Reconciliation in Response to the Global Humanitarian Crisis
1. Introduction
Contemplating the world through God’s eyes, we see conflict and violence as major drivers of forced displacement. In most places where JRS operates, this reality is prevalent, marked by ethnic and religious tensions, post-conflict resentment, and outright conflict. Relationships are torn apart by suspicion, hatred, and violence, posing a constant challenge to eradicate these hostilities.
JRS, as a global apostolate of the Society of Jesus, responds with a spirituality of non-violence grounded in reconciliation. Rooted in Jesus’ teachings, Catholic Social Teaching, Ignatian Spirituality, and shared universal values, reconciliation is central to JRS’s mission. We strive to rebuild just relationships with God, self, others, and creation, addressing the wounds caused by conflict.
As a backdrop to our spirituality of non-violence, Reconciliation is our path to creating right relationships among refugees, between refugees and host communities, and among our own teams. Through this, we aim to resolve conflicts peacefully and heal from the trauma of violence, fostering a culture of peace and understanding. Our efforts include:
– Accompanying those served towards right relationships with a focus on bridge-building and psychosocial support.
– Empowering individuals and communities to be agents of change through hospitality, education in peace-building, and peaceful coexistence.
– Advocating for restorative justice by identifying the roots of violence and influencing social and political change to prevent structural violence.
In this session, after a broad presentation of the global humanitarian crisis and its underlying causes, we will explore JRS’s non-violence spiritual approach centered on reconciliation, and how it promotes peace and builds communities of hope among people served.
2. The global forced displacement crisis
2.1 Who is a refugee?
The 1951 United Nations (UN) Convention relating to the Status of Refugees is the most widely accepted legal instrument for the protection of refugees. Article 1 of the 1951 Convention defines a refugee as a person who “owing to well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of [their] nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail [themselves] of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside the country of [their] former habitual residence, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to return to it.” The international definition of a “refugee” as outlined in the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol is crucial but limited, primarily focusing on individual persecution and excluding broader displacement causes. Notably, the convention does not cover internally displaced persons (IDPs), i.e. civilians who face similar violence as refugees but remain within their own countries. When these countries fail to protect IDPs, the international community must step in. Although international law does not specifically protect IDPs, policies have evolved to address their needs. This exclusion highlights the need for a more inclusive framework.
Even at the time this definition was issued, with its strong focus on an individualized risk of harm, it was not globally received as a satisfactory response to the needs on the ground. While fully recognizing the Geneva
Convention, JRS considers its scope too restrictive as it excludes millions of people forced to flee their homes. JRS supports instead the Catholic Church’s 1992 “de facto refugee” definition, which encompasses victims of armed conflict, flawed economic policies, natural disasters, and IDPs, emphasizing the dignity of every person.
2.2 A Global Humanitarian Crisis: A World with 110 million Forcibly Displaced People
Today’s refugee and migrant movements are complex and disorderly, posing significant challenges. The humanitarian crisis landscape has evolved to become more global. As of mid-2023, UNHCR reported 110 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, including 62.5 million internally displaced, 36.4 million refugees, and 6.1 million asylum seekers. Notably, poorer countries bear the greatest burden, hosting 75% of refugees despite representing a small fraction of the global population and Gross Domestic Product. Countries like Chad, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Uganda host large refugee populations, while low-income countries struggle with inadequate funding and accountability mechanisms.
Legal mechanisms for refugee protection, adequate funding, and accountability are crucial. There is a growing recognition of the importance of involving displaced people in decision-making processes. Consequently, key actors, including UN agencies, donor states, NGOs, and displaced persons, have developed more sustainable responses and improved funding and accountability mechanisms.
2.3 Why a “Refugee Crisis”? The Drivers of
Forced Migration
Complex situations force people to flee their homes, including poverty, armed conflicts, climate change, human rights abuses, globalization, and lack of access to natural resources:
- Poverty, exacerbated by corruption and lack of infrastructure, is a primary driver of displacement, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Over 86% of the world’s refugees come from and are hosted in the poorest countries.
- Armed conflicts drive forced displacement in many regions of the world, and the situation is exacerbated by governance failures and regional power struggles. Affected region are particularly the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Ukraine.
- Climate change is increasingly contributing to displacement, with rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and droughts forcing people to relocate. The impacts are particularly severe in vulnerable regions, exacerbating existing vulnerabilities and sometimes leading to conflict. The international response, including legal frameworks like the 1951 Refugee Convention and regional agreements, is evolving but needs further development to address the complex challenges posed by climate-induced migration. Water scarcity, exacerbated by climate change, is linked to armed conflicts and geopolitical tensions, requiring equitable and sustainable management to prevent conflict.
- Human rights violations, especially against asylum seekers, refugees, and internally displaced persons (IDPs), are a major cause of forced displacement. In conflict-ridden countries like Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Syria, forced displacement is often used as a deliberate tactic of warfare. Persecution based on religious beliefs exacerbates ethnic and religious cleansing, with minorities facing discrimination and persecution. Intolerant interpretations of religion worsen conflicts. Protecting freedom of religion or belief is essential for advancing human rights.
- The global arms trade worsens conflict and insecurity, leading to increased military spending and the development of extreme military technology. Challenges to existing arms control agreements are exacerbated by deteriorating relationships between major powers like Russia and the United States. Rising defense spending, especially in countries with weak governance, poses new risks to global security. Civil society groups advocate for responsible governance and transparency in defense institutions to address these challenges.
- Globalization offers tools to fight poverty but disrupts traditional jobs and threatens cultural identities. The refugee crisis underscores the challenges of migration amid shifting global trends. Economic trends like trade liberalization and privatization contribute to rising local tensions and inequality, disproportionately affecting the poorest and most desperate in society.
- Access to natural resources drives conflicts, with exploitation by both Western and non-Western companies perpetuating violence and human rights abuses. The involvement of these companies disregards the disastrous consequences, profiting from conflict-linked resources.
- New forms of violence, particularly in regions like Central America and Colombia, defy conventional definitions and necessitate a broader understanding of refugees. Organized crime syndicates exploit the lack of state capacity, engaging in activities like drug trafficking and human trafficking, exacerbating violence and displacement.
These causes are interconnected, with poverty, cultural differences, and limited opportunities often leading to armed recruitment and prolonged conflicts. Addressing these issues requires political and economic efforts to eliminate ethnic strife, curtail the arms trade, and promote economic development and social progress. Pope Francis emphasizes the moral duty to safeguard human dignity and create conditions for dignified living. He advocates tackling root causes like sustainable development to make migration a voluntary choice rather than a necessity. In his recent message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Pope Francis highlighted the significance of individuals being able to “freely choose whether to migrate or to stay.”
2.4 Protracted Nature of Conflicts
Protracted refugee situations, “defined as those where more than 25,000 refugees from the same country of origin have been in exile in a given low- or middle-income host country for at least five consecutive years” (https://www.unhcr.org/-mid-year-trends-report-2023), are common. 66% of refugees are in such situations, predominantly in Africa, with Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Iran facing displacement for over 30 years. Challenges include overcrowding, limited resources, and loss of livelihood, trapping refugees in a state of limbo where returning home is unsafe, and they lack permanent residence elsewhere. Protracted crises, like those in Yemen and South Sudan, combined with new displacement crises and low numbers of returnees, exacerbate these situations.
During his visit to a Palestinian refugee camp in March 2000, Pope John Paul II highlighted the degrading conditions refugees endure, the prolonged and barely tolerable situations in camps, and the necessity for displaced persons to remain in these conditions for years. He appealed to all working for justice and peace not to lose heart and urged political leaders to implement existing agreements and strive for peace, emphasizing the inalienable right to justice for all.
3. Refugees’ lives and hardships
Forcibly displaced people often lose everything and lack basic human necessities such as safety, food, water, shelter, and healthcare. When refugees flee their homeland, the horrors they endure on their journey are often worse than what they fled:
- They suffer psychological trauma due to the loss of their normal lives and the irreversible experience of displacement.
- Many have no social networks and no command of the local language, making them vulnerable to exploitation.
- Discrimination and xenophobia, particularly in urban areas, often force them into hiding.
- Although international law grants them the right to work and move freely, many face restrictions on movement and formal employment. Without means of subsistence and access to employment, they become dependent on assistance, leading to dependency and depression.
Thus, they particularly come from and live in environments marked by division and violence. Conflicts erupt between refugees and host communities over scarce resources such as employment, water, or firewood. They encounter obstacles that are not only physical
but also deeply rooted in the hearts of some of their hosts: stereotypes, fears, and hostility that condemn refugees to remain outsiders, unable to realize their potential by integrating and participating in social and economic life.
This complex situation shows that beyond material needs, forcibly displaced people have a fundamental human need for companionship—someone to listen to their stories, help them find personal and communal peace, and attain consolation, hope, and stability in their lives.
4. JRS response: addressing violence through reconciliation
In response to the global crisis of forced displacement, spawned and fueled by various forms of violence (individual, communal, and structural), JRS discerned approach prioritizes reconciliation, rooted in faith and compassion. As such, JRS’s ministry with the people they serve seeks to promote nonviolence and peace, emphasizing the importance of reconciliation and justice.
4.1. Faith and Compassion
To better understand JRS preferential option for reconciliation, as a path to bringing peace and healing to the forcibly displaced, violence-scarred and broken, it is important to note that our response to the needs of the forcibly displaced transcends mere humanitarianism. This ministry of consolation and healing is founded on the conviction of God’s presence amidst humanity’s darkest moment.
Indeed, as a Jesuit faith-based organization, JRS draws inspiration from its religious roots, particularly Catholic Social Teaching, Ignatian spirituality, and shared universal values. The JRS mission is built on our faith in God who is present in human history, even in its most tragic moments. At JRS inception, his founder said that, “The spiritual as well as material need of nearly 16 million refugees throughout the world today could scarcely be greater. God is calling us through these helpless people. We should consider the chance of being able to assist them a privilege that will, in turn, bring great blessings to ourselves and our Society.” Until today, the experience of faith in God, present to refugees through the compassionate presence of Jesus and those called to serve, remains central to the personal experiences of many collaborators. For them, accompanying refugees affirms that God is present in human history, even in its most tragic episodes. The relationships built with refugees signify God’s presence in a world increasingly hostile to them, offering a powerful counter-witness to the prevailing culture of rejection and disbelief. Despite all indications to the contrary, God has not abandoned us; rather, He works through us. JRS UK Director Sarah Teather expressed this sentiment, stating, “ I have a real sense that we often meet God in encounters with refugees. When you draw into the shadow, and you draw alongside people, sometimes that’s where you see God’s protection of others, that’s where for us we get to see and meet the Living God working, laboring ahead of us.”
Furthermore, faith holds significant importance for refugees. It serves as their source of hope in coping with the trauma of war, loss, suffering, and displacement. Similarly, regarding hosting entities, faith communities are well-equipped to receive and integrate refugees.
On this road of faith, JRS is inspired by the compassion and love of Jesus for the poor and excluded, as well as by His vision of the reign of God, where those labelled as last come first. Throughout His ministry, Jesus displays a remarkable ability to notice and to approach those who are ‘invisible’ to others, marginalized because of their debilitating sickness of body or spirit. His parables and pithy teachings are the polestar for our mission today. Everywhere in the world, when JRS staff and volunteers are asked what inspires their commitment to refugees, one of the most universal answers is simply to cite the Golden Rule: “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.” (Mt 7:12).
Additionally, The Vatican’s Pastoral Guidelines for the care of migrants and refugees says: “The New Testament has left us a marvelous synthesis of Christ’s work in which we, too, are called to participate as shown in the Parable of the Good Samaritan.” This beautiful story (L uke 10, 39-27) not only shows us how to live but presents as a model someone who we might have learned to despise because he comes from a group that we mistrust, stereotype and stigmatize. In biblical times, the Jews labelled Samaritans as heretical and wicked people.
Accordingly, the pillars of JRS ministry are as follows:
- Compassion and Accompaniment: With the aim of restoring dignity and empowering individuals to rebuild their lives on just foundations, this involves offering companionship, active listening, and solidarity, grounded in the belief in divine presence on earth and expressed through compassionate action. We prioritize the practice of Ignatian Cura Personalis, which involves caring for the whole person and emphasizing respect for the dignity and well-being of each individual. While always ready to assist refugees with their material and spiritual needs and in designing projects for a fuller and more independent life, we prioritize “being with” over “doing for.” Our presence among refugees is one of sharing, accompaniment, and walking together along the same path. We aim to empathize with their experiences, share their hopes and aspirations, and see the world through their eyes. Accompaniment serves as the driving force behind all our actions, shaping our identity and reputation, particularly among refugees themselves.
- Advocacy and Justice: JRS commitment to evangelical solidarity propels active engagement in addressing the root causes of injustice and suffering, challenging oppressive structures, and advocating for systemic change. This approach reflects JRS faith in action, drawing inspiration from the teachings of Jesus and manifested in works of justice and reconciliation.
- Spiritual Benefits: Through their work with the people served, many JRS collaborators experience personal and spiritual growth, recognizing it as a privilege to serve. They feel deeply “accompanied” by those they accompany. They receive profound gifts from refugees, fostering human connection and spiritual enrichment.
These pillars form the foundation of JRS ministry of reconciliation, addressing the reality of violence through activities that promote peace and social cohesion, provide redress for victims, and support systemic change.
4.2. Discerning the signs of times
Reconciliation is not just a goal but an integral expression of the JRS mission. It is the result of a process of discernment by JRS, following Fr. Arrupe’s initial recommendation to adopt “communal discernment” as the fundamental basis for any development of the JRS mission: “We can only start out on this tremendous work step by step, looking ahead and searching out the way. Most probably we shall have to search for it daily… the elasticity of this experimentation and risk-taking should be all in one direction—the direction pointed out by the Holy Spirit” (Fr. Pedro Arrupe, 6 August 1981; ref. The “Jesuit” In Jesuit Refugee Service, Studies in the Spirituality of Jesuites, Introduction by homas H. Smolich Smolich, iii. Spring 2022)
Hence, discerning the signs of the times in a world marked by profound suffering and division, and willing to find God in all things, JRS adopted reconciliation as the mainstream of its mission to deeply assume its identity as a global ministry of the Society of Jesus and integrate the renewed mission of reconciliation and justice of the Society. This constitutes one of the four Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society, discerned by the entire apostolic body of the Society and promulgated by Fr. Arturo Sosa, the current Superior General: “To walk with the poor, the outcast of the world, those whose dignity has been violated, in a mission of reconciliation and justice”(Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus, 2019-2029. Letter to the whole Society of Jesus, 19 February 2019).
This also aligns with the Society’s mission received from the Holy Father to “continue to help create conditions of hospitality, to accompany all these people in their process of integration into society, and to promote the defense of their rights” (Fr. Arturo Sosa, Renewed commitment of the Jesuit Refugee Service. Letter to the whole Society of Jesus and Partners in Mission, 24 May 2019).
At JRS, we believe that our presence among refugees can be an “effective sign of God’s love and reconciliation” (JRS Charter, 2000). In fact, it would be virtually impossible for JRS to fulfil its mission without working on reconciliation. Over the years, profound questions have emerged, prompting us to prioritize reconciliation and better articulate JRS’s mission as a mission of reconciliation and justice, as all Jesuit apostolates require:
– How can we accompany refugees without responding to their longing for healing and peace?
– How can we be present in conflict and post-conflict zones without supporting communities in their search for reconciliation and the restoration of justice?
– How can we serve refugees targeted by intolerance without building bridges with host communities?
Our ministry of reconciliation is, in fact, our response to promote nonviolence among refugees and address the violence that generates their situation. By actively engaging in reconciliation efforts, we aim to create spaces where conflicts can be resolved peacefully, and where individuals and communities can heal from the trauma of violence. Through this approach, we not only seek to restore broken relationships but also to prevent the recurrence of violence and promote a culture of peace and understanding.
Reconciliation serves as a catalyst for personal and societal transformation, promoting unity, peace, and solidarity. By fostering reconciliation within its own organization and promoting dialogue and understanding among diverse communities, JRS embodies the values of unity, peace, and solidarity.
- Reconciliation ministry and Non-Violence
In our perspective, reconciliation and nonviolence are deeply interconnected principles that often work hand in hand, especially in contexts of conflict or crisis:
- Resolution of Conflict: Reconciliation involves the resolution of conflicts and the restoration of relationships. Nonviolence provides a means of achieving this resolution without resorting to physical or psychological harm to others. By embracing nonviolence, parties in conflict can engage in constructive dialogue and seek peaceful solutions rather than perpetuating cycles of violence.
- Healing Trauma: Reconciliation acknowledges the pain and trauma experienced by individuals or communities involved in conflicts. Nonviolence recognizes the importance of addressing this trauma in a compassionate and empathetic manner, rather than perpetuating further harm. By promoting healing and understanding, reconciliation can help break the cycle of violence.
- Building Trust: Nonviolence fosters trust and mutual respect among parties involved in conflict. Reconciliation seeks to rebuild trust and create conditions for peaceful coexistence. Through acts of nonviolence, such as dialogue, forgiveness, and empathy, trust can be nurtured, paving the way for reconciliation processes to take place.
- Promotion of Justice: Both reconciliation and nonviolence are often grounded in principles of justice and fairness. Nonviolence advocates for the rights and dignity of all individuals, while reconciliation seeks to address grievances and promote accountability for past injustices. By upholding these principles, reconciliation processes can be more effective in addressing the root causes of conflict and promoting lasting peace.
Overall, within JRS’s mission, reconciliation and the promotion of nonviolence are interconnected approaches that share the goal of addressing conflicts and promoting peace in a way that respects the humanity and dignity of all involved. Through our ministry of reconciliation, we actively advocate for nonviolent solutions and strive to create environments where individuals and communities can resolve conflicts peacefully, fostering healing and understanding.
- Building up peaceful and just relationships
Based on more than 40 years of experience, JRS embodies the spirituality of reconciliation and nonviolence through its threefold mission. JRS reconciles by: a) listening and accompanying, b) serving through education and creative support, and c) advocating for restorative justice and right relationships between all sides in conflict. If any of these dimensions were removed, the mission to reconcile would lose its specific JRS identity. Together and inseparable, these three dimensions characterize JRS spirituality of nonviolence grounded in reconciliation.
a. Accompanying All Sides in Conflict
The importance of personal encounters with victims as the first step towards reconciliation is highlighted. This involves listening to their stories and accompanying them through their suffering. However, true reconciliation also requires extending this accompaniment to the aggressors, acknowledging their humanity, and seeking mutual understanding. Without encountering and acknowledging “the other,” genuine reconciliation is impossible. Welcoming all without discrimination, working for the good of all, and seeking the good in all. As agents of reconciliation, we strive not to take sides. We listen to the suffering of the victims and to the perpetrators. And we try to help people realise that real happiness will only come about when the dignity and rights of each one is respected.
b. Education to peace
Education, particularly for children, is emphasized as a powerful tool for reconciliation. By providing educational opportunities, JRS aims to break the cycle of violence and foster a future generation capable of living together in peace.
In several operational contexts, JRS organizes peace and reconciliation training workshops for its educational staff and community leaders. We also conduct peace-building campaigns that involve community members, host populations, and civil society, aiming to strengthen peaceful cohesion and cohabitation.
To further support reconciliation, we facilitate safe spaces where people from divided groups can come together to get to know and listen to one another. Through this process, individuals become more aware of the sources of division, violence, and despair, and the harm they cause. As trust and relationships gradually develop, understanding and reconciliation are fostered. In these community safe space gatherings, Pope Francis’ Call for Peace resonates loudly, moving hearts and provoking tears of regret, conversion, and meaningful dialogue. Indeed, his profound message emphasizes the consequences of self-centeredness and the importance of caring for one another, urging each of us to reflect on our responsibility towards our brothers and sisters:
“When man thinks only of himself, of his own interests, and places himself at the center, when he permits himself to be captivated by the idols of dominion and power, when he puts himself in God’s place, then all relationships are broken and everything is ruined; then the door opens to violence, indifference, and conflict.… It is exactly in this chaos that God asks man’s conscience: ‘Where is Abel your brother?’ And Cain responds: ‘I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?’ (Gen 4:9).
We too are asked this question. It would be good for us to ask ourselves as well: Am I really my brother’s keeper? Yes, you are your brother’s keeper!
To be human means to care for one another! But when harmony is broken, a metamorphosis occurs: the brother who is to be cared for and loved becomes an adversary to fight, to kill. What violence occurs at that moment, how many conflicts, how many wars have marked our history! We need only look at the suffering of so many brothers and sisters.” (7 September 2013, St. Peter’s Square, Vigil of Prayer for Peace)
Additionally, offering material support and income-generating activities to victims is essential, addressing their immediate needs and empowering them to rebuild their lives.
c. Advocating for truth and justice
JRS advocates for Restorative Justice, emphasizing the right of both victims and aggressors to heal and restore relationships. This includes advocating for truth and justice regarding human rights violations, giving a voice to marginalized perspectives, and defending spaces where silenced stories can be heard.
In this perspective, we believe that genuinely reconciled relationships are marked by justice that restores humanity. Pseudo-reconciliation, which is disconnected from the truth, can be a way of covering impunity. Thus, our reconciliation ministry supports restorative justice, which is an approach to justice that emphasizes repairing the harm caused by criminal behavior through inclusive processes that engage all stakeholders. It contrasts with traditional punitive justice systems, which focus primarily on punishing the offender. Key principles include:
- Repair: The primary aim is to address and repair the harm done to victims, communities, and even offenders. This can involve restitution, apologies, and other forms of making amends.
- Inclusion: Restorative justice seeks to involve all parties affected by the crime or conflict, including victims, offenders, their families, and community members, in the process of finding a resolution.
- Accountability: Offenders are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions and understand the impact of their behavior on others.
- Reintegration: The approach supports the reintegration of offenders into the community, aiming to reduce recidivism by addressing the underlying causes of criminal behavior and promoting personal development.
Restorative justice practices can include victim-offender mediation, circle processes, and community conferencing. These practices are designed to create a space for dialogue, mutual understanding, and collective agreement on how to move forward in a way that promotes healing and reconciliation for all involved.
in this context, reconciliation is not imposed from outside but emerges through the active participation of all parties involved.
d. Hospitality: Welcoming the stranger
In some contexts, we articulate reconciliation as hospitality, going beyond stereotyping labels to welcome the stranger struggling in a hostile environment characterized by fear of the other, closed minds and borders, exploitation, and scarce support. These factors contribute to reduced hospitality and a negative shift in the treatment of asylum seekers and refugees.
Encouraged by the Vatican’s Pastoral Guidelines for working with refugees and migrants, this ministry aims to be a ‘sign of contradiction,’ “a counterculture to this hostility,” so that, as JRS UK Director Sarah Teather explains, “those who experience hostility might at least have some experience of hospitality. Those who experience isolation might find some place of community. People who are demonised might find some space of friendship.” A place of hospitality becomes a place where joy and pain, tears and peace are closely interwoven. The essence of such a community is encounter, prompted by a culture of welcome, openness, and hospitality.
One example is the daily shared lunches at the JRS UK office, open to staff, volunteers, and refugees visiting for appointments or activities. A refugee shared his experience of this community of hospitality: “The way you are treated here is like the opposite of how you are treated everywhere else in the system. It’s basic things that make the difference: a warm welcome, they use your name, shake your hand, eat food with you, view you as human. This kind of interaction is what provides emotional support for me.”
e. God’s Grace
Reconciliation is God’s work, embodied in the principle: “Act as if everything depends on you, and pray as if everything depends on God.” We recognize the challenge of loving one’s enemies and emphasize forgiveness as a pathway to reconciliation: forgiveness and reconciliation transcend human capacity and are rooted in divine grace. This perspective aligns with Fr. Arrupe’s poignant advice to the pioneering JRS workers on August 6, 1981, during a meeting in Thailand, less than one year after founding JRS: “I will say one more thing, and please don’t forget it. Pray. Pray much. Problems such as these are not solved by human efforts. I am telling you things that I want to emphasize, a message – perhaps my ‘swan song’ for the Society.”
f. Organization behavior and mission component
Another crucial aspect of reconciliation within JRS is the cultivation of just relationships among us, viewing reconciliation as a journey that begins with oneself and extends to others within our organizational behavior and mission components. This involves the practice of “building just relationships”, permeating our internal interactions in a beneficial manner for the people we serve. In this perspective, we build the capacity of JRS teams and community partners to foster reconciliation, including teachers and students, community and religious leaders, women and youth associations.
This approach fosters reconciliation, allowing the reality of our shared humanity to be lived and taught convincingly. It fosters effective collaboration among individuals from diverse cultures, religious, and secular backgrounds, creating an inclusive environment where all are welcomed and valued.
Through our shared mission of reconciliation and justice, JRS strives to break down barriers and foster solidarity among humanity. We prioritize respecting the deepest religious convictions of both those we serve and those we collaborate with. Our tolerance is not superficial but informed and discerning, grounded in a genuine understanding of each other’s stories. To authentically convey our story of accompaniment, service, and advocacy, we must first comprehend and honor the unique stories of each individual, whether refugee or collaborator. And for each of us, finally, the story is unique: each of us is called by name to accompany, serve, and advocate on behalf of our sisters and brothers. Consequently, we honor each person—refugee and colleague—by fully respecting their story, which sustains hope in difficult and tragic situations. In the words of Fr. Arrupe at JRS’s founding, “God is calling us through the refugees—each of us uniquely but all of us in solidarity as JRS.”
5. Conclusion
Reconciliation, rooted in justice and sought through dialogue, is a theme of JRS ministry around the world. It remains at the heart of JRS’s spirituality of nonviolence, shaping its actions and relationships at every level. JRS seeks to build bridges of understanding and compassion across divides of culture, religion, and nationality. Embracing Pope Francis’ call for unity and reconciliation, JRS acknowledges its role as a catalyst for positive change, promoting dialogue and understanding across diverse communities and working towards a more just and compassionate society for all.
This ministry is carried out in a spirit of compassion and solidarity, encouraging participative discernment and reflective practice as integral components of its guiding principles or values. It aims to kindle hope, secure justice, and affirm the dignity of refugees and forced migrants. Working for reconciliation is often thankless and tiring, and it can also be dangerous. However, in this journey, we are motivated by the resilience and openness of refugees and others who have been deeply affected by violence, intolerance, and persecution. Our task is to take small steps as we journey together with them towards reconciliation with God, self, others, and creation, discerning daily how to better respond to God’s call to give “an audacious response to the unexpected crises of the present moment without diminishing our engagement with human tragedies that go beyond the present moment, tragedies like the migration of persons forced to leave their homelands because of poverty, violence, or lack of a future for their families” (Fr. General Arturo Sosa, SJ, The audacity of the impossible”. JRS 40th Anniversary Mass, 14 November 2020).
In conclusion, our reflection highlights the spiritual approach of JRS as a potential guide for diverse nonviolent strategies in conflict zones worldwide. The pivotal lesson lies in the discernment process that led to the selection of Reconciliation as JRS’s specific response to the violence of forced displacement. Fr. Arrupe’s methodology involved seeking God in the ‘signs of the times,’ or the prevailing realities of the era. Similarly, we must discern the signs of our times to effectively respond to our diverse missions in conflict zones globally.
What are the ‘signs of the times’ that we are called to respond to now in our missions? Today, these signs include the urgency to address heightened conflicts and humanitarian crises, escalating forced displacement, pervasive violence and injustice, environmental degradation exacerbated by conflict, increasing religious and ethnic tensions, and the imperative for trauma-informed healing initiatives. By discerning and responding to these ‘signs of the times’ with faith, empathy, wisdom, and courage, we can contribute to the pursuit of peace, justice, and healing in conflict-affected regions worldwide.
