South Asia Convention 2026
SJES, South Asia organised a three-day convention under the theme our role in nation building in Kodaikanal, Madurai province. A total number 115 delegates participated including Jesuits and the lay collaborators from 19 provinces. The convention was inaugurated by Mr. Sachitanantham, member of Parliament representing the local constituency. He called for a collective response to burning issues of the country. The president of the conference appreciated the committed service of the Jesuits in social action and invited them to be strategic in their response. Fr. Thomas Amritham, Provincial of Madurai welcomed all the delegates and assured of all the support for the ministry. Fr. Jerald D Souza, Secretary, SJES explained the dynamics of three days intense programme.
The first part of the convention was to listen to the Jesuit veterans and their faith journey. Frs. Paul Michael from Madurai, Tom Kavala from Bagicha and Stany Tirkey from Madhya Pradesh narrated their journey of faith that does justice. They presented some of the effective approaches to social problems over the years in the conference. A sense of deep commitment to the cause of justice was very much evident. It was eye opening and inspirational to the many your participants in the group. In the second session we had sharing by the GIAN coordinators, Lokmanch, unorganised youth and from the Indian Social institutes.
In the second day the two civil society activists Mr. V. Suresh and Mr. Udayakumar presented their concerns affecting our country and expected strategies to mitigate them. The onslaught of right-wing ideology in our country is taking us backward in time. A dictatorial democracy is more dangerous than the declared emergency. The Partcipants were inspired by the commitment and struggle of the speakers for the cause of nation building. A collective long-term plan is the need of the hour. Our connect with the grass roots is very essential for any kind of social movement and transformation.
We had a session of listening to the rich and varied experiences of lay partners regarding working with Jesuits and their mission. Eight of the lay partners sang the song of gratefulness and at the same invited Jesuits to be more inclusive in decision making and professional in their approach.
The third day was to look ahead with action plans at zonal level. A group discussion to plan activities at zonal was very fruitful. As a follow up there will be meetings in all the zones and action will be initiated at zonal level.
It was a time to reconnect to people in action in South Asian conference, rejuvenate the spirit and instil a strong sense of hope to combat the current issues haunting our country.
Fr. Jerald D Souza
Secretary, SJES, South Asia.
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