[WSF-Discuss] Reflection on the World Social Forum

[CACIM]

Reflection on the World Social
Forum<http://preforumfenamazonia.wordpress.com/2009/02/10/reflection-on-the-world-social-forum/>
10022009

*Interview with Sergio Sala SJ*

@
http://preforumfenamazonia.wordpress.com/2009/02/10/reflection-on-the-world-social-forum/
[image: Sergio Sala
SJ]<http://preforumfenamazonia.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/sergio-sala.jpg>

Sergio Sala SJ

As mentioned in our previous Bulletin [Electronic News Service, Curia SJ],
the ninth edition of the World Social Forum (WSF), took place in Belém do
Pará (Brazil) from January 27 to February 1, with a total of 130,000
participants from 142 countries. They were representatives of social unions,
associations, churches and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). After six
days of meetings and discussions the Forum ended with a call for the 20
richest countries of the planet to reform the economic system that is shared
with the poorest countries. We asked Fr. Sergio Sala, a student of theology
in Belo Horizonte and who was at the WSF, to offer us some insights on the
meeting.

*First of all, which was the role of the Jesuits in this Forum?*

In total 120 Jesuits, friends and collaborators, from 28 different
countries, participated in the Forum; they took a very active role. On
January 30th they held an "Ignatian Day" filled with many working sessions.
Father Fernando Franco, Secretary for Social Justice, explained the
evolution of Jesuit and their collaborators' participation in the WSF;
Father Roberto Jaramillo, Regional Superior, described the presence and
mission of the Jesuits in Amazonia; this was followed by a period of
exchange and discernment on the theme Reconciliation with Creation (GC 35,
Decree 3, no. 31-35). In the afternoon we had a session on the theme
Religious Faiths and Defense of Life in Amazonia (January 24-27); we
prepared a message to the Society of Jesus, and the day ended with a
fascinating Eucharistic celebration organized by indigenous groups of India
and Amazonia.

*How can the final message of the Forum** be summarized**?*

The delegates' conclusions can be summarized in three points: faith pushes
us to social commitment and to political participation: this requires
formation and militancy; faith contributes to a new model of development for
the world; our network has to be improved because it shown to be
indispensable for a critical analysis of reality and for a more effective
strategy. Among the many proposals emerging from working groups, the
assembly highlighted the following: 1) increase collaboration among
universities and indigenous cultures; the hope is the creation of a new
indigenous university of Amazonia, or at least the opening of new degree
programs on environment and sustainable development in existing
universities; 2) to strengthen the équipe, a group of lay and religious
visiting indigenous populations via boats; 3) to cultivate a new creation
spirituality which will bring to life the "ecobionomy", as Frei Betto called
the good administration of our life, of our world, of our relationship with
God.
[image: s7002318]<http://preforumfenamazonia.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/s7002318.jpg>

The protection of indigenous people has to be considered a commitment for
everyone, first of all because a person should have his rights respected and
secondly because the preservation of the rain forest is linked to their
continuation. These folks have lived symbiotically with nature for
centuries, while the rest of humanity preferred to react against nature and
create a physical and cultural rift with the environment. We have to learn
from them to respect and take care of Amazonia. Jesuits are understood to
have an important insight: they have ministered to the indigenous people of
Amazonia for a long time, and therefore have an important role to play in
their defense. But this is something one cannot do all at once. From the
novitiate onward, young Jesuits should be educated according to the new
"ecobionomic" paradigm and our educational institutions should consider
seriously the protection of Amazonia, which has become an apostolic priority
both for the Society of Jesus and for the universal Church. It is not only a
question of sending Jesuits to work there. It is necessary to work as
advocates at various levels. To this end, the Social Justice
Secretariate<http://www.sjweb.info/sjs>,
together with Ocipe <http://www.ocipe.info/>, have organized a meeting among
experts to draw up a declaration to prepare for this year's UN Summit on
environment in Copenhagen.

*S.J. ELECTRONIC INFORMATION SERVICE
PRESS AND INFORMATION OFFICE - ROME
Vol. XIII, N. 3, February 9, 2009*
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