Editorial

We have been repeatedly told that we live in a time of crisis. One senses, among people from the so-called 'rich' countries, a subtle resistance to these stories about the effects of this impending crisis. While the message dished out by the political class is that the crisis will pass and all will be well again, disquieting doubts remain in the hearts of many.

In the recent past, when stories were told about economic failures in countries among people living "out there," we felt, by and large, that the stories were credible but not very relevant to us who live in the first world. Now that we hear the story being told about friends and family members living in the 'affluent' world, we are tempted to think that, though blown somewhat out of proportion, they are suddenly quite relevant to our present and future dreams. The fear and anxiety of being thrown out of a job is no longer a third-world-country phenomenon, but something affecting the lives of people living in what has been projected as the 'promised' land.

As recently as a year ago it was unthinkable to talk about the ill effects of the process we have characterized somewhat fuzzily as 'globalisation'. We all lived contented lives, basking in the myth that global economic growth was undisputed and unstoppable. The economic and technical forces unleashed by globalisation could, we thought, solve the major ills affecting humankind. We lived through years of general optimism though there were voices that offered a critique of some aspects of this process. The debate as to whether 'globalisation' can be steered in the right direction or whether we can promote the globalisation of solidarity still seems to be open. I feel, however, that the number of caveats to this optimistic view is increasing day by day.

We look with amazement and extreme surprise at the spectacle of company after company going under or announcing a severe reduction in its workforce. The collapse of banks and the closure of factories, as well as the increasing financial difficulties of certain colossal sports figures are accompanied by widespread social unrest, increasing environmental damage and an alarming and unexpected food crisis. More astonishing is the almost daily announcement of another financial fraud. We need to be honest and ask ourselves: did we not secretly believe that 'progress' would go on forever?

In the face of these signs of depression and unrest, however, there are also signals of an underlying shift towards some sort of collective sanity. The seriousness of climate change, for example, has been accepted, however limitedly, by large segments of society as well as by the political class. Alliances to defend the whole of life have been built across geographical, cultural and religious frontiers. International institutions like the United Nations and the International Labour Office have begun to acknowledge the constructive role that faiths can play in changing our ethical perspectives and influencing our behaviour.

The international Ignatian Advocacy Workshop held at El Escorial, Madrid, in November 2008 became a privileged space to reflect on some of these issues and, more importantly, to propose ways to influence public policies affecting the life of the poor and excluded in accordance with our Ignatian way of proceeding. This issue of Promotio presents a substantial coverage of the Workshop's deliberations and highlights its most important conclusions. Time will tell if the underlying model of cooperation and networking proposed at the Workshop can help to articulate the social work of the Society across the world. The articles of Raul Gonzalez and Patxi Alvarez touch on two fundamental issues: the first raises a series of provoking and challenging questions about the need for the Society of Jesus to clarify the meaning of 'justice' today, and the second explores ways in which social research should be promoted as part of our undivided commitment to justice and intellectual leadership.

In the light of the economic crisis and with full awareness of the new opportunities provided by the digital world we have taken an important decision regarding Promotio Iustitiae (PJ): we have chosen to take PJ from the printed to the electronic format. This issue that you hold in your hands will be the last one printed on paper.

The reasons behind this difficult and painful decision have been various. In these times of change and crisis we felt obliged to reduce the costs of the Secretariat and contribute our mite to lowering the Curia's expenditure. Printing and mailing costs have become prohibitive for a journal that is distributed free in four languages. In line with the urgings of GC 35 to take care of our home, the earth, the change from paper to electronic format will reduce our ecological footprint. There are also positive aspects to the change that we want to explore. The use of electronic facilities can open the door to a new type of reader, and we hope thereby to increase interactivity. Under the new format, readers may find it easier to pick up the articles they want and send us a quick comment.

We are aware that the task of moving from one format to another also carries the risk of losing many readers, and our team at SJS is planning this transition very carefully. We propose to analyse the various types of readers we have and contact each group differently. We are also planning to enhance the way in which PJ is presented on our website. We need your cooperation to make this transition a success. Do not forget to send us the information requested in this issue. We trust in God's grace and we want the journal to continue helping the Ignatian family to discern the signs of the times and encourage us to move to the 'frontiers'.