Ignite café, Jesuit Social Services’ new hospitality training space, officially opened on November 19 with a full house gathered for this and the formal launch of the Mount Druitt Hub community space. The guests included Tony Burke, the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Water, Population and Communities; the Member of Parliament for Chifley, Ed Husic; and Blacktown Mayor Alan Pendleton.
At the height of the floods in Thailand in October and November, the Jesuit Foundation Prison Ministry continued to reach out to the many prisoners it has befriended in the country’s overcrowded prisons. Vilaiwan Phokthavi, Director, Jesuit Prison Ministry tells us how the floods affected prisoners in three prisons.
For the members of the Jesuit Prison Ministry team, continuing to visit prisoners took will, determination and faith. The pictures below show the road leading to Pattum Thani Prison, Central Correctional Institution for Young Offenders, on Nov 22.
The Philippines island of Mindanao will soon launch a major island-wide undertaking that shall focus on ensuring integration of Mindanao’s economy and environment to achieve sustainable development. Jesuit research institute Environmental Science for Social Change (ESSC) is a partner agency and one of only two non-governmental groups working with the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) on this flagship programme.
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.
An estimated 20 million people across Southeast Asia have been affected by flooding since June. Most are in Thailand, but typhoons struck the Philippines in October, and Laos was hit by cyclones in July and August. About 1.8 million people in Cambodia and Vietnam are also suffering from the worst flooding in a decade. Myanmar also is experiencing flooding, though the extent is unclear because little information has been released from the country. Local media there reported some 30,000 people were hit by flash floods last month that killed more than 160.
On October 30, 2011
As the floodwaters in Cambodia recede, the work of recovery and reconstruction begins. Fr Greg Priyadi SJ, Director of Jesuit Service Cambodia, reflects on the damage caused of by worst floods the country has experienced in years and the tough times faced by the people who have lost their homes, their harvest and their livelihoods.
Fr Bambang Sipayung SJ has been appointed Regional Director of Jesuit Refugee Service-Asia Pacific. His three-year term begins on June 1, 2012.
Fr Sipayung replaces Fr Bernard Arputhasamy SJ who has served the region with dedication and competence for nearly seven years.
In his letter of appointment, Father General Adolfo Nicolás said that Fr Sipayung’s rich field experience will be “a great asset to JRS”.
Refugees and asylum seekers now have the opportunity to get a degree in European universities in 2012 with the launch of applications to the AREAS scholarship on November 1.
The Academic Relations between Asia and Europe (AREAS) is a mobility and scholarship project financed by the European Commission through the Erasmus Mundus Action 2 – Strand 1 programme.
“AREAS want to ensure that vulnerable populations under Target 3 category are well-served,” said Project Coordinator Bianca Buttiglione.