SVD of Slovak Province

Fr.Pavel Kobliha, SVD, JPIC Coordinator

For many centuries the area of today’s Slovak Republic was centre of interests of many nations. Romans, Germans, Turks and Hungarians. All of them wanted to conquer the territory between the Danube and High Tatras and settle there. But none of them were able to subjugate Slavs and stay here forever. But right because of these interests Slovakia is influenced by many nations now and they take part in Slovak citizenship. The biggest minority group, with about 10% of inhabitants, is Hungarian minority. They inhabit mostly the southern part of Slovakia, along the boarder with Hungary. The fact is that they have their own political party, which is widely supported also by non-Hungarians, and has its place in coalition. However, in real life, there are different relations between Hungarian and non-Hungarian people. In minds of Slovaks is deeply engraved, that we had to live under pressure of Hungarian reign for many years. And so people behave. Though, when one gets any closer contact with them, he realizes that they are like other normal people. What a surprise!
Ethnic groups:With our EU entrance is joined the discussion about some racial problems with gipsy ethnic group. Actual problem is illegal interruptions of young gipsy girls. However is the truth, everybody knows how these people live, in what conditions. We know it, and people from abroad know it as well. But they believe this is because of big discrimination and generally bad social conditions for ethnic groups in Slovakia. I think, maybe as most Slovaks that they caused it themselves. They have this way of life simply in their blood. So, the fact is that every employer rather employs a guy with a good social hinterland, and whom he can trust. So then the bigger half of gypsies does not have any job. It means no nice income, what reflects in bad home and social hinterland. This is a very simple view, but we can call it vicious circle. Anyway, there live many other minorities in Slovakia. For example Czechs, Germans, many other Slavs tribes, like Croatians, Slovenians, Russians, Ukraine’s, and polish people and so on. The newest minority which is rising are people from East Asia. We can see “Chinese” shops on every corner.

Racism is not widespread in Slovakia. The fact is that over centuries, the inhabitants lived an isolated existence and were not used to meet people of other races, except for Roma (Gypsies). Slovakia has never had colonies so that people from Africa and other continents apart from Europe were practically never seen here until well into the 20th century. Their lifestyles and social institutions, including slavery, were totally unknown to people here.
The Roma people (as Slovak Gypsies prefer to be called), form a relatively important minority group in Slovakia. Their problem is a very high unemployment rate, reaching 100% in some settlements. This is the main cause of their low living standards, which in turn bring about high crime rate and misuse of social resources. As a result a gulf developed between them and the majority population. However, racist physical attacks are few and far between.
The number of foreigners of different skin coloring increased during the past years mostly due to students from African and Asian countries. Many of them have learned the Slovak language, married local people and happily raising families. They have very nicely integrated into the society.
When shopping in open-air markets, you will see many vendors of bargain-price Asian clothes and electronics. almost exclusively they have some from Vietnam. They can speak little more than a few phrases in Slovak, other than the prices of their goods, but many people like to do business with them, because their goods are cheaper than similar articles in regular shops.

The Vatican championed the rights of gypsies, admitting its own past prejudices and calling on governments to improve the shunned nomads' lot. Presenting a new document on gypsies, Cardinal Stephen Fumio Hamao said while they had a right to their identity as a traveling people, they frequently met with "indifference or opposition“.
The report - Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of Gypsies - said gypsies were a people "abandoned by men but not by God" and outlined the "special pastoral approach" that the Catholic Church intended to adopt to help them
Key objectives were education and professional training for the population, as well as equal rights for men and women, it said .
"Of course they, too, have duties" towards the society in which they live, Cardinal Fumio Hamao said.
In this connection, the guidelines referred to the need to encourage "honesty and righteousness" in those who lived on the fringes of the law, helping them to abandon drug trafficking, theft and other routes to "easy money“.

War and terrorism in Slovakia /Muslim threats?

So far, touch wood, there were no terrorist attacks in Slovakia. Because Slovakia is a very small player on the international scene and there are no cities with over half a million inhabitants, the risk is not as high as in some other countries and cities. (For instance: the Czech Republic). Nevertheless the threat of terrorism is taken seriously and all necessary preventive measures are in place.

Social Ministry with the drug and alcohol addicted:

Following the rehab program, it is used to restore the former addict's ability to focus on real life goals and to return a level of self-control to the individual. This greatly improves the former addicts' ability to face the realities of life and reduce the need for drugs to escape the difficulties of life. Often, an addict commits harmful acts, both to themselves and their loved ones that traps them into further drug use.

Our “Novy Svet” rehab campus, in which Br. Maros Butala, (svd supervisor) works, is a comfortable house aimed at healing and appropriate for all ages. The addicts are treated with respect and are allowed to be themselves. Fr.Pavel is a spiritual director of these addicts. Br.Maros is a supervisor and Mr. Ladislav Nemeth is in charge of all rehabilitation centre. Of course there is a whole team of people working with them. A group of at least two people are necessary to provide the weight to break through the denial of the addicted person. An especially effective member of the confronting group is the employer or supervisor.

SSpS Slovak Province

Sr. Yuvensia Daso, SSpS

In the last few years the SSpS in Slovakia have started and are developing some new projects.

1. Working with the Roma Children (Gypsies)

We are developing our apostolate among the Roma people who make up approximately 5 % of Slovak population. One of the groups most affected by the current social and economic situation is the Roma minority. This group has the highest unemployment and the least chance of finding a job, along with low level of education and nearly no possibilities for re- qualification. Roma people are one of our priorities. Our Sisters work with Roma people esp. children in almost all of communities in Slovakia and in the Czech Republic. We started a special project with Roma‘s children in Nitra - Orechov Dvor.

In year 2005 we were asked by the vice mayor of Nitra to start apostolate with people who were not able to pay the rent for their houses and ended on the street. The vice mayor of Nitra wanted to help them and so they built for them outside the city 2nd class flats in Orechov Dvor. They saw that the people esp. their children need help and that they need somebody who has time for them. At that time an international junior sisters group who prepared themselves for final vows in Ivanka pri Nitre was asked by the PLT to start this apostolate. In Orechov Dvor live presently 250 people. Our sisters offer their help to those children by helping them with their homework, by playing and singing with them, drawing, painting and so on. The Tertians visited the children in 2005 once a week but since 2 years Sr. Pia Michalicova and Sr. Katerzyna Niezgoda go every day from 1 .pm to 5 .pm to them. Bishop Viliam Judak of Nitra is ready to help us and came already few times to visit the place. Since the beginning of this year one Salvatorian-Father comes twice a week to give the catechesis and prepare the people to receive sacraments. Most of the Roma people are Catholics and are proud to be Catholics. They love Mary very much and take refuge to her. Since 2 months also the students from the University of Nitra come twice a week to work together with our sisters. The main problem is the isolation of the people in this place and a very poor infrastructure Our Sisters share one room with the Kindergarten which uses it in the morning and they use it in the afternoon. We initiated the project to get there portable structures in which the people can meet and which can serve as social centre. The city of Nitra got already the structure and they should be put there this year. We feel that our apostolate with Roma people is a real priority here and now. In our last Provincial chapter in November 2007 we discussed this issue at length and decided to collaborate in this apostolate with the Roma Cathedra of the University in Nitra. In the meantime we prepared the contract about the collaboration between the City Nitra, the University of Nitra and our Congregation. The contract will be signed this year. It is not easy to carry out this ministry but we are glad that we are doing it. We try to introduce to these children spiritual values, which can bring them much more happiness than merely physical pleasures. They can see and experience that God is able to bring them many good things and they can put their trust in God.

2. Working with women.

Working with women and for women has been practiced by the community of the provincial house for more than 10 years in Women prison in Nitra. The sisters go there every Sunday for visiting, preparing the Holy Mass, and teaching catechism. They do this ministry in collaboration with the prison chaplain. In February this year at the meeting with Bishop R8bek, the prison chaplain and the directress of the prison we evaluated this apostolate. We saw the need to have more time for catechesis. We see also very important the collaboration not only with the prison chaplain but also with the psychologist of that place. The prison in Nitra is the only one women prison in Slovakia.
The Novitiate in Nitra assists to abandoned mothers with their children in collaboration with the city Nitra.
In the Czech Republic our sisters work with abandoned women in the Christian charity. Women who are there are mostly refugees. They openly share their life experiences with the sisters. Our sisters also look after their children when their mothers go to work.
One of our sisters works together with an MSC father and psychologist, helping sexually abused women.
Another sister works with AA in Pereš nearby Nitra and the community in Ivanka pri Nitre is ready to welcome those people so that they can share their experiences about the change in their lives.
We are happy that since 10 years also these areas remain not only not taboo but the needed help can be given to the people.

3. Mass Media

In this field we try to keep alive our history esp. from the communist time. Sr. Ivica Kúšiková is presently working on a project called Witnesses of Faith in which religious women from different congregations are telling stories from the communist regime. We feel responsible to pass on the truth to the next generations. A documentary film with that topic was made about the Slovakian province two years ago.

These are the main areas in which we are developing our social and cultural and spiritual work as a part of our JPIC program. There are many other smaller fields in which we work in the frame of JPIC.

JPIC-MISSION IN THE NEB-PROVINCE

Toon van Bijnen svd

Organisation
Because there are many new coordinators among us, I like to present you a little bit the organisation of our JPIC working.
Since 1986 we have not only a JPIC-coordinator but a commission of 6 members, belonging to different communities so that all confreres are presented. There has been a strong continuity in this commission. Three of the actual six members are from the very beginning up to now full members and even coordinator. The commission is very well rooted in the provincial structures, because three of us are members of the provincial council. This has been all the 22 years so. So we enjoy the full support of the provincial authorities and a sufficient budget. Sometimes the provincial is attending a meeting. The commission is advising from time to time the provincial council.
We are meeting 7 or 8 times a year, in different communities so that all confreres are aware of our apostolate. Once a year there is a joint meeting with the SSpS-commission in a SVD or SSpS-community. The agenda is made up by the coordinator and sent to the members. All members are in turn making the report, which is sent to all our members, to the provincial and to the SSpS members of their commission. A summary in English is made for VIVAT International, the general coordinator, the Euro zone coordinator and everyone who wants to receive it. Maybe we will send it also to the members of the VIVAT International-antennas in Belgium and the Netherlands. But up to now these antennas are not yet functioning. Included in an internal news bulletin, that is distributed every two months among the Dutch and Belgian confreres, we provide always a JPIC bulletin with information about campaigns and situations; three items in each edition.

Actions of the commission
The actions of the commission are mostly dealing with lobbying; so working for structural change.
Most of our actions are undertaken in co-operation with other NGO's so as VIVAT International, Oxfam, Pax Christi, AEFJN, Lenten campaign, Jubilee 2000, Amnesty International. The last three years we have been campaigning for:
1. Fair trade. We signed petitions to EU commissioner Peter Mandelson, Heads of State, Prime Ministers, defending the rights of the poor countries in the WTO conference of Hong Kong. Several times petitions to de EU authorities, demanding to change the proposed new EPA's at January 1, 2008.
2. Every year we signed petitions to the Heads of State of the G8 for cancelling the foreign debt of the poor countries For this question our members have a subscription to the magazine Jubilee Nederland, what is regularly discussed in our meetings One of our members prepared a detailed study for the AEFJN 3 We pay a special attention to the EU policy for Africa. There were several protests against the unfair trade by dumping Belgian class-books as a “gift” to Congo; dumping medicines to African countries, and most of all against the protection of European agro products and the free export to African countries.
4. More than 2 years we have been dealing with the water provision in African countries. We campaigned against privatisation of water by big companies. One commission-member was co-editor of a detailed study about people’s right to water.
5. Another member is in the AEJPN responsible for food-sovereignty of the African people. The commission signed petitions for this right.
6. In our Peace Apostolate we participated in the campaign Control Arms and several times we signed petitions against the trade in small arms and against the system of child-soldiers; against the new Japanese army (changing article 9 of the Constitution). Every year the International Peace-day and the Peace-day of the religious and the Peace-weeks in the Netherlands and in Belgium are celebrated. We are actively cooperating.

7. Over the years the commission is dealing with alternative banking. On the proposal of the commission the province co-finances a small banking project in the Philippines.
8. Belgium and the Netherlands are among the most "multinationalised" countries in the world. Amsterdam is the number one in the world with the most nationalities, Antwerp is the number second. This is for our commission the main challenge: building a peaceful multinational, multicultural and multi-religious society. One community is living in the most multicultural and multi-religious area of the town. Others are working in parishes where there are over 90 nationalities.
One of us has been halftime working for refugees, providing lodging and legal assistance; others are doing so regularly.
We are taking part in campaigning for asylum-seekers. We have signed petitions against the detention of children in refugee camps. We take regularly part in vigils of asylum-seekers. In the Netherlands we signed petitions to the government demanding a “general pardon” for people without legal documents, who are over 5 years in our country. Every year we are present at the vigil in memory of 11 asylum-seekers who died by fire in a detention camp. Regularly there are manifestations against racism, where we are present. In short, we are campaigning against every restriction of migration.
For the cohabitation with other religions one community is organising multi-religious meetings in our house, where Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Christians are invited. Also a multi-religious Christmas party was held in our house. We are taking part in iftars and the end of Ramadan-celebrations and joint prayer services and workshops on this matter. One of us is working in a diocesan commission to promote harmony among religions, by preparing the liturgy for the 7 Sundays between Eastern and Pentecost, (which give a good opportunity to open up the minds for other people), by organising conferences with a imam, a rabbi and a catholic priest, by writing a booklet about the meaning of Abraham for Jews, Christians and Muslims, by publishing about multi-religious conferences and documents. Another confrere is giving instructions to migrant imams for their integration in the European situation. Some have regular contact with Muslim leaders.

Actions of all confreres
2 or 3 times a year the commission invites all confreres for prayers and for petitions. We see it as our duty to animate all SVDs in our province. The coordinator is sending an appeal to the rectors of the communities. The response is very good; about 90%, we may say. So, every year there are prayer services and celebrations in every community at World Peace-day: also at World Aids day ad some others. Actions as "stand up against poverty" and "1 minute put out the lights" are well done in the communities.
The last years the confreres signed petitions to the Top G7/8 for cancelling if the foreign debt of the poor countries; They signed petitions to Ministers and Commissioners in order to change the WTO-policy and the EPAs There were petitions, addressed to the Minister of Agriculture, to change the Africa-policy: a petition addressed to the Minister of Home Affaires, protesting against the detention of children in refugee camps; a petition for the regularisation of illegal migrants without documents. For these problems prayers are said during Eucharist and prayer services.
So we are happy about this good response. Sometimes it happens that a confrere does not agree with the commission. But we are happy about his attention for world problems and we give him a proper answer. We think, that the JPIC commission in our province is well accepted by all SVDs. In the annual report of the province the coordinator is invited to write his survey over the last year. Finally the coordinator is as observer admitted to the provincial chapter, where he is presenting his report and proposals, which can be discussed. So, JPIC is well integrated in the NEB province.

SVD of Province Austria

There is a team of three confreres involved in JPIC issues:


Fr. Oskar Becker, Br. Franz Eichhorn, Fr. Patrick Kofi Kodom

The dialogue with Muslims was formerly done by Fr. Markus Solo.

Other main fields are:

Migration issues

Refugees, prisoners, asylum seekers, deportees

Statement of concern from our communication and media

Regular meetings with the SSpS

Ecological concerns e.g. St. Gabriel is heated mainly by solar power.

Seminars and talks

Fr. Patrick is especially involved in the ministry of refugees and deportees. Many asylum seekers end up in deportation camps waiting to be send back to their home countries. The regulations in the EU are getting tougher and to work with and for these people seems to be a bit dangerous sometimes.

Patrick Kofi Kodom, SVD

English/Irish Region SSpS

Sr. Sujata Sawarimuthu, SSpS

R 8
English/Irish Region SSpS

The Sisters in England and Ireland are very much involved in justice and peace issues in and outside of their communities

WOMEN'S PEACE GROUP: We have joined the Birmingham Women's peace group. It is a group of women from all faith backgrounds, who have been meeting regularly for the past 15 years, listening to one another's stories, sharing common concerns and discussing issues of peace and justice in our world. They represent all faiths, races and ethnic backgrounds, all age groups and come from a wide variety of social positions. We try to put aside our differences in the common quest for peace and explore practical ways of giving expression to our feelings of compassion for those in need.

Few examples will be given

DROP-THE -DEBT-FAST: A 36 day rolling fast will demand debt cancellation for 36 poor countries. The fast will begin as the World bank and International Monetary Fund hold their Spring meeting from 12th April and end on Sunday, 18th May when we mark the 10th anniversary of the Birmingham G8 Human Chain. Each day we will focus on one country that urgently needs the chains of unpayable and unjust debts to be broken.

We will join the fast for a day or more in our areas and the rest of the actions will be explained.

IMMIGRANTS AND ASYLUM SEEKERS: Some of us are involved working with Asylum seekers and of their concerns. We had few failed Asylum seekers living under our roof until their cases were heard once again and have become the part of UK refugee status. Our main work with refugees is to teach them English, help them with their paper work and to be a moral support whenever and wherever is possible.

Few examples will be given.

MEDAILLE TRUST: It is a charity founded by Catholic nuns, brothers and priests with the aim of helping women, young men and children who have been freed from sex-trafficking and their empowerment, enabling them to regain their sense of dignity and self worth. This is done by providing safe housing and offering opportunities for physical and psychological healing and rehabilitation.

Please read "my story" from this magazine. More explanations will be given later.

SSpS Province of Austria

Sr. Felixine Kofler SSpS

JUSTICE, PEACE AND PRESERVATION OF CREATION
Report for the European-Assembly in Nitra 2008

1) Themes of self-awareness carried out in a concrete way:
· Trafficking women in Austria and Europe (Angelika Kartusch)
· A series of reports about Islam (P. Dr. Markus Solo)
· Workshop on Reconciliation in every day life Dr. Pete Hämmerle)
· Persevering development (Dr. A. Strigl)
· Forming Creation and Preservation - a Contradiction? (Dr. W. Stark)
To all these meetings were invited our sisters and people from the parishes.
· Workshops "Christian Hospital" for the leading members of the staff by Dr. P. Zulehner.
· Seminars: to get off drugs, alcohol, smoking
· Evaluation-Day "Coping with conflict and stress-situations"

2) Participation in Signing Actions (CSI, AI), yearly March of Demonstration in Silence for the persecuted Christians; candle of Hope
3) Supporting GFS-magazines: "Ost-Westwind", "Pax-Christi", "Unser Projekt", „Missio"
4) Fair trade: EZA and Bio products from small shops in the surrounding area
5) Some community have their own bio garden
6) Cooperation with Local Authorities in cleaning promenades of the river banks.
7) Donations for Projects producing lasting energies (wind, sun, foto voltaik)
8) Very important is the direct contact to people in need: cooking and distributing soup
to the homeless; one sister gives medical help; counselling of people (Oase); Hospiz; Caritas work in the parish; commitment regarding threatened unborn life - accompanying traumatized women; women in crises and language-students can live with us for a
limited time; eg. 4 Sisters from Zambia stayed with our Vienna-Community a few months A new challenge is our own school with ever more children from different cultures and Churches.
Hospital-projects: "Village of Peace". "International Alliance for children", sick, handi­capped children from war-torn countries get medical help and care. Our senior-nurses give special attention to patients before and after operation. Club-food-project in Mali/West Africa. The same Orthopedic Hospital releases doctors 3­4 times a year for this mission. Pro iect "Donationsbox" for HIV/AIDS. Project "Family-friendly-Hospital" to make life easier for nurses with a family.
9) Attitudes
Mediation of peace; simple life style; second hand-clothing; getting together with neighbours and owners.
Careful and gentle way with the gifts of the creation and gratefulness for the beauty of The nature. Trips with public traffic whenever possible.
10) Celebration - Prayer: Day of Creation and "Erntedankfest". Prayer-Hotline:
We notice a growing interest for GFS. Yet our co-responsibility of the consumer-goods of our Western World - as we are part of it - is in need of improvement.

As women following Jesus, we are happy to give our power and voice to the poor who challenge us and enrich us with their gifts.

Sr. Felixine Kofler SSpS

SVD of Irish & British Province (IBP)?

Fr. Finbarr Tracey, SVD

1. What are the JPIC ministries in the Irish & British Province (IBP)?
a) Migrant and Refugee ministries. There are now 10 confreres working in with migrants and asylum seekers, eight on a full-time basis and two on part time basis. There are three serving the Polish Migrants in three different dioceses in Ireland, one serving the Migrants from Brazil in a fourth diocese, and another serving the Filipino Migrants in the Diocese of Bristol in England. One confrere in the Archdiocese of Dublin is working with Asylum Seekers and Refugees under the auspices of the Jesuits. Part-time work is carried out for the Slovak, Filipino and Brazilian Migrants in Dublin.

b) Justice and Peace Issues and Media
- with reference to poverty, religious and cultural differences, anti-racism, etc. JPIC is working with Kairos Communications on TV programmes which focus on these issues.

c) Advocacy covering a range of issues through special committees. This work is carried out in conjunction with the Conference of Religious in Ireland (CORI) cf. www.cori.ie/justice and the Irish Missionary Union (IMU).


2. What groups do you work with collaboratively?

a) Ten of our members are working in the migrant ministry in collaboration with parishes and various
dioceses.
b) We have one confrere working closely with the Jesuits in the area of refugees and asylum seekers.
c) Our work in the media is in collaboration with Kairos Communications, an SVD media ministry.
d) The JPIC coordinator works with the Conference of Religious in Ireland (CORI) and the Justice
Commission on a range of issues related to a more equitable economy. The CORI Justice Commission has a g
good deal of influence in its social partnership role with the Government and works on a variety of issues
related to poverty and migration, housing, health and education.
e) The World Magazine also publishes JPIC articles. RESPONDING TO CONFLICT (RTC)
f) The Mission Secretary works closely with the Irish Missionary Union (IMU) and the Irish Missionary
Resource Service (IMRS) in providing funds for overseas development projects.
AEFJN, ISE, RTC. IRISH SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS (ISE), FRONT LINE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS


3. How do you perceive your role as JPIC coordinator? Do you think it is important? Is JPIC dimension and ministry considered important by your province?

The role of the JPIC Coordinator is most essential in setting the agenda for such a ministry. A lot will depend on the coordinator in relation to the direction the province will take on these issues. He can set new agenda, (which may call for research), link with Vivat International, help to coordinate the various projects within the province and in general raise the profile of JPIC among the confreres.

Traditionally the SVD in Ireland have not understood JPIC work to be an important part of its ministry. With the influx of migrants from different parts of the world it has increased in significance and the IBP was among the first to respond to the needs of migrants. The SVD always recognized the work of development agencies like Trocaire, Concern, GOAL, etc. But global issues related to sustainable development, the environment, human rights etc demand a new commitment from missionary orders.


4. Have you/do you work with VIVAT International? How might VIVAT better serve your needs as a JPIC coordinator?

I am presently linking up with Vivat International for research work with a two-fold purpose, a) academic; and b) in relation to how best to promote a greater degree of solidarity in our work, particularly in reaching a consensus about SVD priorities and goals.


7. Expectations from the generalate JPIC coordinator?

I would like the JPIC coordinator to build a consensus among the provinces in regard to how we might best respond to present global issues in development. The history of our society’s involvement in JPIC and how it sees itself in relation to the Social Teachings of the Church, the practical way in which we engage with issues of faith and justice, all require a new impetus.


Finbarr Tracey, SVD