International Course on Environment and Corruption Launches
To understand and address the impacts of socio-environmental corruption in Latin America and the Caribbean, AUSJAL and the CPAL Social Centers Network have launched the extension course 'Environment and Corruption'. In the following article, Luiz Felipe Lacerda (OLMA) shares the structure of this successful educational initiative and the international research that underpins it. Through weekly online sessions accredited by the Catholic University of Pernambuco (UNICAP), this initiative has brought together more than 630 participants from the region until June 24, 2026, establishing itself as a key tool for the defence of local territories.
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International Course on Environment and Corruption Launches in Latin America and the Caribbean
On May 27, 2026, the extension course “Environment and Corruption” officially commenced. This academic initiative is part of an international research project aimed at understanding the impacts of socio-environmental corruption in Latin America and the Caribbean. Driven by a network of universities and social centers linked to the Society of Jesus, the course aims to promote critical reflection, knowledge exchange, and the strengthening of community capacities to address this issue.
The proposal is part of a broader research project supported by AUSJAL, which, in coordination with the CPAL Social Centers Network, seeks to develop concrete strategies for social awareness, public mobilization, and the strengthening of citizen participation. In this regard, the course represents a key training tool for advancing the construction of mechanisms that enable communities to build resilience, oversight, and social control against the impacts of corruption in their territories.
During this first phase of the project, the development of a theoretical-analytical matrix based on four main thematic pillars is proposed: integral ecology and socio-environmental justice; forced migration; territorial development and defense of territories; and participatory democracy and ecological citizenship. These pillars structure both the course content and the research lines that will subsequently guide the application of surveys and the development of case studies in different contexts across the region.
The course, conducted virtually through the Microsoft Teams platform, features weekly sessions scheduled every Wednesday between May 27 and June 24, 2026. Each session addresses one of the proposed thematic pillars, including an inaugural lecture and a final integration panel.
The call for applications exceeded initial expectations, reaching more than 630 registered participants from various countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. More than 170 people participated live in the first session, highlighted by the institutional opening with welcoming remarks from the rector of the Catholic University of Pernambuco (UNICAP)—the institution that certifies the course through the Humanitas Institute and the Laudato Si’ Chair. The diverse group of participants includes social center leaders, academics, students, and members of civil society interested in the subject.
As part of the project's methodology, the course also plays a strategic role in validating research hypotheses. In a second stage, a survey-type instrument will be administered to the social centers of the Society of Jesus in the region, aiming to assess the incidence of socio-environmental corruption in their working environments. Subsequently, case studies will be developed to build participatory prevention and monitoring mechanisms.
The initiative aligns with the strategic priorities of AUSJAL and CPAL, particularly regarding socio-environmental justice, sustainable development, and the defense of territories. Furthermore, it responds to the global call to care for our Common Home, promoted by the Church within the context of the Season of Creation, and seeks to contribute to the formation of an ecological citizenship committed to social transformation.
With this proposal, the organizing institutions reaffirm their commitment to generating applied knowledge and building collective responses to the socio-environmental challenges facing the region. The course is thus projected as a key space for coordination between academia, civil society, and communities, aimed at strengthening practices that contribute to the defense of life, territories, and justice.
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