Social Justice Groups Must Cooperate More
Many Catholic organisations exist with the aim of alleviating the dire need for social justice in today’s world.

Gushwell Brooks speaks at the All Africa Assembly for the Society of St Vincent De Paul. (Photo: Roy Hawkins/SVPl)
The Catholic organisation I work for, the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), does so through the vision of our founding father, Fr Pedro Arrupe SJ, who was so moved by the plight of the Vietnamese boat people and their perilous journeys to exile that he established JRS in November 1980.
That personifies that desire to bring some relief in a world of dire need of social justice.
Another Catholic organisation that was established with the aim of bringing about greater social justice, is the Society of St Vincent De Paul (SVP).
In a debate on religion at his university in Paris, Bl Frédéric Ozanam was openly challenged: “But what is the Church doing now? What are you doing? Show us your works, and then we might believe!”
Bl Ozanam took up the challenge: “We must do what Jesus did…let us go to the poor.” Through a simple act of taking some of his own firewood and donating it to an old man living a few doors away, Bl Ozanam started serving the poor.
And so, in 1833 he founded with fellow students what would become the SVP. Within two years the SVP had grown to 100 members.
Many of the refugees, asylum seekers and other displaced people whom JRS serves are poor. At times, having escaped with nothing but the clothes on their backs, many refugees reach the countries of refuge, where they seek protection, with no jobs—or any prospect of employment—homeless and with a limited or non-existent social network.
Many of these refugees end up needing the assistance of organisations such as the SVP, at times simply receiving meals through the soup kitchens in the SVP network for immediate relief.
Many of these refugees are not aware of the legal and administrative processes that are required in the protection and assertion of their rights and many are not aware of the durable solutions which JRS offers.
It is therefore clear that closer coordination is needed, a relationship that serves all the needs which people may have.
At one end the SVP may be able to provide immediate relief with meals and other forms of assistance extended to the poor, but JRS could then assist with specific needs peculiar to the needs of refugees, such as advocacy and in finding lasting solutions through the educational, livelihoods and other assistance we provide for refugees.
The SVP recently held their All Africa Assembly at Good Shepherd Retreat Centre at Hartebeespoort Dam. The assembly brought together a large number of SVP presidential representatives across Africa.
As the Southern Africa Communications Officer, I was invited to give a talk on migration, poverty and xenophobia.
In my talk I noted that the most obvious case studies came out of the South African context where research shows that cross-border migrants—including refugees and asylum seekers—constitute between 4-7% of the total population.
Studies also show that much of the xenophobia plaguing South Africa emanates from an undercurrent of frustration due to socio-economic inequalities.
More than 36% of young people under the age of 34 are unemployed. This problem is further exacerbated by a slowing economy, poor service delivery and a poor educational system that leaves more than 1,7 million (or 33,2 %) of those completing secondary school unemployed. The figure for tertiary-educated people is 390000, or 7.6%.
How the SVP and such organisations can stem the tide of anger is to ensure that all those whom they serve—local and migrant alike—share in each other’s common humanity and dispel myths that drive xenophobia, changing the narrative and acrimony toward migrants.
Greater cooperation between organisations such as he SVP and JRS, and others in the field, can ease the challenges faced by those at the margins and most vulnerable.
We do not have to do things in a significantly different way—we stick to our expertise and experience. The difference would be a recognition and understanding that in as much as we are working towards a common goal of social justice, we have different areas of expertise that complement each other holistically.
Dr Michael Thio, president-general of the global SVP Community, kicked off the day by recounting a personal encounter he had with Mother Teresa. The crux of this encounter was how it ended when she handed him one of her business cards, with one of the most profound quotes printed on it: “The fruit of silence is prayer. The fruit of prayer is faith. The fruit of faith is love. The fruit of love is service. The fruit of service is peace.”
May organisations serving the goal of social justice continue to spread their peace.
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