Press Release: Networking for Justice

 The main global networks of the Social Apostolate of the Society of Jesus will meet in Loyola seeking new ways to organize and fight for social and ecological justice

The Society of Jesus seeks the best way to respond to the injustice of a world that has shattered all records on the number of people fleeing war, poverty, environmental damage, and the absence of opportunities.
November 11, 2015- The Secretariat for Social Justice and Ecology of the Society of Jesus in Rome has convened a meeting entitled “Networking for Justice” that will take place in Loyola, Spain from the 16th to the 20th of November, which aims to promote networking in the social sector of the Society of Jesus worldwide. These efforts in global networking have been emerging and developing over a decade in order to try to effectively combat causes of social and environmental injustice in the world.
This meeting is convened one year before the celebration of the 36th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus, and amidst the perilous reality of a world that has reached a record 60 million refugees fleeing war, and more than 170 million people that flee undignified living conditions caused by poverty, hunger, lack of educational opportunities or environmental damage.
In 2008, the 35th General Congregation of the Jesuits encouraged “establishing vehicles in the field of advocacy between political power and those who find it difficult to make their voices heard… building bridges and offering new forms of understanding.” Since then, the Global Ignatian Advocacy Networks (GIAN) have been developed to work in a variety of fields, such as Migration, Right to Education, Ecology and Governance of Natural Resources which will all convene at this meeting.
Joining these global networks will be the social coordinators of all of the Apostolic Conferences of the Society of Jesus from all continents, along with members of the Xavier Network, and additional global networks from the Social Apostolate of the Society.
The primary purpose for this event is to promote networking of the Society of Jesus in the struggle for social justice. In the words of Patxi Álvarez de los Mozos, the Secretary for Social Justice and Ecology of the Society of Jesus, “We want to establish alliances for a more just and sustainable world, where the poor can live with dignity.”
The website Networking for Justice has been developed to provide access to information for this event. The site contains open subscription for our newsletter which will provide detailed information regarding the gathering. Along with our website, our social media handles on Facebook and Twitter will provide pre-event details, interviews and posts during the event as well as outcomes and documents following all sessions.
Links of interest:
https://vimeo.com/143632251
http://jesuitnetworking.org/networking-for-justice/
http://jesuitnetworking.org/networks-are-the-new-level-of-agency/
Global scope of the social apostolate of the Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus has more than 300 social centers in 125 countries, where more than 500 Jesuits and lay collaborators work.
These social justice efforts benefit over 3 million people, if you include institutions of education in the most vulnerable contexts around the world.
 Relevant persons attending the event
Fr. Patxi Alvarez de los Mozos (Curia of the Society of Jesus in Rome): Coordinator of the Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat of the Society of Jesus
Julie Edwards (Australia): Chief Executive Officer of Jesuit Social Services in Australia and Coordinator of the Global Advocacy Network on the Governance of Natural and Mineral Resources (GNMR)
Pedro Walpole (Philippines): Director of Research at the Institute of Environmental Science for Social Change in the Philippines and Coordinator of Reconciliation with Creation for the Jesuit Asia Pacific Conference
Mauricio Garcia (Colombia): Director of the Jesuit Network for Migrants in Latin America. Expert on migration and refugees in the Colombian conflict, Director of the Centro de Investigación y Educación Popular (CINEP)
Benny Juliawan (Indonesia). Academic expert on labor rights and power relations, culture and religion graduated from the University of Sanata Dharma, and the Coordinator of the Global Ignatian Advocacy Network on Global Migration
Fr. Luis Ugalde (Venezuela):  ex-president of Andrés Bello Catholic University (UCAB).  Reference person in education policy in Venezuela.
Rigobert Minani (DRC): Coordinator of the Social Apostolate of the Society of Jesus in Africa.
Stanislaus Jebamalai (India): Coordinator of the Social Apostolate of the Society of Jesus South Asia.
Roberto Jaramillo (Colombia): Coordinator of the Social Apostolate of the Society of Jesus in Latin America.
William Kelley (USA): Coordinator of the Social Apostolate of the Society of Jesus in the USA and Canada.
Jose Ignacio Garcia (Spanish in Brussels): Global Ignatian Advocacy Network Coordinator for Ecology, and Coordinator of the Social Apostolate of the Society of Jesus in Europe.
Rafael Moreno (Mexico): Former Director of the Jesuit Network for Migrants in Latin America. Expert on migration in Central America.
Lucia Rodriguez Donate (Spain): Global Ignatian Advocacyl Network Coordinator on the Right to Education.
Klaus Väthröeder (Germany): Xavier Network Coordinator.
Mª del Mar Magallón (Spain): Director of Alboan.
Daniel Villanueva (Spain): Director of Entreculturas – Fe y Alegría.
For more information or to schedule interviews please contact: 
Marina Pastrana Rios, [email protected] +1 619.227.8351  (English & Spanish)
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