Building together the future of safeguarding in Asia Pacific: PCCP conversations with JCAP in Chiang Mai (Thailand)
Dr. Sandra Racionero & John Guiney SJ (PCCP) Coordinators
Since last January the 27th, the Promotion of a Consistent Culture of Protection Project (PCCP) team, John Guiney SJ (project coordinator) and Dr. Sandra Racionero-Plaza (assistant project coordinator), are in Chiang Mai (Thailand) for the Major Superiors’ Assembly of the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific (JCAP). The meeting is taking place at the beautiful Seven Fountains Jesuit Retreat Center. It has been a privilege for us to be here. It has been an opportunity to meet and converse face to face with Provincials and Regional Superiors for 13 Provinces, Regions, and Missions, namely: Japan, Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, Korea, Cambodia, Malaysia-Singapore, Vietnam, Micronesia, East Timor, Chinese Province, Philippines, and Australia. The richness of the different cultures of Asia Pacific, the diversity of works that we are involved in this Conference, is a real example of the international richness and scope of the global Society of Jesus.
We had the opportunity to have a session that extended to three hours speaking about the post audit results on safeguarding in relation to the three standards that have been focus of work for the global Society for the last years: 1) Policy and Guidelines for Ethical Behaviour and Safe Environments; 2) Protocols for dealing with allegations & case management; 3) Training & Formation for Jesuits & Collaborators. After the presentation of the JCAP findings, an open dialogue took place, which was insightful and inspiring. Apart from this group presentation we had the wonderful chance to meet individually with each Provincial or Regional Superior to discuss the follow up steps needed to implement the outcomes of the 2022 global safeguarding audit.
Different JCAP Provinces and Regions are at different stages in the implementation of the three standards. The great consolation is that policies, protocols, and some training is present in the conference, as well as it is remarkable how the Global Society of Jesus is implementing safeguarding standards in diverse political situations, including situations of conflict, as in Myanmar, and in cultures where there are a few Catholics, like in Japan, and in societies where abuse is hidden in plain view.
The challenge continues to be in ongoing training and formation, not only for Jesuits but for lay collaborators in the different regions and provinces. PPCP will explore how this ongoing training can be facilitated in the months ahead. The dimension of training is crucial to make real Universal Apostolic Preference number 2, which seeks to eliminate sexual abuse. To make policies living and effective, appropriate training is always required. In this regard, we made the note in our presentation that is important to be cautious with training that is offered, as safeguarding training has become an industry in the Global North, which is often totally unsuitable to the Global South and ignores context and culture. The need is not for any training but for quality training that has social impact in diverse cultures and that involve them in design and implementation.
On February the 9th we leave for Manila (Philippines), where we will be visiting the Catholic Safeguarding Institute (CSI), which provides training for the JCAP and local churches. We will also meet with a number of personnel from research centers at Ateneo de Manila University and with administrators of the university who are highly committed with safeguarding and engaged in actions for the overcoming of this social problem.
Overall, it is being a rich experience for PCCP to dialogue face to face with key personnel who are promoting a consistent culture of protection in the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific and who are thus building a world which is more respectful, egalitarian, and peaceful, a world more aligned with the one we all dream about.
Related Posts:
To me the Aunties are reconciliation in action, they know what their community needs and it is healing. Healing comes as part of the reconciliation process which is two-way.
Paglaum is the project proposed by Dulungan Youth to the Reconciliation with Creation network program in Asia Pacific Conference. Here is the progress of this project aimed at conducting a writing workshop to prepare young people to communicate the forest conservation efforts of the indigenous communities of Central Panay Mountain Range.
The Migrants and Refugees Network in Asia Pacific gathered to address migrant and refugee challenges, guided by collaboration, prayer, and Ignatian spirituality principles. Discussions ranged from updates on regional migrant situations to Taiwan's progressive immigrant response, culminating in the finalization of a five-year action plan highlighting the network's dual mission of support for both migrants and its members.
On 1 February, Myanmar marked the third anniversary of the coup d’état, where power was forcibly seized from a democratically elected government by the military junta in 2021.
Sandra Racionero Plaza, the assistant coordinator of the PCCP Project, gave the course consisting of six synchronous virtual sessions held every Thursday from February 15 until March 21.
To commemorate the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking, Talitakum Indonesia hosted a joint prayer event featuring various activities.
