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Promotio Iustitiae Nº 104, 2010/1 Promotio Iustitiae THE APOSTOLATE WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLE Latin American Context X. Albó, F. Alvarado, J. Hernández Indian Context C. Lakra, A. Toppo, X. Manjooran Asia-Pacific Context J. Fung, B. McCoy Canadian Context M. Murray and Companions SJ PARADIGM CHANGE AND FAITH G. Costa, G. Uríbarri, A. Ferro, P. Béré, V. Jeyaraj ECONOMIC CRISIS: DRONGEN MEETING F. Turner, W. Ryan, J. Sagastagoitia DOCUMENTS H. Delétraz, G. Soetomo, C. Collins, J. Park REMEMBERING JEAN-YVES CALVEZ SJ H. Madelin, B. Cassaigne, P. de Charentenay Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat http://www.sjweb.info/sjs/pj [email protected] Editor: Fernando Franco SJ Associate Editor: Suguna Ramanathan Production Assistant Filippo Duranti Publishing Coordinator: Liliana Carvajal Promotio Iustitiae is published by the Social Justice Secretariat at the General Curia of the Society of Jesus (Rome) in English, French, Italian and Spanish. Promotio Iustitiae is available electronically on the World Wide Web at the following address: www.sjweb.info/sjs, where you can download single articles or the complete issue. If you are struck by an idea in this issue, your brief comment is very welcome. To send a letter to Promotio Iustitiae for inclusion in a future issue, please write to the address, fax or email address shown on the back cover. The re-printing of articles is encouraged; please cite Promotio Iustitiae as the source, along with the address, and send a copy of the re-print to the Editor. CONTENTS EDITORIAL 5 Fernando Franco SJ THE SOCIETY OF JESUS AND THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES APOSTOLATE Latin American Context A Response from Latin America and Bolivia 8 Xavier Albó SJ An experience of working with the native peoples of Southern Bolivia 20 Fernando Alvarado SJ An Open Setter 26 Jerónimo Hernández SJ Indian Context Tribals/ Indigenous People: the most Marginalized in the World 32 Christopher Lakra SJ The ADIVASIS and their World Today 40 Alfred Toppo SJ Indigenous People: A perspective from Gujarat 46 Xavier Manjooran SJ Asia-Pacific Context Some comments from Malaysia 52 Joseph Fung SJ Indigenous Peoples – An Australian Perspective 54 Brian F. McCoy SJ Canadian Context Indigenous Peoples and Marginalization: Notes from Ontario, Canada 60 Michael Murray and companions SJ PARADIGM CHANGE AND FAITH Aggiornamento: A Continual Challenge 63 Giacomo Costa SJ Christian Faith Calls for Justice and Reconciliation 69 Gabino Uríbarri Bilbao SJ Promotio Iustitiae 104 2010/1 The faith that leads us to justice and reconciliation in a multicultural, multireligious world 75 Alfredo Ferro M. SJ “The concept of ‘Justice’ in the second synod for Africa!” 81 Paul Béré SJ Our Jesuit Faith Today: An Indian Perspective 86 Veluswamy Jeyaraj SJ ECONOMIC CRISIS: DRONGEN MEETING Drongen – Convergences and Divergences 93 Frank Turner SJ Report on the Drongen discussion 99 William Ryan SJ Viewing the International Crisis from Europe Interview with Pierre Defraigne 107 Jon Sagastagoitia SJ DOCUMENTS Post-modernism opens new perspectives for evangelization 111 Hugues Delétraz SJ Ecofarming and Green Commerce: A Jesuit Agricultural Training Centre in Indonesia 124 Greg Soetomo SJ Christology and Prophetic Witness in Caritas in Veritate 129 Christopher S Collins SJ In search of fuel for the fire in our hearts 138 Jinhyuk Park SJ REMEMBERING FR. JEAN-YVES CALVEZ SJ Homily 141 Henri Madelin SJ Tireless! 143 Bertrand Cassaigne SJ Jean-Yves Calvez SJ 145 Pierre de Charentenay SJ EDITORIAL n a chapter of the documents of General Congregation 35 (GC 35) called ‘Issues for the Ordinary Government,’ which is not frequently read nor quoted, we find a collection of themes selected by the I Congregation for discussion in the aula. As the text explains: The Congregation decided to form commissions to deal with these topics. Each commission prepared a document which was then presented and discussed in a plenary session. After receiving reactions, the commission made proposals for action on the party of the ordinary government of the Society. In other plenary sessions the opinion of the General Congregation was sought by means of a vote. Some of the approved proposals were included in decrees; others were presented to Fr. General for his government; still others were directed to the Provinces and Conferences of Provincials and are included in this document. (GC 35, Other Documents). One of the topics included in this chapter that I have quoted from is ‘Indigenous Peoples’. In light of the Society’s traditional commitment to these communities throughout our history, the epochal and encouraging political awakening they are experiencing in many countries, and the systematic destruction of their habitats and way of living by a neo-liberal model of development, we decided to ask a number of Jesuits to answer a few questions related to the text of GC 35 and share with the readers of Promotio Iustitiae their hopes and anxieties. A short note below clarifies the questions posed to them. The response has been excellent if at times somewhat repetitive. The Editor takes the blame for this limitation. Preserving the voices of those who decided to write was given priority and, as in other instances, choices have their shortfalls. The last Encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate (CiV), seems to be offering us a new understanding of the relationship between faith and justice. To stimulate reflection on these new perspectives I asked Giacomo Costa SJ, Director of the Jesuit journal Aggiornamento Sociali, for permission to re-print in Promotio a slightly edited version of an editorial article he published some time ago. The new ‘understanding’ of faith in a pluri- religious and multi-cultural society offered by the author seemed to me an interesting starting point for a debate. I sent his text to a few Jesuits and asked them to write a response following some minimal guidelines: I would like to ask you for a contribution for Promotio Justitiae. The article should respond to the question: what is the kind of 'faith' that leads to justice and reconciliation in a multi-cultural and multi-religious world? An article written by Giacomo Costa to be published in the same issue is attached to serve as a background. I would like you to reflect on his definition of faith. The Page 5 Promotio Iustitiae 104 2010/1 question is important for us Jesuits in a world where we hear that there is a return to 'religion' and where the debate about secularism and fundamentalism is becoming crucial to an understanding of the changes taking place. We are also glad to offer an outline of the second meeting of a group of Jesuits and lay persons at Drongen, Belgium, to deal with the ethical and moral issues of the economic and financial crisis. In the context of the crisis, the Encyclical CiV was discussed and we profited immensely from a long evening session with Pierre Defraigne. Three articles in this issue give our readers a brief but incisive view of the main topics. The section on ‘Documentation’ brings together a set of longer contributions on various important aspects: a positive and balanced view on post-modernity as a creative balance between heart and reason; an experience of inter-religious dialogue with Muslims in Indonesia; and a theological contribution by a young Jesuit studying theology at Boston College. With affection and respect we have collected a few testimonies on the life of Fr. Jean-Yves Calvez. Fernando Franco SJ Page 6 INDIGENOUS PEOPLES THE SOCIETY OF JESUS AND THE APOSTOLATE WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLE Setting the Framework for the Reflection his issue of Promotio Iustitiae makes a modest effort to understand a number of Jesuits working with indigenous communities across the world. All those who have generously contributed were presented with a set of questions on the issue framed against the background of Tthe discussion that took place in General Congregation 35 on that subject. We went to all the authors the following text. In the Document on the ‘Issues of Ordinary Governance’, GC 35 has the following to say: Indigenous Peoples: GC35 received numerous postulates on this topic and the commission that studied them emphasised in the plenary the fact that indigenous peoples, dispersed throughout the world, are today about 370 million people with a rich cultural heritage and an important legacy of contribution to civilisation. Due to diverse political and socioeconomic processes, indigenous peoples are among the most marginalised and exploited in the world. The process of globalisation – partly responsible for environmental degradation and the pillage of natural resources – affects them in particular, as well as climate change that continues to seriously harm them Because of this situation which endangers the very survival of these peoples, the Society ought to increase its commitment to them. The General Congregation suggests the formation of “work groups” of Jesuits in the indigenous Apostolate in each Conference of Provincials where this apostolic challenge exists. In the light of this text, I would like you to respond to the following questions bearing your local context in mind: (1) What are the factors rendering indigenous people the “most exploited and marginalised in the world” today? Make references to the process of globalisation, ecological degradation and the financial and economic crisis. (2) What is happening to their culture? (3) Which new socio-political and economic initiatives are strengthening them? What is your evaluation of these? (4) Is the Society “increasing its commitment? What would you say about the “work groups” that need to be formed in every Conference? To facilitate the reading we have ordered the various contributions region- wise. Page 7 Promotio Iustitiae 104 2010/1 Latin America Context A Response from Latin America and Bolivia Xavier Albó SJ My geographical perspective am responding to the questions from in Bolivia, where I live and work.
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