Archive for the ‘Africa’ Category

St. Aloysius Gonzaga High School is located in the impoverished Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya and is dedicated to serving AIDS affected youth. With nearly 1 million inhabitants, Kibera is the largest slum in sub-Saharan Africa. In order to be admitted to the school, students must have lost one or both of their parents to HIV/AIDS and their surviving parents must also be afflicted with the disease. Jesuit Father Terry Charlton co-founded the school in 2003, which recently open a new building to its 280 students.

St. Aloysius is based on the Jesuit model of Catholic education and serves bright youngsters of all faith backgrounds who are at risk by providing a college preparatory education and support to overcome the deficits of their environment. Their educational philosophy is based on the Ignatian principals to become men and women for others who are dedicated to bettering society. Even facing such challenges as dire poverty and being orphaned, the children of the school take its motto to “live, love and learn” to heart.

You can read more about Fr. Charlton’s vision for St. Aloysius here or by watching the video below:

The Center of Concern hosted Jesuit Father Peter Henriot at the Washington Theological Union in Washington, D.C. last week, where he reflected on the convergence in global crises and the transformation necessary for the world to recover and flourish.

“One of the important signs of the times is the cultural crisis experienced in so many different forms across the globe,” commented Fr. Henriot. “Culture is of course a major contributor to identity and uniqueness, community and solidarity, empowerment and future-building. When culture is endangered at its richest roots, then all of society suffers.”

With deep roots in the U.S. faith-based social justice movement and the experience garnered over another 20 years in Zambia, Fr. Henriot spoke about what is being called for in spirit, in truth and in action for response to the global crises as they affect vulnerable peoples everywhere.

While only in the U.S. for a brief time, Fr. Henriot took full advantage of the opportunity to spread his message of peace and justice in Africa and elsewhere. In addition to his talk at the WTU, Fr. Henriot spoke at Creighton Univeristy on “Why is Africa important for the U.S. at this time?” and at the Africa Faith and Justice Network’s annual meeting, presenting the keynote address: “Africa and Justice: Justice IN and FOR Africa.”

For full video on Fr. Henriot’s talk at Creighton, please click here.

For text of Fr. Henriot’s keynote address at the AFJN’s annual meeting, please click here.

Jesuits are encouraged by last night’s first public release of Chevron Corporation’s new Policy 520 on human rights. This breakthrough follows six years of shareholder dialog with one of the world’s largest energy and oil companies. As a result of this announcement, a coalition of Jesuit groups and other religious congregations are withdrawing a 2010 shareholder resolution petitioning the development of a corporate human rights policy.

“We very much appreciate the commitment Chevron has demonstrated in staying with this dialogue over the past six years of engagement,” said Jesuit Father G. Thomas Krettek, Provincial for the Wisconsin Province of the Society of Jesus, the lead filer for the shareholder resolution. “We remain committed to ongoing dialogue with Chevron regarding implementation, monitoring, reporting, and incentivizing the policy, as well as identifying potential areas where Policy 520 might be strengthened.”

Jesuit affiliated members of the coalition include:  the Wisconsin Province of the Society of Jesus, Creighton University and Loyola University Chicago, among others. Since 2004, this coalition has presented a shareholder resolution and held regular dialogues regarding the need to develop a transparent, verifiable and comprehensive human rights policy. At the 2009 annual meeting, more than 357 million shares of Chevron stock voted in favor of establishing such a policy and the resolution has currently drawn the support of 42 institutional investors. The Jesuits hope adoption of this new human rights policy indicates Chevron’s awareness of their social footprint and their potential as a force for integral human development, as well as protection and promotion of human rights in the extractive sector. They anticipate future and ongoing dialogue with Chevron regarding policy deployment and transparent monitoring of the policy. Furthermore, the Jesuit-led coalition encourages Chevron to have more explicit community engagements, management directives and a widening mandate to honor the human rights protections by suppliers and security contractors.

You can read more about the Jesuit’s response to Chevron’s new policy on human rights by clicking here.

Jesuit Father Uwem Akpan’s appearances at Jesuit schools across the country continues with appearance this Saturday at Georgetown University, Wednesday at University of San Francisco and Thursday at Loyola Marymount University. Jesuit Father Uwem Akpan, author of Say You’re One of Them, the current Oprah’s Book Club selection, is visiting Jesuit colleges and universities across the country to discuss his book, the intersection of spirituality and art, and his life as a Jesuit priest and author. Fr. Akpan’s talks, which will include a reading from his collection of short stories that were recently #1 on the New York Times list for fiction, will be free and open to the public.

After his participation in a live, in-depth discussion about his book with Oprah Winfrey and Anderson Cooper that was simulcast on Oprah.com and CNN.com, Fr. Akpan appeared this week at Loyola Chicago and Boston College. If you missed the webcast, you can watch Oprah and Say You’re One of Them author Uwem Akpan and their in-depth discussion about his book, the challenges facing children in Africa and more here.
 

Jesuit Father Uwem Akpan, author of Say You’re One of Them, the current Oprah’s Book Club selection, will visit five Jesuit colleges and universities across the country to discuss his book, the intersection of spirituality and art, and his life as a Jesuit priest and author. Fr. Akpan’s talks, which will include a reading from his collection of short stories that were recently #1 on the New York Times list for fiction, will be free and open to the public, and will be held on the campuses of Loyola University Chicago, Boston College, Georgetown University, University of San Francisco and Loyola Marymount University.

Father Akpan’s appearances at Jesuit schools across the country will take place shortly after his participation in a live, in-depth discussion about his book with Oprah Winfrey and Anderson Cooper that will be simulcast on Oprah.com and CNN.com. Details of the event, which will take place on Monday, November 9, at 9 p.m. EST, can be found at www.oprah.com/bookclub. RSVP in advance of Monday night’s live web event by visiting the Oprah.com website.

Book Tour Schedule

Two additional free and open-to-the-public book events will be taking place with Father Akpan in New York and Philadelphia. On Wednesday, November 11, at 4:30p.m., the New York Theological Seminary will be hosting a reading at their Interfaith Center, 475 Riverside Drive, New York, N.Y. On Tuesday, November 17, at 7:30 p.m., Father Akpan will speak along with author and fellow Oprah Book Club^® author, David Wroblewski at the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Montgomery Auditorium, 1901 Vine St., Philadelphia, Pa.

Below is a recent CNN.com video with Jesuit Father Uwem Akpan from Nigeria:  

About the Book – Say You’re One of Them

In Say You’re One of Them, published in September 2009, each story in this jubilantly acclaimed collection pays testament to the wisdom and resilience of children, even in the face of the most agonizing circumstances. A family living in a makeshift shanty in urban Kenya scurries to find gifts of any kind for the impending Christmas holiday. A Rwandan girl relates her family’s struggles to maintain a facade of normalcy amid unspeakable acts. A young brother and sister cope with their uncle’s attempt to sell them into slavery. Aboard a bus filled with refugees—a microcosm of today’s Africa—a Muslim boy summons his faith to bear a treacherous ride across Nigeria. Through the eyes of childhood friends the emotional toll of religious conflict in Ethiopia becomes viscerally clear.

About the Author – Jesuit Father Uwem Akpan

Uwem Akpan, S.J., was born in Ikot Akpan Eda in southern Nigeria. After studying philosophy and English at Creighton and Gonzaga universities, he studied theology for three years at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. He was ordained as a Jesuit priest in 2003 and received his MFA in creative writing from the University of Michigan in 2006. “My Parents’ Bedroom,” a story from his short story collection, Say You’re One of Them, was one of five short stories by African writers chosen as finalists for The Caine Prize for African Writing 2007.