18 October 2019 / Published in 2019 Fall

JUST Communities

JUST Communities is Canadian Jesuits International’s (CJI) Giving Tuesday campaign for 2019. It highlights the work of our community partners in the Global South and their effort to strengthen just relationships among people and with nature. These partnerships help communities resist exploitative economic systems and put people before profits.

Join CJI’s Giving Tuesday campaign!

Donate towards CJI’s $150,000 goal to support three projects in India, Mexico and South Sudan
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Learn more about the issues we are highlighting and how you can make a difference

To support the projects in CJI’s JUST Communities campaign, please Donate Now

PROJECTS

CJI is promoting three projects that build just communities:

Community Assemby in Chiapas, Mexico
(Photo: Miriam Lopez/CJI)

1. Mexico: Comparte

The Jesuit Mission of Bachajón has been accompanying the Tseltal-Maya community for over 60 years in their journey to autonomy and transmission of culture to new generations. The innovative projects of this community include: 1) promoting land ownership, food security, and fair wages; 2) advocating for socio-political self-governance consistent with the values of the Tseltal culture; and 3) strengthening of the Indigenous church through synthesis with the Mayan Rite and greater roles for lay people.

Weekly Leprosy clinic in Malaguri, India
(Photo: Julius Kujur SJ)

2. India: Jesu Ashram

Jesu Ashram is a health care facility that serves poor and marginalized people suffering from diseases such as leprosy, tuberculosis and HIV. They tend to face stigma and are treated as outcasts in their communities. Jesu Ashram offers them a welcoming home of love, acceptance and healing. Jesu Ashram also has a nursing program that trains young women from poor families who then find employment in other health facilities.

English class with South Sudanese youth
Photo: Andrew Ash/Jesuit Refugee Service South Sudan

3. South Sudan: JRS Education Program

The Education Program of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in South Sudan operates in six schools in the city of Yambio and Maban county. The project provides meals and other essential items to children suffering from the effects of war and displacement in their country in a safe environment. The program has improved the education and health services in these areas by: 1) attracting and retaining youth in schools; and 2) relieving pressure on their families that are having difficulty providing for their children. This project has had a positive and life changing impact on the lives of displaced youth and their families.