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Author: Arrupe Initiatives (page 1 of 4)

October 6, 2021 / 0 Comments

Community Perspectives: Land Stewardship for Communities in Academia

by Kevin Tellez Ramos

The Jesuit Catholic institution once funded archaeological sites in the search for fossilized evidence of our ancestors in the chain of evolution. This was once controversial as the teaching of Adam and Eve shares with us the story of our creation in the image of God. In the present day, our society itself continues to evolve so that it may be possible to accept the ironic position that the institution of international Catholic education may act as a landlord or as a nonprofit developer of housing to adapt to the crisis of affordability. We can accept the role of land stewardship through the support of community land trust (CLT) models.

We must advocate for justice in the housing and land development sector to preserve affordability for generations, and to stabilize families with a need for housing as a resource for economic stability. Beneficiaries of CLT models are less likely to speculate on land and housing as a resource to build wealth. Generations of the public have not had the advantage of living near their place of work or having the community stability to share culture, to build traditions, or to enhance their skills through a fulfilling education. Land speculation is exemplified by the divide in rental housing apartments or single-family developments in our urban centers. As we brace for the impact of mass evictions through the recovery of the economic fallout from the pandemic, housing will be a form of advocacy for the disadvantaged. Advocacy for basic needs and for dignified housing as a human right is a civic responsibility for Jesuit institutions. We can demonstrate leadership in this regard through support for CLT models.

Community Land Trusts fulfill the need for housing at a cost more affordable than the market rate, a benefit that can be a catalyzer for the careers of students of international Catholic educational institutions. Cooperative housing linked with CLT organizations can be an ideal combination and a permanent solution to the crisis of affordability in our growing urban centers. Those that accept our Ignatian mission are themselves advocates for the poor and disadvantaged. The most ideal way to advocate for society is to allow for community participation in the development of land for permanently affordable housing.  

Community organizations are using these models of community-ownership internationally as stewards of the land for ecological restoration, sustainable agriculture, and local economic development. The Sea-salt Housing Cooperative in Brighton has successfully signed a lease for the property that is collectively managed for student housing. This provides affordable and stable rents for those seeking an education to gain access to a better career. Many of these organizations serve as community development advocates, organizing to revitalize underserved communities and work to maintain affordability for future residents, often family members who may inherit the property. We should accept that our land and housing are not meant to be sold for profit. We should participate as advocates for community-owned land and localized development. Through this model, land is held in trust by the CLT, which can also be affiliated with our Jesuit institutions. 

Through the graduate program in Urban and Public Affairs at the University of San Francisco, I worked as a student-intern with CommonSpace Community Land Trust based in Sonoma County. Our communication with the public was meant to share messaging for multi-generational cottage communities which would form more density for a homeowner that would be donating part of their land or donating their entire property to be held in trust by the CLT. This can be a solution for the housing crisis, a solution to poverty, and a solution for division in our communities. Housing with the community is the first step to providing stability for the disadvantaged. Catholic Charities across the States are the most trusted organizations serving large populations of the impoverished and disadvantaged.

Our educational institutions can lead us to pay it forward with our investments and philanthropic donations into permanent affordable housing. We build relationships with the community each day as we spend more time with each other. The hope of social justice is that accept each other and share rich interpersonal communication so that civic life can thrive. We do this in our educational institutions, and we should continue to build and strengthen ties to the common good through permanent community ownership of land held in trust.

Kevin Tellez Ramos (he/him/el) is the VP of Mission of Associated Graduate Students of USF (AGSUSF). He is currently pursuing his Master’s in Urban and Public Affairs.

September 13, 2021 / 0 Comments

Arrupe Perspectives from the Jesuit Network have a new home!

We are pleased to announce that starting this September, “Perspectives from the Jesuit Network” will be a project of the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU) in collaboration with the University of San Francisco, approved by Fr. Michael Garanzini, S.J., former secretary for higher education of the Society of Jesus.

This project emerged as “USF’s Arrupe Initiatives Community Perspectives” at the beginning of 2021 in response to the need to listen to other voices and broaden our view of the context in which we live. Precisely, the reading of the “signs of the times” has been key in the way of proceeding of the institutions of the Society of Jesus around the world. Hence, the interpretation of reality and responding to it in an assertive, compassionate and engaged fashion has been fundamental to concretize the Jesuit university mission. 

Our team celebrates the collaboration between the IAJU and also with the McGrath Institute for Jesuit Catholic Education, in order to share articles from leaders of Jesuit apostolates that bring us closer to other realities, broaden our perspective and strengthen our international Jesuit community. 

Look forward to our next article by Dr. Ana García-Mina Freire, Vice President of the Comillas Pontifical University of Madrid! and check out previous articles here. 

Our community perspectives are still open to all students and members of our community, Become a Social Justice Writer and share YOUR unique perspective or write to our editor Maria

April 16, 2021 / 1 Comment

Education And Gender: Equality And Non-Discrimination Towards Women And The LGBTQ+ Community

Author: David Fernandez, S.J., Executive Secretary of AUSJAL 

Violence against women, as well as homophobia, is a social and public health problem in México and various parts of the world. Almost half of the women in this country have experienced some type of harassment and violence because of their gender; the number of femicides has increased dramatically, reaching ten daily murders of women in Mexico. 

Violence is due to multiple factors, but it intensifies when the sociocultural context justifies, promotes, or tolerates it. And this is where the responsibility of civil society, schools, teachers, the media, and the family comes in. This evil thrives due to the inequality and exclusion caused by cultural, economic, and social considerations that place members of specific sectors as people of lesser value: women in relation to men, and homosexual and transgender people in relation to heterosexual and cisgender people.

Gender equality and equity are learned, like so much other knowledge, in the early years of our lives, in our homes, in society, in churches, and in schools. Gender equality and equity should already be a way of life, an ordinary way of conducting oneself in daily life, not a particular subject or an isolated area in schools, institutions, and universities. It has to be a way of life.

From pre-school education and in the family, we have to educate in practice for equality. Inferiority and superiority between genders are inculcated from childhood. In schools, through the hidden curriculum, gender mandates begin to be inculcated. Sexism, discrimination, and abuse constitute cultural violence that is learned from early childhood, and that sustains various forms of direct violence.

I recently read a Spanish educator comment, Manuel Cáceres, who said: “If a child does not read at home, he does not learn to read. You learn to play the guitar by playing the guitar. So it is with equality.”

Education for equality, non-discrimination, and peace is fundamental to counteract the naturalization and normalization of childhood violence. The educational process allows us to unlearn these prejudices and aggressive behaviors, to learn to value and respect those who are different, to avoid violence, as well as to resolve and transform conflicts through dialogue and negotiation.

On the other hand, textbooks and teacher training on gender issues, as well as on the prevention of gender violence, are also fundamental given the impact they have on the transmission of knowledge and attitudes within the classroom. In recent research conducted in the state of Querétaro by Paulina Latapí MA, from the Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro and the Coordinator of the Gender Affairs Program of our Jesuit institution, Universidad Iberoamericana Ciudad de México, in which 70 teachers participated (approximately 48% women and 52% men) from the 18 municipalities, who teach third grade of secondary school in various subjects, It was found that 60% of the teachers consider that the National Textbook for education (mandatory in all schools) is used predominantly in the classroom, 41% consider it an important support material for classwork, 27% consider it an addition, 15% an informative resource, 13% a guide to follow and 4% support for evaluation.  In conclusion, it has a very relevant role in children’s education. But it was also found that 85% of female teachers and 76% of male teachers think that women’s participation in society and science should be highlighted more.

Each person who educates must reflect on the following: What kind of people do we want to form for the future in our schools and universities? What kind of society are we betting on with the education we are giving to our children and youth? Do we ourselves conceive all human beings as equal in dignity and rights? 


writer’s Bio:

Fr. Fernández Dávalos, S.J., is currently Executive Secretary of the Association of Jesuit Universities in Latin America (AUSJAL). He has been president of IBERO Mexico-Tijuana, IBERO Puebla, ITESO, and Director of the Miguel Agustin Pro Juarez Human Rights Center (Centro Prodh). He also participated in the 36th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus.
April 7, 2021 / 0 Comments

USF Women’s Volleyball Team helps with food distribution to families in need!

On Saturday, March 27th, the USF volleyball team went to Half Moon Bay, CA to volunteer with the organization Ayudando Latinos a Soñar (ALAS), an organization that has been working very closely for the last year with the School of Education and University Ministry. The team helped with the food distribution to families that have been affected by the pandemic. 

Members of the Volleyball team had participated in the 2020 Winter Arrupe Immersions to Peru, where they continued to work closely with the Arrupe Initiatives team.

“The team really enjoyed their experience in Half Moon Bay, and is so impressed with the work ALAS does!”  – Frank Lavrisha, coach of the Volleyball team.

 

We invite all the USF community who are interested in working closely with ALAS to contact Kique Bazán.

Students looking to volunteer please contact Mauricio Diaz de Leon to join the ALAS tutoring program:

University Ministry is supporting farmworker families in Half Moon Bay, California by providing tutoring services through ALAS (Ayudando A Latinos A Soñar). Our volunteers meet virtually with students once a week to help with assignments, homework, and provide overall mentorship.

Wednesdays: 12:30pm – 2 p.m.

 

April 6, 2021 / 0 Comments

Perspectives from the Jesuit Network: One year coexisting with Covid-19 in El Salvador

We invite you to read the article by Fr. Andreu Oliva de la Esperanza, S.J.,  president of the Universidad Centroamericana (UCA) José Simeón Cañas in El Salvador. This perspective exemplifies the Jesuit institution’s commitment to social justice during the COVID-19 crisis. 

One year coexisting with Covid-19

One year ago, on March 11, 2020, we received notice from the Ministry of Education that we had to close the university for students to prevent the spread of the pandemic caused by Covid-19 in the country. At that time, no case of coronavirus infection had yet been identified in El Salvador. Still, President Nayib Bukele was already taking many measures to prevent the virus from reaching the country. The decision was not a surprise; we expected it but not so soon, we had just started the academic year three days before, and no transmission cases were reported. We had prepared for this possibility, and at the beginning of March 2020, we had constituted a crisis committee to formulate a plan in case of an emergency. We had to take the necessary measures to prevent the spread of the virus in the university community and organize the continuity of our academic and social outreach work if the university was closed, as had already been done in some European countries. Thanks to the crisis committee’s work and the previous training of UCA teachers in the use of LMS platforms, on March 18, classes began again in the virtual modality. It was even more complicated when on Saturday night, March 21, President Nayib Bukele, on national radio and television, decided to implement a mandatory home quarantine until April 21, which was later extended until June 15. It was a tough three months, as we were prepared to offer the online courses but not to manage the online university. We had to make great efforts to modify the computer systems to use them from home. But some operations could not be done online, and a group of colleagues had to continue coming to the UCA, with special permissions to move around and maintain essential administrative tasks.

At the same time that we adapted to this new reality imposed by the coronavirus, the UCA continued with its mission of defense of human rights, especially important in those months, since the decision to place in quarantine centers for 30 days all those who arrived in the country, including deported migrants, resulted in severe violations of human rights. In those quarantine centers, several of our compatriots were infected because the conditions were not adequate. Healthy people were mixed with people infected with Sars-Cov-2, and some people died due to a lack of adequate and timely medical attention.

To know better what was happening in the quarantine centers, the Institute of Public Opinion of the UCA did a survey among the inmates, by which we had first-hand information, which left evidence of the critical deficiencies of these centers and of the diverse violations to the human rights that took place in them. 

Especially important has been the work of the university radio station, the YSUCA. It has never ceased its informative and formative work, adapting to the new circumstances, using videoconferencing platforms for interviews, and always offering the possibility for the population to have a radio station where they can share the difficulties they are going through. In the first months of the confinement, the biggest concern, especially for the poor, was the lack of food. But throughout the pandemic, the main problem has been the lack of drinking water in thousands of homes.

The same was done by the Audiovisual Center of the UCA, which implemented small informative programs and transmitted them through its youtube channel. The objective is to keep the population informed and communicate hope and tranquility. The official governmental position has been very negative, transmitting messages that have caused a lot of fear and insecurity in the population.

In May last year, as they say popularly, “it rained on us” with the arrival of storms Amanda and Cristobal, which caused severe flooding in the country and left thousands of families homeless. The UCA promoted a campaign of solidarity with these storm victims, which met with an incredible response. Despite the pandemic, people were very supportive, and with this, we were able to help our colleagues who had suffered damage to their homes. Also, we help with clothing and food to the communities of La Chacra that were hard hit by the rise of the Acelhuate River. This was a beautiful expression of solidarity and fraternity amid serious difficulties, which speaks very well of these people’s generosity.

To make matters worse, the Government and the Legislative Assembly entered into a permanent conflict, unable to dialogue and reach an agreement for the population’s benefit. While the government applied measures that violated the Constitution and took advantage of the health crisis to strengthen its control, the Assembly tried to legislate for the protection of health workers, to guarantee the human rights of the population, to demand that the government account for the use of the extraordinary resources requested by the executive to face the pandemic. During this conflict, the Legislative Assembly elected five civil society organizations, among them the UCA, to form, together with members of the government, a directive that was to propose how to invest the two billion dollars that the Assembly approved to the government to face the crisis. After two months of trying to do the job, the five organizations resigned from the board since the government continued to make decisions independently and refused to provide information to the board of directors of which we were part.

The health crisis has resulted in an economic crisis in which about 80,000 jobs have been lost, and thousands of self-employed workers have been badly affected. Despite this, people are moving forward and fulfilling their civic duties. On February 28, people went out to vote to elect mayors and deputies. The election favored most of the New Ideas party, the party of Nayib Bukele, which now has tremendous power in the country. It controls the executive, the legislative, and more than half of the municipalities. We see much danger in the accumulation of tremendous amounts of power, as the lack of transparency and totalitarian attitudes are all too common in both the president and his party, so as a university, we must remain vigilant to continue working in defense of democracy, freedom of expression and fight against corruption.

March 25, 2021 / 0 Comments

A year without Arrupe Immersions

One year ago, USF students were being brought back to the US from their Arrupe Immersions. This was hours before countries started closing their borders as a measure to prevent the COVID 19 global pandemic. What we thought at the moment as a temporary pause in activities became a year of sheltering in place and zoom meetings. Fast forward to today, this spring break is the first since 2000 that USF does not send students for an Arrupe Immersion abroad. 

Historically, the Arrupe immersion programs attract an interesting group of people: students looking for their purpose in life; passionate resident ministers and faculty with experience in community engagement and discernment; international partners working with marginalized communities; and other committed members of the USF family helping us to pursue an education that serves people at the margins of society. This unique combination of people has allowed us to work on leadership programs, engage students with opportunities to pursue their questions that are awakened during the immersion experiences, and most importantly, to learn as an organization.

The pandemic forced us to re-envisioning the Arrupe Immersions programs, and be more explicit about the spaces, both physical and virtual, in which we engage with the world outside USF. In that way the Arrupe Initiatives is constantly thinking about the following challenges: 

  1. The need for community and to be in solidarity. The current situation has limited our options to understand the world, and if we are not careful, there is a danger of intellectualizing issues and disconnecting them from concrete realities. The world is a complex network of meanings and feelings that is best comprehended through interactions.  For the last three years, the Arrupe Observatory has been collaborating with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Colombia. We are one of the groups collecting testimonies of Colombians in exile that will shape the final report that is due in November of this year. During our meetings, we have guests from the commission, researchers, and volunteers sharing the space with USF graduate students to think together about how to best contribute to the peace process in Colombia. 
  2. The politics of memory and forgetting. The communities that we visit in Peru, Colombia, DR, Mexico, and the US experience different forms of violence and marginalization. For many participants (both USF students and our immersion hosts*), visiting these communities during the Arrupe Immersion create spaces to articulate stories that are pushed to the margin. During this time of isolation, many feel that their stories are being forgotten.  Our platform of Community Voices has allowed us to share the reflections from people from within USF, our friends and partners, and from the Jesuit universities to show that we care and we continue listening. 
  3. The sensible rationality. The Arrupe immersions question the intellectual tendency of approaching social justice as topics instead of experiences of people with hopes and dreams. The pandemic has dispossessed us from being present with a person to focus on theoretical concerns, and intellectual rationality doesn’t always awaken our sensible rationality. Injustice could also be polarized as many are isolates with their privileges. Our leadership formation program, I-LEAD, highlights the importance of nurturing a sensible intelligence to be a good leader. 

We expect that for 2022 Immersions will be back in action and we plan to continue offering students the opportunity to travel and engage with the Jesuit network. We also expect that some of our platforms will grow and provide us with new opportunities to engage with the world. This past year was hard for us and for many, but through deep reflection and continuous comradery, we are emerging stronger than ever, with a renewed mission to offer USF students international experiences to open their minds and hearts.

*What makes Arrupe Immersions special and different from other immersion programs is that we are invited into the community by hosts with who we have a long-standing relationship with. We are invested in these communities and stand in solidarity with them. We do not go into these spaces to offer “service” nor to “fix” a problem, we are invited to hear their stories and share a moment of empathy and understanding.

March 25, 2021 / 0 Comments

A conversation with Fr. Chepe Idiaquez, S.J., president of the UCA

On this occasion we had the opportunity to talk with the president of the Universidad Centroamericana (UCA) in Nicaragua, Fr. José Idiáquez, S.J., about the relevance of education and the commitment of Jesuit universities.

During the conversation, Fr. Idiáquez, S.J., commented that the horizon of Jesuit universities has to be the commitment to the oppressed majorities, with the objective of transforming society stating: “A university cannot be at the service of the status quo. It is not about being rebels without a cause, it is about the university forming professionals who are truly humanized; to not enter into the mercantilism of knowledge; that the institution can unite social commitment with academic rigor.”

For him this implies that the university must opt for the poor and the marginalized; the university cannot be impartial. In that direction, Fr. Idiáquez, S.J.  mentioned that the Jesuit institution he leads has suffered the consequences of this option for justice and social commitment, “The UCA is living in its own experience that the option for the poor in an oppressive regime like that of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo one does not have the right to think and a university in which one thinks is a danger. The government takes advantage of hunger and the poorest people to beat universities and young students who protest for the rights of society.”

It is important to remember that the Jesuit university in Nicaragua has publicized various attacks and threats by the government of Daniel Ortega towards the University. Denunciations that have been supported and joined by the Conference of Jesuit Provincials in Latin America (CPAL), the Association of Jesuit Universities in Latin America (AUSJAL), and other institutions of the Society of Jesus.

The rector remarked during this conversation that: “The UCA is being hit in its university autonomy because the government has taken financial resources from us and continues with intimidation processes so that the university stops being a critical voice in the country. However, the UCA has a clear option for refugees, migrants, abused and harassed women, political prisoners, because the Jesuit university cannot reproduce social inequalities.”

Fr. Idiáquez, S.J., invited the students to continue their formation through reading and critical thinking,  to contribute significantly to society and fight against oppression, racism, classism, and social exclusion.

Likewise, he pointed out that current students do not feel capable of studying or with the possibilities of doing so, with the purpose of being cornered into being cheap labor for companies. In view of this, universities must offer opportunities (scholarships and support) to young people; this is part of the commitment to social justice to which they must commit.

Short Bio by CPAL:

Fr. José Alberto Idiáquez Guevara SJ is currently president of the Universidad Centroamericana (UCA). In 2001, he was Provincial Superior of the Society of Jesus in Central America. In 2001, he received an honorary doctorate from Seattle University for his humanistic work.

Born in Nicaragua in 1958, Fr. Idiáquez holds a degree in Philosophy and Social Sciences from the Free Institute of Philosophy and Sciences of the Society of Jesus in Mexico. He also has two master’s degrees, one in Theology from the UCA in El Salvador and another in Social Anthropology from the University of Austin, Texas.

March 9, 2021 / 1 Comment

Perspectives From Peru: Ernesto Cavassa S.J.

Author: Ernesto Cavassa, S.J., Head of Fe y Alegría in Perú

The 2021 context is much more complicated than the way we started 2020. Undoubtedly, the aftermath of COVID 19 marks the scenario in which we will have to work, with issues that present challenges that demand us to find answers and paths of hope. Let us look at some of them. 

2021: ELECTION YEAR, BICENTENNIAL OF THE REPUBLIC AND 55 YEARS OF FE Y ALEGRÍA

Politically, 2021 brings us significant events in the calendar: the Bicentennial of the Proclamation of the Independence of Peru and the beginning of a republic, with national identity and common objectives; and the 55th anniversary of the presence of Fe y Alegría in Peru. These dates are a good opportunity to review how far we are from republican and institutional values after 200 years and 55 years, respectively. 

To these anniversaries must be added the elections of a new government, on April 11, which should take office on July 28. The electoral process is taking place amid the “second wave” of the pandemic that is leaving an estimated 200 deaths per day. Besides, it comes after a complicated political year: President Vizcarra’s vacancy, the parliamentary coup d’état led by Congressman Merino, the massive popular demonstrations against him, his resignation a few days after taking office, and the appointment of a precarious transitional government. 

In this scenario, issues such as full citizenship within the National Education Project framework to 2036, development with a territorial and intercultural approach, reinforcement of the democratic system, battle against corruption, and permanent defense of the rule of law. 

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

Peru is one of the countries most affected by the pandemic. The health system was not prepared for this eventuality. Since the beginning of the pandemic outbreak, there have been 1,320,000 cases, and the official number of deaths is 46,299. However, the number of deaths compared to a typical year shows a higher number. It is estimated at more than 100,000 deaths, particularly among the elderly and vulnerable. The number of the one million Venezuelan migrants is not known, but due to the precariousness of their situation, it is very likely to be high. 

The vaccination process has already started with the so-called “front line,” basically health professionals. This will be followed by the police, the elderly, and members of polling stations. Teachers are entering the second phase. Never before have we been more aware of the value of life and the importance of staying healthy, of taking care of ourselves, of caring for others, of our relationship with nature. Humanity has had to assume its vulnerability, leaving aside the feeling of omnipotence in front of the world; but, it has been evident the greater exposure of those who already add other conditions of fragility, built by unjust and unequal power relations. 

The preferential option for the most vulnerable, care for the common home, care for personal and community health, with emphasis on healing and strengthening of self-esteem and emotional health, are presented as cross-cutting themes.

ECONOMIC RECOVERY, UNEMPLOYMENT, AND INFORMALITY

Economically, it is estimated that it will take about ten years to recover the situation we had before the pandemic. Peru is one of the most affected countries in its economy since 70% of the EAP is informal (precarious work, daily, without social benefits). Families are busy rebalancing the household economy, and the school will have to strengthen its role in accompanying students and their parents. Educational institutions will be tested in their ability to respond with relevance to the moment, with the objective that “no one is left behind.”

It is a challenge and an opportunity to put school flexibility to the test and propose ways to accommodate students who must help with the family economy, test mechanisms that allow them to resume their studies, or alternate work for periods. It is a good time to continue reflecting on the link between education and the world of work and our education models for work.

SOCIAL SOLIDARITY 

Faced with the increase in poverty, we are witnessing a double movement: on the one hand, the rise in delinquency; on the other, the reappearance of solidarity programs typical of the time of crisis (soup kitchens, soup kitchens, etc.), especially in urban-peripheral neighborhoods. To prevent violence and delinquency from gaining ground as escape valves, we need not only immediate responses to alleviate the moment but also to open more solid paths of hope. These include civil society proposals, the business world, and faith communities supporting the State in such essential matters as supplying oxygen to the sick population and continuing to open intensive care units in hospitals. The Catholic Church’s work should be recognized in this process with proposals such as “Resucita Perú” and “Respira Perú.”

The need for formative and sustained work with families and surrounding communities to implement experiences of solidarity to rediscover the strength of the collective and teamwork is positioned. The educational institution will be able to fulfill its task of social promotion with projects for the recovery of the person, the common good, and the community. 

It is time to join others in the effort. The time is propitious to establish and strengthen alliances with the State, organizations, companies, and people who want to join our efforts.

EDUCATIONAL CONTINUITY AND RECOVERY

In terms of education, 2021 presents a scenario with many pending issues: differences and large gaps in educational continuity and learning outcomes in 2020. Peru was one of the countries that had made the most progress in the last decade (2009-2019) in school coverage and attendance in the city and the countryside (almost total in boys and girls in the primary school years), increased learning in reading comprehension, mathematical and scientific reasoning, placing it in the Latin American average range. Also, it had covered school feeding programs for early childhood and had leaped the supervision of university quality, confronting the “garage” universities. The university quality licensing process concluded last year had left one-third of the low or no quality universities out of the system. Only those that have demonstrated basic levels of quality will continue to operate. 

The pandemic has brought us a new drop-in basic learning achievement, widening students’ gaps by geographic areas (urban, rural, Amazonian) and socio-economic levels, school, and higher education dropouts. The alternative of distance education through various media has revealed significant challenges: new learning, the need for pertinent pedagogical proposals, new teaching skills, and an equipment and connectivity debt that also reveals a new right to access equitable conditions of development. Necessary and urgent tasks are emerging at the political, social, and educational levels. Although the State reacted quickly with the “I learn at home” program, the results have not been as expected, and inequality has deepened. The return to face-to-face education is an urgent demand for pedagogical and social justice reasons. 

From Fe y Alegría, we have proposed a medium-term strategic recovery plan (2 years of maximum student retention and three years of full recovery) until we reach at least the levels we had in 2019. At the same time, we took the opportunity to validate the “proposal to guarantee to learn in times of emergency,” recently published on the web (www.feyalegria.org.pe) to better prepare for scenarios like the current one in the future. 

We need to be creative to propose re-engagement processes for students who left or appeared very intermittently in the educational system in 2020, alternative, complementary programs (face-to-face/distance), efficient pedagogical resources: remedial modules, pedagogical alternatives, relevant materials, efficient administrative processes, renewed repositories, technical assistance to managers and teachers.

February 26, 2021 / 0 Comments

Being Contemplatives in Action: I-LEADers create Social Justice posters.

We live in a hurried world, and because of COVID, it has become isolated as well. Many of us are currently cut from our communities and feeling a sense of powerlessness in the face of so much injustice and pain going on around us.

In times like these, we turn to Ignatian spirituality, specifically to the idea of being  “contemplatives in action”.  The Ignatian way asks us to Stop, Rest and Reflect, Go Back to Work, and Repeat! Being a “contemplative in action” means that your active life feeds your contemplative life and your contemplative life feeds your active life.

We found that I-LEADers were engaging with their reality through social media, following social justice issues closely through Instagram, Youtube, and TikTok, but they rarely took time to stop, rest, and reflect so challenged them to take time to create their own social justice poster, creating visual artwork combining various images to convey diversity or social justice issues, concerns, or themes related to their interest and preoccupations.

We invite the USF community, friends, and partners to join in on our activity to take a breather from our busy lives and to take time to create your own Social Justice poster, you can upload it to Social Media and tag us (@ArrupeUSFCA) as well as Favianna Rodriguez (@Favianna1) and the SF Museum of Modern Art (@SFMoMa).

If you want you can follow Favianna Rodriguez’s tutorial, and using her art (you can download it here)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Favianna Rodriguez (@favianna1)

February 22, 2021 / 0 Comments

Ash Wednesday in Community

For almost a year we have been called to distance and confinement. The whole of humanity has demanded from us an act of solidarity and community care that has placed us in complex dynamics of social isolation. While accumulated efforts are made to keep us close through digital media, the truth is that we have been denied the possibility to embrace, shake hands, look at smiles, to be gathered to celebrate life.

Faced with this reality, on Wednesday, February 17, I had a moment of deep consolation. It was midday and I went to the campus of the University of San Francisco to receive the ashes, because like every year, this is a moment in which we, the Catholic community, are invited to be silent, to look at the deserts of our lives, to reflect on our responsibility in the social wound that we are living today and that keeps “Jesus Christ on the cross”, even after two millennia of his existence.

In previous years, I would enter an almost empty chapel and take my ashes… “Believe in the Gospel. Rember you are dust and to dust, you will return.” This year was different, Father Donal Godfrey, S.J., stood outside the offices of University Ministry, with a mask, antibacterial gel, and the ashes on one side; opening from a distance space for the encounter, to begin one of the most significant times of our community. And so it was.

A consolation was just around the corner. I decided to go to the cafeteria to buy something to eat before returning to the daily confinement implied by the pandemic and a master’s thesis. There I was deeply surprised to see a couple of faces overwhelmed with surprise and joy from some of the cafeteria workers upon finding out that I had just taken my ashes. As if a world had opened up as if we had taken up that thread and needle to continue weaving our life in communion.

I told them that Fr. Godfrey was outside University Ministry and would be there until 1 pm. They were happy, but it was only 25 minutes before Father left. In my mind I thought, it’s lunchtime, the students will keep coming and they won’t be able to have a break. I went out and told the priest that there were a few people interested in the ashes. Unfortunately, he had to attend a meeting in a few minutes, but he said, “Here, take the ashes and give them to them.

I took the ashes with me and returned to the cafeteria, spoke to them from a distance, and explained that I am a resident minister at the University and that Father had instructed me to share the ashes with them. I asked them if they felt invited and would allow me to do so; as soon as I finished the sentence they answered yes.

The consolation was present at that moment, not only because it was a time of the face-to-face meeting at a distance, but because we found ourselves as a small Latin American community; from the beginning to the end we were one, Christians looking for those rites that make sense to us and give us security in the face of the uncertain. We used our language as a symbol of encounter and love. We pronounced the words to receive the ashes and we thanked each other. My heart swelled with gratitude for these less than 5 minutes of grace, to continue weaving community, to continue building a world in which we all belong, from tenderness, care, solidarity, and love.

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