Social Justice Secretariat

Jesuits and Partners in mission together for Justice

	Promotio Iustitiae
	At the service of Faith that does Justice

Promotio Iustitiae n° 104, 2010/1

Jesuits carry out day-to-day labours “alongside” the indigenous peoples in a variety of global contexts. Some of these are described in several contributions that throw light on the problems of a reality forgotten by many. This issue also contains a reflection on justice and faith and a series of considerations about the international economic crisis. Finally, there are three contributions on the new perspectives that post-modernity opens up on evangelization, sustainable agriculture and ecological commerce, and the Christology and prophetic testimony of the encyclical Caritas in Veritate.

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	Editorial Fernando Franco SJ
	Setting the Framework for the Reflection Fernando Franco SJ
	A Response from Latin America and Bolivia Xavier Albó SJ After centuries of marginalization and exploitation of its indigenous cultures, the whole of Latin America is witnessing a wave of rediscovery and new respect for native cultures and values. One of the leaders in this movement is the country of Bolivia, whose president is an Aymara. Other countries in the region are also making steady progress in rescuing indigenous cultures, as indeed is the Society, and a long-term commitment to such efforts can be expected.
	An experience of working with the native peoples of Southern Bolivia Fernando Alvarado SJ ACLO is the instrument through which the Society has been accompanying the transformative processes in Bolivia, processes which have facilitated a change of vision and attitude among indigenous farmers. The campesinos, long oppressed by poverty and exploitation, are now emerging as protagonists of their own history.
	An Open Letter Jerónimo Hernández SJ The oppression and exploitation of the indigenous peoples did not end with the Spanish conquest and the consequent processes of expulsion and plunder but continued through the centuries that followed. Today the very existence of the native peoples is threatened today by the cultural changes emanating from globalization and from the effects of the universal application of a single economic model based on profit-seeking and wealth accumulation. These factors also constitute a difficult challenge for the Society and give us good reason to reflect on the strength of our own commitment.
	Tribals/Indigenous People: the most Marginalized in the World Christopher Lakra SJ The globalized economy imposes structures of social and industrial development which threaten to extinguish indigenous populations, which become ever more marginalized and exploited as they are dispossessed of their lands, their material resources, and their cultures. The Society should renew its commitment to these peoples and help develop structures for their defense.
	The ADIVASIS and their World Today Alfred Toppo SJ The cultural heritage of the Adivasi, the original inhabitants of India, runs the risk of disappearing completely in the wake of globalization. Nevertheless, new socio-political and economic initiatives are emerging which attempt to respond to the problem. The work that Jesuits are doing “alongside” the Adivasi is situated within the option taken by the Society of Jesus in favour of the poor and the marginalized.
	Indigenous People: A perspective from Gujarat Xavier Manjooran SJ Even though the Declaration of the United Nations guarantees indigenous peoples the right to develop in accord with their own interests and needs, these peoples continue to be exploited, displaced from their lands, and not allowed to benefit from its resources. In India, liberalization and the process of Sanskritization undermine the native peoples’ cultural identity and lead to modification and dissolution of their lifestyles and traditional values. Jesuits are working for the poor and the marginalized of Gujarat, and they do so while networking with local, national, and international realities.
	Some comments from Malaysia Joseph Fung SJ Some notes on the homologation of indigenous populations of Malaysia as a result of economic and cultural globalization.
	Indigenous Peoples – An Australian Perspective Brian McCoy SJ The indigenous peoples of Australia share certain characteristics in common with those of New Zealand, Canada, and the United States, such as marginalization, poverty, and lack of education. Such is the case even though they live in rich nations whose legislation is at least nominally opposed to racism. The indigenous peoples’ loss of lands and cultural values is the sad legacy of colonization. At the same time, globalization is viewed by some indigenous peoples as a way of escaping from poverty and marginalization.
	Indigenous Peoples and Marginalization: Notes from Ontario, Canada Michael Murray and companions SJ The indigenous populations of Ontario, Canada, presently find themselves in a deplorable situation. Despite the fact that on the reservations there are clear signs of material progress, these do not translate into real change. All this is due mainly to the lack of clear programmes that are capable of exercising influence on the social milieu, which is suffering great abandonment and decay.
	Aggiornamento: A Continual Challenge Giacomo Costa SJ Since the Second Vatican Council, aggiornamento, the process of continual renewal, far from having a revolutionary connotation, has been gaining ground as a programmatic option of the Church, which is always eager to discern the “signs of the times” and to interpret them in the light of the Gospel. Doing this is not easy in today’s society, since faith seems to have lost its relevance. The author stresses two crucial points of this renewal: the commitment to democracy and the promotion of a lay culture.
	Christian Faith Calls for Justice and Reconciliation Gabino Uríbarri SJ An analysis of the contributions of each of the articles of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed to the themes of faith, justice, and reconciliation.
	The faith which leads us to justice and reconciliation in a multicultural, multireligious world Alfredo Ferro SJ The everyday presence of what is diverse should make the faith experience one that is lived out of respect for diversity and love for what is “other” or “different.” We need to question those “truths” which we were taught to believe were the one and only truth. We need to recognize the value of every instance of the “other,” which means not just other individuals, but also other cultures, other societies, and even other religions.
	“The concept of ’Justice’ in the second synod for Africa” Paul Béré SJ How best to combine the idea of distributive justice, so typical of the Roman tradition (suum cuique tribuere), with the biblical idea of justice, which is grounded on respect for the Covenant? The documents of the Second African Synod recognize that having recourse to a transcendent dimension continues to be a conditio sine qua non for achieving distributive justice, even though the prevailing idea regarding justice continues to be “rendering to each his own.”
	Our Jesuit Faith Today: An Indian Perspective Veluswamy Jeyaraj SJ India, cradle of great religions and goal of pilgrimages, is today living the paradox of being also a country of enormous injustices and unspeakable practices. Jesuits are attempting to plan and carry out their mission “as men for and with others.’’ Justice, reconciliation, and peace have to become the bonds that unite the differing creeds and varying ideologies of the country.
	Drongen – Convergences and Divergences Frank Turner SJ Reflection on the complexity of the international economic crisis and on some of its fundamental aspects – such as the economic system itself and the psychological, moral, and social nature of the crisis – makes it clear how the present situation is connected to the dramatic global ecological crisis and the realities of poverty found everywhere in today’s world.
	Report on the Drongen discussion William Ryan SJ With its strong interdisciplinary and interreligious character, the most recent papal encyclical confirms the inseparable relation of love (faith) and justice, and rejects the limited focus on reason that leads to reductionism, in favour of the more comprehensive concept of reason, which is in constant dialogue with faith.
	Viewing the International Crisis from Europe Jon Sagastagoitia SJ The global economic crisis is calling the liberal model into question and undermining its sustainability. The demands flowing from the crisis will produce new economic models, new relationships among different agents, and new values, all of which will require that decisions be made at the political, regulatory level. Events such as China’s presence in Africa should be viewed within a historical perspective.
	Post-modernism opens new perspectives for evangelization Hugues Delétraz SJ The transition from modernity to post-modernity appears to present new perspectives for the Church’s evangelization. Announcing the Gospel to a post-modern society will be credible only if the Church ceases to offer the world a pre-modern version of itself. Vatican II’s invitation to “recognize the signs of the times” becomes the conditio sine qua non for the Church to carry out its proclamation of God’s Kingdom.
	Ecofarming and Green Commerce: A Jesuit Agricultural Training Centre in Indonesia Greg Soetomo SJ By means of crop rotation, the use of fertilizers of animal origin, and the biological control of plant disease, eco-sustainable agriculture attempts to limit the harmful effects that conventional agriculture causes to the environment. Only by combining the search for sustainability with the pursuit of benefits will it be possible to respond to concerns about the ecosystem, and at the same time offer a decent future to the four billion persons who have been abandoned by globalization. This is the context of the work being done by the Jesuits of the Agricultural Training Centre in Indonesia.
	Christology and Prophetic Witness in CARITAS IN VERITATE Christopher S. Collins SJ The Christological vision of Pope Benedict in his first social encyclical delves into the characteristics of brotherhood as a basis for the development of peoples and presents a transcendent vision of humankind and the mysteries of the Trinity and the Transfiguration. Brotherhood, as the foundation of a charity that goes beyond simple justice and favours human development, is fostered in the liturgical encounter of the Eucharist, which dissolves the singular “I,” making it into a “we” by which we aspire, as one sole body in Christ, to the salvation of those redeemed by the Father’s love.
	In search of fuel for the fire in our hearts Jinhyuk Park SJ A rich territory with enormous natural and mineral resources, but also a land of great contradictions, the state of Jharkhand is leading Jesuits to rediscover the Society’s true mission and to promote the absolute value of the dignity of those who are weak and marginalized.
	Remembering Father Jean-Yves Calvez SJ H. Madelin, B. Cassaigne, P. de Charentenay Born in Saint-Brieuc, France, on 3 February 1927, Jean-Yves Calvez joined the Society very young, at the age of 16. He passed away the morning of 11 January 2010. He is one of the greatest Jesuit social thinkers of the 20th century.