Spain – Migrants We Are All: Hospitality at the Service of a Common Society
The Province of Spain, through its Migration Team (a team that comes from different apostolic areas, since Migration and Hospitality are priorities and realities that affect us all), published last May the document "Migrantes Somos Todos Construir una Cultura de la Hospitalidad al servicio de la Sociedad Común" (Migrants We Are All: Building a Culture of Hospitality at the service of a Common Society).
There are several reasons that lead us to share and suggest the reading of this document, not only to the organizations linked to the Jesuit Network with Migrants, but also to any other reader interested in the challenges of coexistence, interculturality, integration, hospitality, etc. In the first place because we are part of the same family drinking from the same sources of identity, spirituality, mission and vision. Secondly, because of the quality of the text, the integral approach and, in our opinion, its tremendous success. In the third place because we share the substance of the approach that is proposed and the ideas that emerge.
It is true that this document is thought from a determined reality of encounter, that of Spain, and that it responds to an apostolic and organizational expression of its own, that of the Jesuit Province of Spain, we believe that the usefulness of the look and the proposals have a universal character, which exceeds both the territorial scope and the identity framework.
Some of these shared affirmations are included in the same presentation:
- We start from the same statement that is already universal: "To talk about migration today is to talk about ourselves" Both because we all have a history of migration behind us, in ourselves, in our families and communities, few of us can explain ourselves without understanding that behind it there is a long journey of encounters, departures and arrivals ... and that ahead, really today, we have a challenge to be in diverse, intercultural societies.
- Our reality and our history, the path on which we are advancing as humanity, require a look that recognizes what migration brings with it. There are difficulties, challenges, but necessarily the path needs to embrace the encounter and enable a shared future.
- We can learn from the stories, resilience, daring and creativity of migrants, which has led millions of people to leave, for a tremendous diversity of causes.
- Learning to coexist in this enormous diversity is learning to live, because there are no longer monolithic, flat societies. What is authentic today is diversity. And furthermore, in our experiences and outlook it is gain and richness.
- For all these reasons, we promote Hospitality as the culture of encounter, which not only offers security frameworks and facilitates access to rights and protection of migrants, but is the expression of an interaction that renews our cultures and societies from the contribution of all and diversity.
- If we open ourselves to hospitality, we are no longer the same, our identity is transformed and enriched.
In the document you will find the biblical and Ignatian roots from which we in the Society of Jesus arrive at this proposal. It addresses the causes of migration, in this case coming to Spain, but which we share in large part in the migratory flows from America and other territories. The causes and the multicausality present in mixed flows. They will also be able to know experiences and steps taken in the proposals of Hospitality in Spain and also ways and commitments that are proposed from the Province of Spain, but that we in the network make our own with their necessary adjustments and particularities.
We would like to thank the companions of Spain for this valuable contribution and we encourage you to read and use it.
- You can download the document from the Province of Spain here.
- You can find an approximation of how we understand and operate Hospitality in the RJM here.
- You can learn more about the proposals of Hospitality of the Society of Jesus in LAC here and here.
- You can access other documents of interest on migration issues here.
Source: Red Jesuita con Migrantes
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