Ecology commitment to build back a new normal

The emergence of a deeper dialogue with the Ecojesuit teams of the six Jesuit Conferences develops as the global network seeks to respond to COVID-19 and its global impacts. Immediate concerns for Jesuits and institutions, some of whom are engaging in emergency relief, include the collaborations needed towards building a better normal with renewed urgency as the cries of the earth and the poor –the most vulnerable– grow ever louder.

It is clear that what we face is not merely a matter of health. Awareness has grown that this pandemic is an acute crisis that is part of a much broader and more deeply rooted ecological crises of climate change, land use, deforestation, business as usual, wealth accumulation and environmental injustice. All of us are at risk, but, as with other disasters, it is always the poor and those on the margins that suffer most from society’s continuing neglect, leaving them with limited options and weakened voices.

With solidarity as the basis, Ecojesuit is taking a “learning through networking” approach where we collaborate to deepen learning, humbly acknowledging that we do not hold the answers but have the desire to contribute to a basis for social action. The integrity of that response requires internal conversion that is at the heart of these changes and the humble transparency in Jesuit community and institutional life that we also seek to share.

Six Lead Actions identified together by the Jesuit Conferences contribute to the process of building a new normal through active engagement and collaboration. 

1. Connect agriculture and entrepreneurship

Access to food is a primary concern clearly echoed throughout the Conferences. Related to this is the concern for generating local employment and broader questions of rural development, returning migrants, producer market inequalities, and land use change.

2. Address social-economic-environmental integrity in the face of deepened poverty– business as usual–environmental degradation

There are no textbook answers for how to build back better, but the biggest hopes lie in the actions taken at the local level in response to experiences there and effective measures taken by local governments and organizations.

3. Advocate for climate action, human rights and the contribution of Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous Peoples, whose relations with the natural environment are integral to their survival, are among the most threatened as they seek to protect their lands, culture, and livelihoods.

4. Track and explain economic institutions and practices emerging at the global level

International economic institutions (i.e. IMF, World Bank, etc.) and the UN have a major influence in the direction and priorities of investments and broader financial systems. We seek to explain and communicate these economic shifts in partnership with experts through social media and publications.

5. Strengthening the Laudato Si’ Universities Action Platform, other Action Platforms of Laudato Si’ Year, and Querida Amazonia

Those Action Platforms are emerging and are an opportunity to highlight the role of our educational institutions in social and environmental action, and community based research.

6. Promoting ecospirituality and the need for its awareness in basic education

Ecological awareness and ecospirituality go hand-in-hand in developing a deeper sense of purpose and meaning of integral ecology among the youth. Schools are places we can help plant seeds of interconnectedness, community, and care.

Ecojesuit seeks to contribute to forming a renewed attitude as we build a new normal where ecological and social justice are better integrated in our values and lifestyles. Ecojesuit continues to facilitate and enable discussions that include voices from local communities, business leaders, faith leaders, policy makers, and economic experts to contribute to a broader perspective for a sustainable and just society.

You can download the document here, with all the commitments of each line of action. It is also available in Spanish, French and Portuguese.