where we work
USA: JRS director underlines importance of Jesuit values
Spokane, 17 May 2013 – As they embark on the next stage of their lives university graduates should remember the Ignatian principle of pursuing aspirations both for oneself and our interconnected world, echoed Peter Balleis SJ, International Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service, in a speech in Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.
Read More >>>
   
Lebanon: acting on Pope Francis' call for inter-religious dialogue and cooperation
Beirut, 17 May 2013 – The Jesuit Refugee Service welcomed the call by Pope Francis for enhanced dialogue and cooperation between the diverse ethnic and religious communities which constitute Lebanese society. The statement, issued following a meeting between the Pope and the President of Lebanon Michel Suleiman in early May, echoes the focus of the work of the Jesuit Refugee Service in the region since 2010.
Read More >>>
   
Australia: Jesuit Refugee Service urges government to reinstate work rights and provide vulnerable families with adequate support
Sydney, 14 May 2013 – The government decision to release families on bridging visas is a positive step, but the omission of the right to work will put asylum seekers at high risk of destitution, according to a statement by the Jesuit Refugee Service Australia earlier this week.
Read More >>>
   
Kenya: rising xenophobia affects refugees in Nairobi
Nairobi, 9 May 2013 – Ever since the Kenya government decided last
December to order all refugees living in urban areas to move to camps
and ceased registration of asylum seekers in urban areas, fear and
hardship have descended on the Kenyan capital. In particular Somali
refugees, as well as Kenyans of Somali origin, have been subjected to
increased harassment. Despite efforts by Kenyan NGOs to block the implementation of the directive, hospitality to refugees is at an all-time low.
Read More >>>
   
Syria: bringing families together
Beirut, 3 May 2013 – The opportunity for a moment of peace and quiet has all but vanished in Damascus. As violence in the 4,000 year-old city escalates, accompanied by acute shortages of daily commodities, it becomes harder to enjoy the simple things in life, much less a family meal.
Read More >>>
   
Syria: family mornings in Damascus
Damascus, 3 May 2013 – How lovely is a meeting between human beings, a meeting in which we desire to show our love and feelings towards each other. I felt something similar to this when I met the families at the JRS St Albert Hurtado House in Bab Touma. Neither I nor they had known each other before, but I felt as if we had known each other for a long time.
Read More >>>
   
Colombia: increased displacement in Valle del Cauca in 2012, but government response ineffective
Bogota, 2 May 2013 – Significant increases in conflict between paramilitary, guerrilla and government forces have left more than 5,200 people displaced last year in Buenaventura, a district in southeastern region of Valle del Cauca. Despite increased forced displacement, the state has failed to guarantee assistance to the victims of violence in the region, according to a report by the Jesuit Refugee Service, Buenaventura: An Unanswered Humanitarian Crisis.
Read More >>>
   
The solidarity of Eradi
Boston, 2 May 2013 – When I first read this beautiful story of Eradi I was immediately captured by the description of him as "the one who notices". This is a wonderful way of describing what it means to be in solidarity with others, because to notice someone is to do more than just 'see'.
Read More >>>
   
Eradi, one who notices others
Masisi, 2 May 2013 – On his job contract it says he is a driver for the Jesuit Refugee Service team in the eastern Congolese town of Masisi. In reality Eradi Salumu is much more to JRS.
Read More >>>
   
Praying with Refugees in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Masisi, 1 May 2013 – On his job contract it says he is a driver for the Jesuit Refugee Service team in the eastern Congolese town of Masisi. In reality Eradi Salumu is much more. The 39-year-old father of three has been forced to flee conflict in Congo on several occasions. Although he has never been formally recognised as a refugee, he has lived in exile in a number of African and European countries.
Read More >>>