Category: Partners

We are merging with Jesuit Missions, Inc.

Posted on by John Byrd

We are thrilled to announce that that Magis Americas is merging with Jesuit Missions Inc to consolidate our work and identity as the international solidarity organization of the Society of Jesus in the United States. We have been working diligently for moths to make this next chapter a reality and we are excited to share this important announcement with you all. The merging of these two organizations marks the first time the U.S. Jesuit Provinces share a single organization to support Jesuit education and development initiatives throughout Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

 

What is Jesuit Mission Inc and why are we merging?

Originally founded in New York, Jesuit Missions, Inc. was a 501(c)(3) organization that offered financial support and grants to the international works of the Jesuits. Since 2021, Magis Americas has taken on much of the work of Jesuit Missions Inc., including processing donations and maintaining relationships with U.S. donors and international Jesuit ministries. 

In April 2023, conversations began regarding the best approach to position the U.S. Jesuits’ international solidarity efforts for future growth. One of the key conclusions of these conversations was a proposal for Jesuit Mission Inc. to merge into Magis Americas. For the U.S. Jesuit Provinces, this would mark the first time they shared a single international solidarity organization. 

Last fall, the JMI Board of Directors–which was composed of the U.S. Provincials of the Society of Jesus–and MA’s governing bodies voted in favor of the proposed merger of our two organizations. Since then, we have been working diligently with the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States to lay the groundwork for this momentous update. 

 

What does this mean for Magis Americas?

As we have mentioned, this is a historic moment for our organization and for the U.S. Jesuits. This merger formalizes our role as the single international solidarity organization of the Jesuits in the United States. In that role, we will continue to expand our work fostering connections and mobilizing resources for Jesuit education and development initiatives in marginalized communities across Latin America, Africa, and Asia. 

As part of this process, and to better reflect this reaffirmed identity as the international solidarity organization of the U.S. Jesuits, Magis Americas will be rebranding next week! We are excited to announce our new name, updated mission and vision statements, and so much more on July 1st. 

We want to emphasize that both our merger with Jesuit Missions Inc. and our imminent rebranding do not in any way alter our commitment to our partners in the Global South or to our supporters and donors in the United States. These changes reaffirm our mission and strengthen our capacity to pursue our vision of a world in which all people have their rights upheld, their dignity protected and the capacity to act as protagonists in their individual and communal development.

Emergency Response: Earthquake in Andahuaylillas, Peru

Posted on by John Byrd

4.4 magnitude earthquake in Andahuaylillas, Peru leave rural community in need of support.

In the morning hours of Tuesday, April 30th, a magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck the district of Andahuaylillas, located in the province of Quispicanchi, Cusco. This initial quake caused significant damage to buildings in the area and an estimated 50+ aftershocks in the following days have further complicated the situation. 

While no casualties are reported, news sources in Peru indicate that the quakes have caused significant material damages in the area including Church of San Pedro Apóstol de Andahuaylillas, often referred to as the ‘Sistine Chapel of the Americas’, which was built by the Jesuits from 1570 to 1606.  As of May 8th, the Peruvian government has declared a state of emergency in the Quispicanchi Province, due to the series of earthquakes that have affected the localities of Andahuaylillas, Huaro, Lucre and Urcos. This measure will have a duration of 60 days and, importantly, has closed schools in the area. 

 

Situation on the ground:

Through Fe y Alegria International (FIFyA) and our partners at Fe y Alegría Perú, we have learned that the Colegio San Ignacio – Fe y Alegría N* 44 in Andahuaylillas has suffered extensive structural damage. The INDECI (National Institute of Civil Defense), responsible for risk and disaster management, has officially declared the school unfit for use due to the potential danger it poses to students until necessary repairs are completed. As a result, more than 840 students will have to return to remote learning even if the state of emergency is lifted. 

At the same time, many homes in the area have been damaged. Fe y Alegría Perú has indicated that 102 families in the area are in need of tents for temporary shelter. While the local government is responding to immediate needs, the school community has reached out for assistance from the international community. 

 

What Can You Do?

Magis Americas is seeking immediate donations so that we may provide support to the Fe y Alegría community in their time of need. Your donation can provide vital relief to those grappling with the aftermath of the earthquake. Partnering with Fe y Alegría Perú, your support will directly address the needs of the community and hasten the return to in-person school for the children.

Visit our donation page to contribute towards rebuilding lives and restoring hope for the affected families and students in Peru. Your generosity will make a tangible difference in their journey towards recovery.

Donate here! Peru Emergency 2024

 

Fe y Alegría continues to grow

Posted on by John Byrd

It started with one community. 

Fr. José María Vélaz, SJ—a  Chilean priest living in Venezuela—was visiting Catia, a marginalized neighborhood on the outskirts of Caracas. In conversation, he asked members of the community what they needed most. Their answer? A school. With that, Fe y Alegría was born. 

There was no 10-point business plan. Fe y Alegría was never intended to grow beyond the borders of Venezuela. It started with one school back in 1955. But people—first around the region and then around the globe—were and still are inspired by the school’s vision of inclusive and transformative education. The dream grew, slowly and organically, from a single school to an international movement in over 22 countries and counting.

Fe y Alegría first expanded beyond the borders of Venezuela in 1964 when a school was opened in Ecuador. Over the following decade, communities in seven additional Latin American countries would also begin adapting and implementing the Fe y Alegría model. These are some of the “classic” Fe y Alegría offices that many people associate the movement with–Bolivia, Peru, the Dominican Republic. These offices hold a vast majority of Fe y Alegría’s formal education centers, as they were founded at a time of great educational need in the region . Each country adapted the model to their context, but the origins, tradition, and importance of these “classic” Fe y Alegría offices laid the foundation for continued growth on “New Frontiers” in the decades that followed.

This growth–from Venezuela to Ecuador to Panama, and so on–was quite organic in nature and really depended on people to push its movement forward. Religious congregations, lay people, and marginalized communities came together and worked in collaboration to address situations of injustice and poverty in their communities, with education at the heart of their vision of change. It wasn’t until 1987 that these disparate Fe y Alegría offices formally united in  an overarching body, a common platform to help them coordinate transnational efforts and interests.

Since the creation of the International Federation of Fe y Alegría–or Fe y Alegría International–in 2016, responsibility for the growth of the movement has been coordinated by this single body.  One of the four priority areas of Fe y Alegría International since its formation has been to identify  “New Frontiers” for the movement. Time, personnel, and resources have been dedicated to strategically planning the growth of the movement, both in terms of geographic presence as well as in thematic priorities. For example, Fe y Alegría’s is expanding globally in places like Guyana, Nepal, and Guinea and the Federation is also expanding their work for justice in areas such as migration and child safeguarding. All of this growth is due in no small part to Fe y Alegría International’s commitment to “New Frontiers” as a priority area.

Today, this area focuses on three main tasks:

  • Develop new initiatives that contribute to the social, cultural, and labor insertion of people who are victims of violence, discrimination, or new forms of social exclusion. This is done in countries where Fe y Alegría is already present.
  • Study, promote, and accompany the creation and strengthening of Fe y Alegría in new countries, enriching the socio-educational proposal of Fe y Alegría according to contexts and cultures, prioritizing the places where there is greater need or exclusion. This is done in places where Fe y Alegría is not yet present or has recently begun operations.
  • Promote the institutional mission by attending to the development of new topics for reflection and responding to the challenges of the context for action. This includes topics such as education in emergency due to the post-COVID-19 health crisis, humanitarian aid, spirituality, and care for our common home.

All of this work to internationalize and grow Fe y Alegría is dependent on people. That is the beauty of the Fe y Alegría story; it has always been about people: Fr. Vélaz who listened to the needs of the community in Catia Caracas and responded to their desire for a new school;  Abraham & Patricia Reyes, who donated half their home to start that first school and supported the vision of Fr. Vélaz in so many ways;  The community in Ecuador who first adapted the Fe y Alegría model for a new cultural, geopolitical context and expanded the movement beyond the borders of Venezuela.

People like Ernesto and Leocadia are part of that story as well. Their desire to further their education and transform their lives and communities are just two examples of how Fe y Alegría continues to expand its presence at the margins. In countries like Cuba and Mexico in Latin America, Angola and Kenya in Africa, and Cambodia and Nepal in Asia.

You and I are also part of that story. Fe y Alegría was built and continues to grow through the solidarity of many. Your support of Magis Americas contributes to the lives of individuals like Ernesto and Leocadia. Your support allows us to accompany Fe y Alegría in places like Batey Lechería in the Dominican Republic, San Javier del Valle in Venezuela, and San Pedro in Paraguay.

On behalf of all of the Ernestos and Leocadias out there, thank you for being a part of the story.