or in an organization? Do you have a fruitful network
of contacts?
3.
Will it help and encourage you to be in contact with others in the Jesuit
network with similar interests and goals? How?
4.
What support do you need that can be realistically offered through the Jesuit
network?
Please send your response to the Jesuit Conference eaosj@admu.edu.ph by 23 May 2009.
With sincere good wishes and thanks for all you are now doing,
Denis Kim SJ
JCEAO Secretary
for Social Ministries
Mark Raper SJ
President JCEAO
95
ANNEX 2b
REVISED SURVEY FORM
Name of organization: ________ Website address (if available):_______
1. In which of the following social issues are you or your organization currently
working on? Please give a short description of what are you doing in each of
these areas.
Social issues
Brief description of your
work
Contact
person/
position
1. Migration and displacement
2. Environment and governance
of natural resources
3. Indigenous peoples
4. Peace building and conflict
resolution
5. Inter-religious dialogue and
religious fundamentalism
6. Civil society, participation,
governance and political systems
7. Development aid and
sustainable development
8. Access to education for all
9. Natural disasters –
humanitarian relief and
reconstruction; disaster
preparedness
10. Direct services and advocacy
for disadvantaged groups: E.g.
Aids, lepers, prison inmates,
disabilities, youth-at-risk,
homeless, drug addicts, etc.
2. Are there other social issues or projects that you are working on?
96
Partners,
networks or
campaigns that
you are part of
(national/
international)
3. Where do you think you have made the biggest impact?
4. What challenges or difficulties do you face in your work?
5. What are your plans for the next 3 years?
6. What areas of knowledge, skills and experience can you share internationally?
7. What areas of knowledge, skills, training and experience would you like others to
share with you?
8. From your point of view, what are the major social challenges in your country?
9. What are the major actions of others (e.g. other church groups, government,
community groups, NGOs, etc) in addressing these challenges?
10. Ideally, how do you hope the Jesuits can respond to these challenges?
11. Are you keen to be part of a Jesuit network in your areas of work?
97
ANNEX 2c
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
The following is the basic set of interview questions. Adaptations were made for
some interviewees.
Current work
1. What are the key projects and programs that you are working on now?
2. What do you think are the strengths of the Jesuits in this theme? What has
worked well? Where have the Jesuits made the biggest impact?
Social context
3. From your experience, how would you prioritize the social needs of the people?
(In your country and/or the region) What are the trends that affect them most?
4. What do you think are the gaps in the services and programs (includes advocacy,
etc) in your country or the region in this theme?
5. How do the Jesuits’ current priorities and activities compare with those of others
working on this theme? (e.g. other church groups, NGOs, governments,
international organizations, etc)
Challenges
6. What challenges or difficulties do you face? What do you think is preventing
Jesuit organizations from meeting the gaps?
Future directions
7. Where do you feel the engagement in this theme is moving towards in the next 35 years in your country and the region?
8. In this theme, what do you think is happening that is exciting, creative, has a lot
of potential and pushing the frontiers in the sense of GC 35? (either in your
country or the region, by Jesuits or others)
9. Where do you think are the frontiers where the Jesuits can do more in this theme?
Where should the focus be?
98
International co-operation
10. What would you be willing to do in terms of regional or international co-operation
to move the frontier forward?
11. Who else in your country should be included in regional co-operation towards this
theme?
12. Do you have specific recommendations for the Conference in this theme?
13. Any other points, issues or questions you would like to raise.
Jesuit mission and formation
14. How is the shape of your work changing in response to the expressions of the
Jesuit mission in GC35?
15. What is specifically Ignatian about what you are doing?
16. What formation (knowledge, skills, aptitudes, value-orientations) would help
Jesuits and collaborators/partners/companions in mission to be more effective in
social ministry?
99
ANNEX 3
LIST OF SURVEY RECIPIENTS, RESPONDENTS AND
INTERVIEWEES
Jesuit Social Institution
Jesuit in full-time social
ministry
Y
Attended Aug 2009
social meeting
Y
Interviewed
Replied to survey
Position / Work
Sent survey
Name
Australia
Fr. Sacha BermudezGoldman SJ
Fr. Frank Brennan SJ
Mr. Greg Conlon
Ms. Sandie Cornish
Fr. Phil Crotty SJ
Ms. Julie Edwards
Fr. Paul Fyfe SJ
Director, JRS Australia
Professor of Law, Australian
Catholic University Institute of
Public Policy
Business Manager
Assistant to the Delegate, Social
Ministries, Australian Province
Director, Jesuit Mission
CEO, Jesuit Social Services
Contributor to GC35 material on
ecology
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Editorial consultant at JesCom,
Professor of Theology
Y
Y
Ms. Jennie Hickey
Director of Religious Formation,
St Ignatius Riverview
Y
Y
Fr. David Holdcroft SJ
Tertianship
Y
Sr. Maryanne Loughry RSM
Fr. Dan Madigan SJ
Fr. Brian McCoy SJ
Fr. Pat Mullins SJ
Fr. Herman Roborgh SJ
Fr. Michael Smith SJ
Delegate, Social Ministries,
Australian Province
Associate Director, JRS Australia
Professor and Director of
Graduate Studies, Theology
Department, Georgetown
University
Assistant for Ministry Among
Indigenous Peoples
Former Assistant for Ministry
Among Indigenous Peoples
Teacher in Islamic Studies, JTC
Rector, Jesuit Theological College
100
Y
Y
Fr. Andy Hamilton SJ
Fr. Peter Hosking SJ
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Jesuit Social Institution
Jesuit in full-time social
ministry
Attended Aug 2009
social meeting
Interviewed
Fr. John Wilcken SJ
Organizational Development
Director, Jesuit Social Services
Teacher in ecology, UFT
Replied to survey
Ms. Pamela Webb
Position / Work
Sent survey
Name
Y
Y
Cambodia
Sr Ath
Fr. Indon Oh SJ
Fr. Greg Priyadi SJ
Coordinator, Jesuit Service
Cambodia
Coordinator, Jesuit Service
Cambodia
Y
Y
Y
Director, Jesuit Service Cambodia
Y
Y
Fr. Fernando Azpiroz SJ
Casa Ricci Social Service Center
Y
Y
Fr. Yves Nalet SJ
Parish Priest, Pastoral work with
indigenous people
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
China
Fr. David Yen Jen-chi SJ
Associate Professor, Law Dept.
Fujen University
Director, Jesuit Mission Office
Sr Wei Wei
Director, Rerum Novarum Center
Fr. Edmund Ryden SJ
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
East Timor
Fr. Filomeno Jacob Abel SJ
Mr. Isidoro Da Costa
Br. Acacio Pinto
National Director, Pontifical
Mission Society
Director, JRS East Timor
Scholastic
Y
Y
Y
Indonesia
Ms. Binny Buchori
Br. Peter Benedicto
Devantara SJ
Br. Antonius Dieng Karnedi
SJ
Civil society capacity building
Y
Y
Scholastic, social ministry
Y
Regency, Minor Seminary
Y
Y
Fr. Yusup Edi Mulyono SJ
Director, Archodiocese social
organization LDD
Y
Y
Br. Yohanes Adriyanto Dwi
Mulyono SJ
Scholastic, social ministry
Fr. Heru Prakosa SJ
Islamologist from PISAI, Rome
101
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Fr. Greg Soetomo SJ
Editor-in-Chief, HIDUP Catholic
periodical
Y
Y
Dr. Agustinus Supratiknya
Director/ Professor of Psychology,
Graduate School, Sanata Dharma
University
Y
Y
Fr. Adrianus Suyadi SJ
Fr. Ignatius Wibowo
Wibisono SJ
Director, JRS Indonesia
Coordinator, Justice and Peace
Commission, Indonesia Province
Y
Y
Y
Y
Fr.Yohanes Wagiya
Wartaya Winangun SJ
Director, Agricultural Training
Center (KPTT)
Y
Y
Y
Y
Jesuit Social Institution
Y
Jesuit in full-time social
ministry
Y
Attended Aug 2009
social meeting
Mr. Robertus Robet
Y
Interviewed
Mr. F. Rahardi
Lecturer of Social Sciences, STF
Driyarkara
Agribusiness Working Forum
Association for Democratic
Education
Replied to survey
Fr. Herry Priyono SJ
Position / Work
Sent survey
Name
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Japan
Fr. Jorge Anzorena SJ
Mr. Arikawa
Fr. Vicente Bonet SJ
Ms. Kawachi Chiyo
Fr. Juan C. Haidar SJ
Fr. Hisashi Hayashi SJ
Mr. Koyama Hideyuki
Fr. Ando Isamu SJ
Fr. Kakichi Kadowaki SJ
Br.Yasuhisa Kogure SJ
Fr. Juan Sang-won Lee SJ
Urban housing
Catholic Tokyo International
Center
Professor, Caritas Junior College
Staff, Jesuit Social Center
Professor, Sophia University
Director, Shimonoseki Labor
Education Center
Sophia University, Peace Studies
Association of Japan
Director, Jesuit Social Center
Researcher on spirituality, Sophia
University
Scholastic, Migrant/refugee
ministry
Parish priest, Shimonoseki Labor
Education Center
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Fr. Ichiro Mitsunobu SJ
Peace/ human rights education,
Sophia University
Y
Fr. JJ Puthenkalam SJ
Professor of economics, Sophia
University
Y
102
Y
Y
Y
Jesuit Social Institution
Mr. Yukinori Shibata
Professor of anthropology, Sophia
University
Staff, Jesuit Social Center
Jesuit in full-time social
ministry
Fr. Masayuki Semoto SJ
Attended Aug 2009
social meeting
Secretary for Secondary
Education, Japan Province
Interviewed
Fr. Etsuo Sekina SJ
Replied to survey
Position / Work
Sent survey
Name
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Fr. Peter Masatsugu
Shimokawa SJ
Center for Global Concern, Sophia
University and Assistant for
Social-pastoral Apostolate, Japan
Province
Y
Fr. Shin Takayama SJ
Director, Osaka Jesuit Tabiji no
Sato
Y
Fr. Sali Augustine
Tharappel SJ
Professor of politics and Christian
humanism, Sophia University
Y
Fr. Cyril R. Veliath SJ
Professor Indian Philosophy,
Sophia University
Y
Y
Fr. Francisco Cho Hyunchul SJ
Teacher in Theology, Sogang
University
Y
Y
Prof. Seong hoon Jeon
Director, Sogang Research
Institute for Market Economy
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Korea
Fr. Francisco Kim Chongdae SJ
Fr. Kolbe Kim SJ
Fr. Denis Kim Woo-seon SJ
Fr. Paul Kim Yong-kun SJ
Fr. Johann Park Do-hyun SJ
Fr. Francis Park Mun-su SJ
Mr. Shin Myung-ho
Fr. Matteo Shin SJ
Coordinator, Social Apostolate,
Korean Province
Rural Ministry
Coordinator, Social Apostolate,
JCAP
Director, Ha-neul Ssi-at School
Director, Hannuri Local Child
Center
Director, Jesuit Research Center
for Advocacy and Solidarity
Director, Korea Center for City
and Environment Research;
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Director, Jesuit Migrant Service
Korea-Yiutsari
Y
Y
Director, GEF-SFP, UN
Head of School of Social Science
Y
Y
103
Y
Y
Malaysia-Singapore
Dr. Martin Abraham
Dr. Andrew Aerias
Y
Dr. Sherman Y. L. Kuek OSF
Y
Y
Y
Y
Program Consultant, Regional
Initiative on Indigenous Peoples'
Rights and Development
Y
Y
Fr. Aloysius Mowe SJ
Research in Islamic Studies
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Dr. John Phoa
Mr. Raj Narayanan
Dr. Helen Ting
Ms. Tricia Yeoh Su-wern
PhD Candidate, Stanford
University
Research, indigenous people
Director, N.A.S.L.I.D
Research, multicultural education
Researcher, Selangor State
Council
Y
Y
Y
Ms. Jenifer Lasimbang
Mr. John Phang
Jesuit Social Institution
Ms. Christina Kheng
Coordinator for Indigenous
Peoples Ministry, JCAP
Consultant
Director, Pastoral Institute of
Melaka-Johore Diocese
Y
Jesuit in full-time social
ministry
Fr. Joseph Fung Jee Vui SJ
Y
Attended Aug 2009
social meeting
Former Director of Diocesan
ministries for migrant workers
Interviewed
Fr. Paul Dass SJ
Replied to survey
Position / Work
Sent survey
Name
Y
Y
Micronesia
Fr. Fran Hezel SJ
Director, Micronesia Seminar
Y
Y
Y
Y
Social Outreach
Y
Y
Y
Y
Fr. Albert Alejo SJ, Ms
Perpevina Tio
Mindanawon Initiatives for
Cultural Dialogue
Y
Y
Mr Eric Bruno / Ms Jenny
Lynn Lee
Fr. Johnny Go SJ
Apu Palamguwan Cultural
Education Center (ESSC)
Chairman, ERDA
Y
Y
Y
Y
Br. Ismael Jose ChanGonzaga SJ (Replaced by
Br. Raymund Sanchez SJ)
Executive Director, Simbahang
Lingkod ng Bayan
Y
Y
Y
Myanmar
Fr. Chinnapan Amalraj SJ
Philippines
Dr Anna Marie Karaos
Fr. Josenilo Labra SJ
Fr. Archimedes Lachica SJ
Associate Director, JJCICSI
Director, SEARSOLIN
Assistant for Social Apostolate,
Philippine Province
104
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Fr. Joaquin JM Sumpaico SJ
Fr. Nilo E. Tanalega SJ
Mr. Antonio La Viña, Mr
Dennis Gonzalez
Fr. Pedro Walpole SJ
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Jesuit Social Institution
Fr Robert Rivera SJ
Teaching Islamic Studies, Loyola
School of Theology
Research Associate, JJCICSI
Executive Director, Philippine
Jesuit Prison Service (PJPS)
Director, UGAT Foundation
Y
Jesuit in full-time social
ministry
Fr. Rene Oliveros SJ
President, Ateneo de Manila
University
Y
Attended Aug 2009
social meeting
Fr. Bienvenido Nebres SJ
Interviewed
Ms. Gemma Marin
Fr. Antonio Moreno SJ, Mr
Francis Arroyo
Executive Director, Manila
Observatory
Executive Director, JJCICSI
Social Development Council,
Ateneo de Zamboanga University
Replied to survey
Ms. Antonia Yulo Loyzaga
Position / Work
Sent survey
Name
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Ateneo School of Government
Y
Y
ESSC, Asia Forest Network
Y
Y
Y
Thailand
Fr. Bernard Hyacinth
Arputhasamy SJ
Fr. Alfonso de Juan SJ
Ms.Vilaiwan Phokthavi
Fr. Olivier Morin SJ
Regional Director, JRS
Director, Jesuit Social Services
Jesuit Prison Ministry
Regional Consultor
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
Professor of Social Sciences
Y
Y
Vietnam
Ms. Doan Tam Dan
Fr. Peter Ngo Phan Dinh
Phuc SJ
Fr. Michael Truong Thanh
Tam SJ
Social Office Vietnam Province
Y
Director, Alberto Hurtado Center
for Pastoral and Social Service
Y
Y
Fr. Peter Truong Van Phuc
SJ
Assistant to the Director, Alberto
Hurtado Center
Y
Y
104
75
TOTAL
105
Y
Y
17
27
Y
Y
Y
Y
31
32
ANNEX 4
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
ADMU
Ateneo de Manila University
ADZU
Ateneo de Zamboanga University
APC
Apu Palamguwan Cultural Education Center
ASoG
Ateneo School of Government
EATEP
East Asian Theological Encounter Program
ERDA
Educational Research and Development Assistance
ESSC
Environmental Science for Social Change
JJCICSI
John J Carroll Institute on Church and Social Issues
JRS
Jesuit Refugee Service
KPTT
Kursus Pertanian Taman Tani (Agricultural training center)
MINDANAWON
Mindanawon Initiatives for Cultural Dialogue
MO
Manila Observatory
NGO
Non-government organization
SEARSOLIN
South East Asian Rural Social Leadership Institute
UGAT
Ugnayan at Tulong para sa Maralitang Pamilya
106