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The first day of the Networking for Justice gathering has come to an end. The sensation that something important is happening here in Loyola is palpable.
A brief but thoughtful presentation on the global context by Patxi Alvarez SJ along with a delightful tour of the home of St. Ignatius of Loyola by Jose Ignacio García set the stage for discerning about lessons learned and efforts achieved over the past several years.
Perhaps one of the primary lessons identified was the confirmation that the construction of networks does not just require clarity of ideas and the desire to collaborate, but also the necessity to discover adequate structures, resources, mandates, and themes which is generally a very slow process.
[pullquote align=”right”] The construction of networks does not just require clarity of ideas and the desire to collaborate, but also the necessity to discover adequate structures, resources, mandates, and themes. [/pullquote]For example, the actual Xavier Network is the result of more than 50 years of meetings of the Mission Offices of the Society of Jesus of Europe, and now easily demonstrates that it can count on effective local groups, an effective governing body as part of the Conference of Provincials in Europe, a legal framework as a foundation, and a protocol of action for emergencies, and clear guidelines to approve any projects.
Another great lesson of today was that the identification of the principal work of a network is not absolutely clear. GIAN (Global Ignatian Advocacy Network) for Migrants, demonstrated that to support the Campaign for Hospitality meant that it needed to let go of other projects it had previously dedicated important time and resources to.
Both the GIAN network for the Right to Education as well as the GIAN for Ecology, demonstrate that online communications platforms such as Edujesuit and Ecojesuit, foster the development of content and the ability to disseminate best practices more effectively, while also facilitating the consolidation of reflections and also provide deeper analysis of work done by those within the network.
During the presentation of the networks, there were great differences between them when it comes to the number and scope of institutions of the Society of Jesus that work on different issues. To this end, the Education and Migrations Networks count on the participation of a broader base of organizations in comparison to the networks for Ecology and the Management of Natural Resources.
A new challenge emerges when it comes to networking within the structures of government of the Society of Jesus. The paradoxical and balanced union between horizontal participation of the network and the vertical governing structure of the Society of Jesus in which the network should fit within, in order to achieve stability and identity, is maybe the most delicate aspect that requires further profound discernment.
The presentation of networking by the Social Sector of the Latin American Conference of Provincials highlighted how certain attitudes are key success factors when it comes to networking: empathy, mutual knowledge, openness and participation.
Finally, the GIAN Network focused on the management of natural and mineral resources showed us how listening to and understanding the problems and hopes of local communities has turned into an absolutely essential aspect of their work.
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