When the Philippine’s newest freeport was established seven years ago in Casiguran, Aurora province, a large-scale protest among the affected residents and various groups erupted. The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport (APECO) aimed to transform more than 12,000 hectares of Casiguran land into a commercial, industrial, agro-industrial, and tourist hub to usher development throughout the province.
From Australia has come a new online book, The Francis Effect: Living the Joy of the Gospel, which offers insights from Catholic leaders in the country on the challenges and inspiration needed to fully live the joy of the Gospel in varied ministries. Jointly published by Catholic Mission and Catholic Religious Australia, The Francis Effect is an opportunity to engage with Evangelii Gaudium in an active and practical way.
Redfern Jarjum College, a Jesuit primary school for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, was officially opened on April 13, with a number of dignitaries giving the school and its students their blessing.
This year, 167 children, many from ethnic minority tribes in the hills of northern Thailand, will get help with their education costs from the Seven Fountains Scholarship Programme.
Forty years after the Jesuits re-established their mission among indigenous people at Balgo, Australian Provincial Fr Steve Curtin SJ says the Jesuits’ commitment to Indigenous ministry remains strong. A letter was sent out to the Province in February to mark the anniversary, and to encourage people to continue to deepen their engagement with indigenous people.
A dream two years in the making was realised on February 11 when Redfern Jarjum College, the first Jesuit school to be established in Australia in over 60 years, opened its doors to 24 Indigenous primary-aged children.
Abaca, coffee and rubber are three very different crops that can make a difference to the indigenous communities in Mindanao – both economically and socially.
In October, 30 youth from Upper Pulangi, Bukidnon in northern Mindanao spent 10 days learning about these crops, how to produce them and how to do so with a sense of environmental stewardship. Jesuit research institute Environmental Science for Social Change (ESSC) conducted the training, in partnership with the Malaybalay City Agriculture Office and the Fibre Industry Development Authority.
In the small town of Sevenhill in the Clare Valley of South Australia, a handful of Jesuits gathered with representatives of Jesuit schools, ministries and Aboriginal colleagues to chart a path for the Australian Province’s Indigenous Ministry.
Fr Brian McCoy SJ, Provincial Assistant for Ministry among Indigenous Peoples, convened the gathering together in late August with Fr Pat Mullins SJ and Fr Maurie Heading SJ. These three priests are considered pioneers in this work, with over four decades of accompaniment and service to various Indigenous communities across Australia.
PHILIPPINES – Indigenous youth from Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia recently participated in an intense workshop designed to help them learn leadership skills. Held in Davao from April 28 to May 20, 2011 the Asian Indigenous People Youth Leadership Workshop is a result of the Jesuit Companions in Indigenous Ministry (JCIM) meeting held in Chiangmai in 2010.
The third Hulas (the Pulangiyen term for training and formation) batch graduated in Bendum on May 28.
Led by Fr Pedro Walpole SJ, the Hulas initiative reaches out to address the skills and education needs of a growing number of indigenous youth in upland communities in central Mindanao, Philippines. The youth are encouraged to bring their knowledge and learnings into their personal vision and to use these to help sustain their families as well as the broader community in Upper Pulangi.