Tag: Ecuador

Following Jesuits’ call for “justice that builds peace in equity”, UN and Ecuadorian Bishop’s Conference announce deal between government, indigenous leaders

Posted on by Nate Radomski

According to the comuniqué, all parties have committed to “immediately proceed[ing] to work on the elaboration of a new decree that allows for a comprehensive subsidies policy that ensures they do not benefit people with means or smugglers” and incorporate “criteria for streamlining, targeting and sectoralizing” any future subsidies.

The deal comes on the heels of a statement from the Jesuits of Ecuador, which implored all stakeholders to reflect and discern their negotiations based on “the urgent needs of the poorest”, which should be at “the center of the final decisions”.

In the statement, issued on Sunday morning, the Society of Jesus in Ecuador renewed their commitment to the poor, as outlined in the second Universal Apostolic Preference, and emphatically rejected all forms of violence, calling on those involved in Sunday afternoon’s negotiations to promote “justice that builds peace in equity.”

“The Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, together with other universities, has become a ‘zone of peace and humanitarian aid,’ which has provided an important life support for many people. However, on several occasions this tranquility and mission has been threatened by damnable actions by the government. We emphatically reject situations like these, which do not help to construct the peace we need … There is no place for more blood.”

To read the entire statement (in Spanish), click here.

Fe y Alegría’s work in the Pan Amazon Region

Posted on by Nate Radomski

This week, the international conference on “Integral Ecology: A synodal response from the Amazon and other essential biomes/territories for the care of our common home” is taking place at Georgetown University. Organized by the REPAM Ecclesial Network, and with the support of the Conference of Jesuit Provincials of the United States and Canada – Office of Justice and Ecology, among other collaborators, this conference seeks to offer an opportunity to share and develop approaches related to the topic of integral ecology outlined in Laudato Si’, and also to encourage innovative pastoral perspectives in the care and defense of our common home.

In the lead up to the October Synod on the Amazon, Fe y Alegría has also been actively engaged over the past few months in the articulation of common strategies related to care for our common home, as well as the incorporation of agro-ecological policies into its centers, within the framework of the Jesuit Pan-amazonian project.

From February 25th-28th, delegations from seven countries participated in the first Panamazonian Encounter of Fe y Alegría educational centers in Ecuador, where issues related to the Amazon from the perspectives of intercultural education, bilingual education and care for nature were analyzed.

The week was marked by intense reflection and roundtables, youth encounters, visits to areas contaminated due to the extraction of petroleum, and other natural resources, which enabled participants to see firsthand the brutal reality that our essential biomes are facing and the challenges that need to be addressed in order to halt their accelerated deterioration.

The need for authentic education, capable of integrating scientific and ecological knowledge, environmental responsibility, the wisdom of indigenous peoples was viewed as strategies to protect the planet and “build sustainable, integral development” as manifested in Pope Francis’ encyclical on care for our common home.

The delegations from Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador agreed on the need to strengthen the work of the Pan-Amazonian Network, promote training and Exchange among the different actors of the network and encourage greater participation of the members of the Amazonian peoples, in order to “amazonize the world”. 

Sources: REPAM and Fe y Alegría Ecuador

Education is key to saving the planet

Posted on by Nate Radomski

This was the conclusion of a meeting of teachers from Fe y Alegría Ecuador’s Oscar Romero school and other educational institutions in the area, that were invited to the event that was carried out as part of the first Panamazonian Encounter of Fe y Alegría Schools.

Antonio Pérez Esclarín and Fabricio Alaña, international experts, highlighted the importance of an authentic education, in which ecology and knowledge are necessary in order to reduce our footprint on this planet. At the same time, they confirmed the need to humanize education, from the perspective of a pedagogy of life, based on harmony between being and doing.

The participating educators welcomed the proposals of the panelists in order to strengthen actions that are already being carried out in their classrooms, and that integrate knowledge with awareness and a commitment to care for and protect our common home.

Source: Fe y Alegría Ecuador