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0 Social Justice Secretariat N 81, 2003/5 PROMOTIO IUSTITIAE Bolivian Crisis Xavier Albó S.J. Social Apostolate in East Asia Ando Isamu S.J. EXCHANGES ÉCHANGES INTERCAMBIOS SCAMBI Participants Fernando Franco S.J. 16 Fernando Alvarado S.J. 16 Frank Brennan S.J. 18 Idelfonso Camacho S.J. 20 Jean-Yves Grenet S.J. 22 The Congregation of Procurators: Eugène Goussikindey SJ 22 Globalisation and Faith-Justice Joseph Joblin S.J. 24 Frank Kejžar S.J. 25 Albert Longchamp S.J. 26 Jesús Orbegozo S.J. 26 Ambrose Pinto S.J. 28 PROMOTIO IUSTITIAE EDITORIAL _________________________________________________ 3 Fernando Franco S.J. REFLECTION_________________________________________________ 5 Convulsed Multiethnic Bolivia Xavier Albó S.J. Social Involvement of Jesuits in the East Asian Region Ando Isamu S.J. DEBATE ____________________________________________________ 16 The Congregation of Procurators, Globalization and the Social Apostolate Fernando Franco S.J. Fernando Alvarado S.J. Frank Brennan S.J. Ildefonso Camacho S.J. Jean-Yves Grenet S.J. Eugène Goussikindey S.J. Joseph Joblin S.J. Frank Kejžar S.J. Albert Longchamp S.J. Jesús Orbegozo S.J. Ambrose Pinto S.J. EXPERIENCES________________________________________________ 32 Ruben Corona S.J. Dionisius Prihamangku Setiohadi S.J. LETTERS ___________________________________________________ 35 Joseph Coelho S.J. Editor: Fernando Franco S.J. Associate Editor: Suguna Ramanathan Layout: Liliana Carvajal Artistic Layout: Daniele Frigeri S.J. Page 2 N0 81, 2003/5 EDITORIAL ries all over the world. In a symbolic manner it serves as a bridge to the issue of the social apostolate discussed in the debate. s the year comes to an end, we For us Jesuits, the year has ended with a sig- seem to be farther away from the nificant moment: the review of the state of Aworldwide longing for peace that shook the the Society presented by Fr. General to the entire world a year ago. Blind to this yearn- procurators gathered at Loyola and the ensu- ing, our world political masters seem to be ing discussion. We must be absolutely clear moving into new and unfamiliar forms of in understanding the implication of Fr. Gen- violence. Attacks on the foreign forces in eral’s words: Iraq and on specific targets outside that country have unmasked a new and brutal “the social sector, strictly speaking, form of protest: the absolute readiness to risks extinction, if we do not make die in the certainty that others, mostly inno- special efforts without delay2”. cent civilians, will also be killed. This amounts to an unreserved and unmitigated At this critical juncture it is time for action. disregard for the value of life. If many From the perspective of the social aposto- among us grumbled at the ill effects of late, the Congregation dealt with globalisa- heavy ideological positions during the mid tion and the dynamic relationship between 80s, the new millennium is witnessing the faith and justice. Given the importance of effects of a deadlier kind of ideological or- these issues for the social apostolate, and for thodoxy that sacrifices life in the name of the entire Society, we have initiated a debate religion. The separation between ‘us’ and by asking some participants to write a per- ‘them’ is becoming an unbridgeable gulf. sonal account of how they lived these issues In this context I would like to invite all of at the Congregation. us to reflect on the challenging words writ- As the year comes to an end, we need to be ten by Jose Ignacio Gonzalez Faus: grateful to the Lord for all the inspiration, courage and vision poured out in abundance “According to the prophet Isaiah ‘the ef- on Jesuits and companions committed to the fect of justice will be peace’ (32/17). It struggle for justice. While accepting the dan- has become more or less fashionable to ger of omitting the obvious or the more de- quote this sentence, but it has serious serving, it is a time to acknowledge specifi- implications. For example: a terrorist act cally certain outstanding achievements of the will always be immoral or criminal; but social apostolate in each Assistancy. besides being a crime it is likely that of- The growing sensitivity and the manifold re- ten it might also be a symptom. The lib- sponse of Jesuits from the US to the pastoral eral Western tradition always denies this and social need of Hispanics, other minori- possibility: terrorism is only immorality ties, refugees and migrants; the efforts to and never a symptom1.” lobby for more just housing conditions for all; the campaign towards the creation of an We need to join many others in condemning Ignatian Solidarity Network; the increasing the crime and simultaneously looking at the involvement of our universities; and the es- symptoms. The long article on the recent tablishment of stronger channels of commu- popular upsurge in Bolivia presented in this nication and decision-making between the issue of Promotio Iustitie points in this di- two Americas on issues of peace-justice and rection. The distressing and yet restrained migration are all beacons of light illuminating reflection of Ando Isamu on the develop- the path of the future. ment of the social apostolate in East Asia The advent of Lula owes a great deal to the during the last decade mirrors similar sto- solid and coordinated work of the Church and Page 3 PROMOTIO IUSTITIAE the Jesuits in Brazil for the cause of the The effort at coordinating and promoting a poor. One can discover in Latin America massive participation of Jesuits and grass- solid reasons for hope. We mention some of root activists in the Word Social Forum at these: the success of the campaign against Mumbai in January 2004 is a further expres- ALCA; the promotion of successful attempts sion of the serious commitment of the South to fight poverty; the creation of concrete Asian Assistancy to Dalits, Tribals, Women models of planning and collaboration at pro- and Youth (‘Action Statement of the Jesuits’, vincial levels between the university, the October 2001). It also reflects the compas- pastoral and the social sectors; the vigorous sionate and courageous labour of accompa- apostolate with indigenous people; the deci- nying marginalised communities in difficult sion to respond to the issue of migration; and hard conditions all over the continent. and the document of the CEPAL asking for This participative endeavor is meant to be an the development of a new theoretical hori- occasion to ensure that these voiceless and zon as an alternative to the present neo- marginalised groups have a role to play in a liberal market approach. public forum, at a time, when fundamentalist forces are closing these spaces. New life and hope have been brought in by Creative responses to violence, war and eth- many young Jesuits into the European So- nic or religious conflict in East Asia crisscross cial Centres. There is a dream of finding this wide-spread and varied Assistancy. Jesu- new areas of collaboration among Eurojess its in new regions are combining pastoral and (the Association of European Social Scien- humanitarian assistance. There is a growing tists), the Workers’ Mission, and JRS- awareness of the need to pay more attention Europe; there is already an established to the increasing number of ‘people on the mechanism, a federation, to coordinate the move’ within and across national boundaries. work of many Jesuit-related NGOs in South- There is a renewed effort to strengthen the ern Europe; there is a Task Force studying apostolate among indigenous people. the way to make our work with refugees During the past year, we have felt, as a and migrants more meaningful and effec- group of Jesuits, “the strength of the Cruci- tive; there are a number of young Jesuits fied and Risen Christ, and [the group’s] own more and more interested in establishing weakness; this has been a time of testing for contacts across the Christian and Muslim us, but also a time of great grace” (GC 34, cultures of the Mediterranean; and finally, D.2, n.1). mention must be made of the growing The feast of the Incarnation, so dear to St. awareness among Jesuits from Eastern Ignatius, should be a moment of grace for all Europe, in the midst of a rapidly evolving of us to renew our faith in God’s continuous socio-economic and political situation, of the support in the commitment to a faith that urgent need to deal with the pervasive so- does justice. cial and cultural dislocations experienced by their societies. We would like to wish all of you Merry Christ- The fight against introducing GM food be- mas and a Happy New Year with a new for- cause of the effects on small farmers, the mat for Promotio Iustitiae. It is an attempt to renewed efforts to fight against the intoler- introduce some joyful comeliness into this able and unjust burden of foreign debt, the struggle for justice which, more often than silent effort to consolidate peace processes not, may appear too dour for our taste. and build bridges of reconciliation, the de- termined efforts to consolidate a democratic Fr. Fernando Fernandez Franco S.J. culture among new leaders, and the com- mendable efforts of AJAN, the network on 1 Aldea Global, Justicia Parcial- ‘¿Pobres o empobreci- HIV/AIDS, to help the Church, are some of dos?’ ED Centre d’Estudis Cristianisme i Justícia, Bar- the signs of a renewed interest in Africa on celona, 2003, p. 57 the issues of peace, justice and sustainable 2 Status SJ, News and Features, Vol 31, no. 2/3, No- development. vember 2003, p. 19. Page 4 N0 81, 2003/5 EFLECTION REFLECTION CONVULSED MULTIETHNIC A brief history BOLIVIA This indigenous population which formed a clear Xavier Albó S.J.