Jesuit Social Centres

JESUITJESUIT SOCIALSOCIAL CENTRESCENTRES STRUCTURINGSTRUCTURING THETHE SOCIALSOCIAL APOSTOLATEAPOSTOLATE Social Justice Secretariat Rome Social Justice Secretariat C.P. 6139 – 00195 ROMA PRATI – ITALY +39 06688 06418 (fax) sjs@sjcuria.org http://www.sjweb.info/sjs/ JESUIT SOCIAL CENTRES STRUCTURING THE SOCIAL APOSTOLATE Social Justice Secretariat Rome, February 2005 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS his study could not have seen the light of print without the work of an entire team, of various groups of people contributing from far-flung lands at different moments in time, and of people nearer home who put it all together. It was at a meeting of Assistancy Social Coordinators that the idea of bringing Tout a study of Jesuit Social Centres was first mooted, and they have worked with the Social Secretariat through the whole process, collecting data and responses. The definition of a Jesuit Social Centre as used in this study was finalised at that meeting in May 2004. The Assistancy Coordinators read the first draft of the study, made valuable suggestions, and were also involved in the Recommendations made to Fr General and presented in Chapter 10 of the present work. For all this we are especially grateful to: Fr. Antoine Berilengar AOC, Fr. Jorge Julio Mejia COL, Fr. Rafael Moreno Villa MEX, Fr. Paulo Sérgio Vaillant DIA – BHA, Fr. Javier Arellano Yanguas LOY, Fr. Christopher Boles BRI, Fr. Francesco De Luccia ITA, Fr. Andreas Gösele GSU, Fr. Robin Schweiger SVN, Fr. Roberto Yap PHI, Fr. Joseph Xavier MDU, Fr. Jim Stormes USA. Thanks also to: Costanza Pagnini, Coordinator of Networks and Editor of Headlines, who was in charge of the entire study from start to finish, providing the initial definition of Jesuit Social Centres, which was discussed and finalised by the Assistancy Social Coordinators, preparing the questionnaire, analysing, editing, and putting together all the material that came in; to Daniele Frigeri SJ, who helped with the analysis, was responsible for data entry, managing the statistical analysis and designing the layout; and to Suguna Ramanathan in Ahmedabad, who edited each chapter as it came. The final responsibility for the study lies with the Secretary of the SJS, Fernando F. Franco SJ, who planned the design and led the implementation of the project. Such mistakes and omissions as occur here are to be laid at his door. Fr. Fernando F. Franco SJ Social Justice Secretary Page ii Curia Generalizia della Compagnia di Gesù Borgo S. Spirito, 4 C.P. 6139 / 00195 ROMA-PRATI (Italia) Tel . 06/689.771 – Fax 06/686.8214 To the Jesuits and lay partners who carry forward the Jesuit mission of the Social Centres MESSAGE OF FATHER PETER–HANS KOLVENBACH Dear friends, The word ‘Social Centre’ evokes in all of us both, a memory of a dynamic and creative period in the history of the Social Apostolate in many parts of the world, and a concern about the difficulties and crises that have besieged them over the last ten, perhaps fifteen, years. At the last meeting of Assistancy Coordinators of the Social Apostolate held in Rome in May 2004, I had the opportunity to see the first, more modest draft of this study, and to receive a set of documents dealing with the new characterization of Jesuit Social Centres, presenting their strengths and weaknesses and making some recommendations. I am glad to note that these three documents have been reproduced in various chapters of the present study. As I mentioned in the course of my earlier address to all of you (Promotio Iustitiae, 2004/4, p. 6), I am grateful for the practical recommendations you were able to work out. I have talked about them at meetings with various groups of Provincials. I would like here to stress again the need to bring greater clarity to the apostolic orientation of each Assistancy and Province, to integrate the Social Apostolate, more specifically the Social Centres, in the overall apostolic planning of the Provinces, and finally, the need to discuss the role of the social sector at Page iii Provincial Congregations. These steps will go a long way in ensuring the presence of a new generation of Jesuits and finding collaborative ventures that can ease the understaffed situation and the financial strain. We must remember that in the effort to rejuvenate the Social Centres, attention must be paid towards emphasizing their Jesuit character and their apostolic ownership by the Province/Assistancy. Jesuit Social Centres, as the title of the study points out, can become effective instruments to structure and render visible the Social Apostolate. As we offer to the Lord, at this feast of the Presentation, the labour so generously contributed by those who patiently answered the questionnaire, by the Coordinators who meticulously planned the work in each Assistancy and Province, and by the Secretariat’s staff who have brought this study to light, we hope to see with our own eyes the “deliverance” and the “light” (Lk 2/31-32) that He alone can bring into the world also through the Jesuit Social Centres. Sincerely in Our Lord, Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J. Superior General On the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord Rome, 2 February 2005 Page iv Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 FIRST PART: General Study CHAPTER 1 HISTORY, DEFINITION AND MORPHOLOGY 5 1.1 Jesuit Social Centres (SCs) in perspective 5 1.2 Methodology of the Study 9 Compilation of the database of Jesuit Social Centres 10 Draft Database 11 Questionnaire 11 1.3 Limitations of this study 11 CHAPTER 2: AN OVERVIEW OF JESUIT SOCIAL CENTRES 13 2.1 Introduction 13 2.2 Number and distribution 13 2.3 Jesuit Social Centres by Activity-type 16 Distribution of each single activity 16 Relative importance of activities 16 Number and Combination of activities 16 2.4 Linkage with the Society of Jesus 17 2.5 Conclusions 17 CHAPTER 3: CHARACTERISTICS OF JESUIT SOCIAL CENTRES 21 3.1 Characteristics of the Sample 21 3.2 Action-Priorities of the Social Centres 21 3.3 Focus of Interventions 22 3.4 Level of Insertion with the Poor 22 3.5 Linkages with civil Society (consulting and cooperation) 23 3.6 Publications 24 3.7 Organisational Structure of the Centres 24 3.8 Resources of the Social Centres: Personnel 25 General Overview 25 Typology of Centres according to staff size 27 Growth-pattern of the staff 28 3.9 Resources of the Social Centres: finances 29 Size of annual budget 29 Sources of funding 30 Future budget projections 31 Budget adequacy 31 Relationship between budget- and staff- size 32 3.10 Self-Assessment 33 Impact on the beneficiaries 33 Self-Assessment: Obstacles and Solutions 33 Self-Assessment: Strengths of the Centres 35 3.11 Expectations from Province, Assistancy and Society of Jesus 35 3.12 Conclusion 37 Page v SECOND PART: Assistancy-wise Study CHAPTER 4: JESUIT SOCIAL CENTRES IN THE ASSISTANCY OF AFRICA & MADAGASCAR 47 4.1 Introduction 47 4.2 Activities 47 4.3 Personnel and Budget 48 4.4 Trends and Perspectives 79 4.5 Strengths and Difficulties 50 4.6 Conclusions 51 CHAPTER 5: JESUIT SOCIAL CENTRES IN THE ASSISTANCY OF SOUTH ASIA 53 5.1 Introduction 53 5.2 Activities 54 5.3 Personnel and Budget 56 Personnel 56 Budget 57 5.4 Trends and perspectives 58 Personnel and Budget 58 Strategic Changes 59 5.5 Strengths and difficulties 60 5.6 Solutions 65 5.7 Conclusions 67 CHAPTER 6 JESUIT SOCIAL CENTRES IN THE ASSISTANCY OF EAST ASIA & OCEANIA 69 6.1 Introduction 69 6.2 Activities 70 6.3 Personnel and Budget 70 6.4 Trends and future prospects 72 6.5 Strengths and weaknesses 73 6.6 Conclusions 75 CHAPTER 7 JESUIT SOCIAL CENTRES IN THE ASSISTANCIES OF EUROPE 77 7.1 Introduction 77 7.2 Activities 77 South Europe 77 North Europe 78 7.3 Personnel and Budget 79 Personnel 79 Budget 79 7.4 Trends and perspectives 80 Personnel 80 Budget 80 7.5 Strengths and difficulties 81 South Europe 82 North Europe 83 7.6 Conclusions 85 CHAPTER 8: JESUIT SOCIAL CENTRES IN THE ASSISTANCIES OF LATIN AMERICA 91 8.1 Introduction 91 8.2 Activities 92 8.3 Personnel and Budget 93 Personnel 93 Page vi 8.4 Trends and perspectives 94 Personnel & Budget 94 Strategic Changes 95 8.5 Strengths, difficulties and possible solutions 96 8.6 Conclusions 100 CHAPTER 9 JESUIT SOCIAL CENTRES IN THE UNITED STATES 103 9.1 Introduction 103 9.2 Activities 103 9.3 Personnel and Budget 104 9.4 Trends and perspectives 105 9.5 Strengths and difficulties 105 9.6 Conclusions 106 CHAPTER 10: RECOMENDATIONS 109 ANNEX A.1.1: SOCIAL CENTRES QUESTIONNAIRE 111 ANNEX A.2.1: LIST OF SOCIAL CENTRES IN THE DATABASE 115 BOXES 1.1 Characterising Jesuit Social Centres Today 8 2.1 Explanation of activity types (activity—parameter) 10 3.1 Classification of activity types 34 3.2 Classification of Solutions-Expectations 36 3.3 Strengths and weaknesses of Jesuit Social Centres 39 8.1 Expected help and support 99 9.1 Social Centres: description of activities 104 TABLES 1.1 Format of the database 11 2.1 Distribution of SCs by Assistancy 13 2.2 Percentage of Jesuits in Jesuit Social Centres to 14 2.3 Distribution of Centres according to the activity 16 2.4 Activity ranking of Assistancies 19 2.5 Distribution by number of activities 19 2.6 Distribution of SCs by type of activities 19 3.1 Sample-size by Assistancy 22 3.2 Sample-size by type of activity 22 3.3 Coverage by type I, II (linkage with SJ) 22 3.4 Main areas of intervention of SCs across Assistancies (row percentages) 41 3.5 Priorities (focus) of the Social Centres 22 3.6 Level of insertion of SCs across Assistancies 41 3.7 Assistancy-wise distribution of publications (for one year) 41 3.8 Organizational structure of the SCs 25 3.9 Best management practice 24 3.10 Estimated projection of the total number of staff working in SCs 26 3.11 Total and average number of staff involved in SCs per Assistancy 42 3.12 Changes in personnel (past 5 years) number of SCs 28 3.13 Annual budget (outlays) of SCs by Assistancy (USD) 30 3.14 Origin of funding of SCs (percentages over the total annual budget) 42 3.15 Expectation of a budget increase 31 3.16 Perceived budget adequacy 31 3.17 Perceived impact on the beneficiaries 43 Page vii 3.18 Difficulties of Social Centres by category (percentage of questionnaires received) 34 3.19 Internal strengths (percentages over the total number of questionnaires received) 35 3.20 Expectations.

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