Was chilly inside the Jesuit Novitiate of Hiroshima, looking at a different
world on a summer-like sun shining day. From May 1-3 the second workshop
on Jesuit Volunteers took place there. The 32 participants attending were
mainly educators from the 4 Jesuit junior high schools ( Eiko, Rokko, Hiroshima,
Taisei), 3 other Catholic schools, Salesian Ikuei, Jochi Tandai, Sophia
University, members of the Jesuit Social Apostolate committee and social
centers plus Jesuit seminarians. Half of the participants who had already
attended last years's workshop enjoyed getting together again. The workshop
started within a friendly atmosphere.
Content of the Workshop
The workshop, inspired by the principles of Jesuit education and the promotion
of justice and aiming at introducing volunteer activities and exposure
study programs into school education, stressed the sharing of experiences
and information in order to build a new network between schools and places
of work. Last year it was difficult to make the network really function,
and most of the efforts were spent on trial and error methods.
Following a preliminary consultation through a questionnaire sent to the
participants of the last workshop, the theme selected for this year's workshop
was: "the Homeless". It consisted of an ambitious program, with
a presentation of the situation of homeless people in Hiroshima followed
by social structural analysis and spiritual discernment. The situation
of homeless people in Hiroshima was presented by Mr. Nakazono Kenichi.
For the last 10 years, he has patrolled at night the streets of Hiroshima
listening to the pleas of the homeless there. He explained to us that the
number of people without any shelter has dramatically increased to one
hundred during the last 3 years. Unless the labor market is drastically
re-organized, all programs undertaken will just become symptomatic treatments.
On the other hand, what is really needed is to use all available means,
socio-welfare as well as medical care, to assist the homeless who are about
to die in front of our eyes. He spoke in a cool way on such a difficult
work.
The basics of structural analysis were presented by Fr. Vicente Bonet,
SJ. The participants were divided in 5 groups to discuss the situation
of the homeless within the political, economic, social and cultural backgrounds.
Since only one hour was allocated for the group discussions, most of the
groups could only present a superficial vision. The general trend was that,
because Japanese society refuses to accept different views and everything
must be oriented towards economic profit, such attitudes work heavily not
only against the homeless, but also against all Japanese people.
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Fr. Hanafusa Ryuichiro, SJ made the presentation of spiritual discernment.
After explaining Ignatian discernment, he pointed out the difficulties
of social discernment: "unless one considers the various differences
in the life style and social position, as well as in social values, and
unless one takes account of personal attitudes of compassion towards others
and different motivations and inner feelings, discernment might go into
opposite directions. On the opposite, by repeating a social discernment
process, one can rightly make a better discernment".
After the presentation he interviewed three persons concerning their feelings
in their activities with the homeless, on the image of Jesus they cherished
by getting involved with them. Because of lack of time participants felt
uneasy, but we all realized that, the more shocking and emotional exposure
programs and volunteer activities are, the most important it is to do structural
analysis and spiritual discernment.
Future Plans
In fact, the two more important sessions of the workshop were the first
two-hour session on personal introduction and the last 2 hours spent on
a dialogue for a future network. The more one heard the participants talk
in the first session, the more one realized how different the situations
of volunteer and exposure programs in each school are. One could strongly
feel the need for exchanges of information and of personal contacts.
How, then, can we continue networking and the holding of successive workshops?
By regions? Or by topics? For instance, dividing the western part of Japan
and the eastern, focusing on East Timor, etc., or making small groupings,
including students also?. Some thought about retreats to deepen spiritual
discernment. Many ideas were offered, but there was no common consensus.
Finally, we dispersed committing ourselves to hold a workshop next year
without fixing the location yet.
At present, the Jesuit social apostolate group together with the 4 Jesuit
junior high school team (a cross-section organization for Jesuit schools)
are continuing to dialogue, groping for formal volunteer education. I heard
that a small group has already made concrete plans with regard to East
Timor. I would like to pray that this year a step forward was made, and
that we can, again next year, make further improvements.
(A report will soon come out. Those interested in it, please, contact our
center)
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