2011 Forum on Migration and Immigration
"We are transformative beings and not beings for accommodation."
-Paulo Freire
In the Society we speak of the transformative power of education. Many we know would, in fact, attest to the particular imprint we RSCJs bear as educators and the transformative impact we have had on many lives. We also recognize, however, the importance of keeping ourselves educated if our work is to be relevant and responsive to our world’s needs. The idea for a forum on migration and immigration bubbled up quite organically from a few conversations around the US Province including some during the visit of the Central Team last year. From November 4-6, 2011 fourteen RSCJs including two from Mexico gathered with the following objectives:
- increasing our knowledge of what one another is already doing in the area of immigration;
- examining accurate, comprehensive information on current trends and issues;
- moving discussions forward with a collective voice; and
- surfacing recommendations for how best to coordinate or network across the US Province as well as with other Provinces, particularly with Mexico and Canada as a starting point.
The meeting began with reflection on our practice. At our tables we responded to the questions:
- What do I do or have I done in my work with immigrants or issues related to migration and
immigration?
- Why do (have) I worked in this area?
- How do I do what I do? and
- How does my work impact the issues?
We came to the discussion of our practice with a broad base of experiences and perspectives. Our variability is perhaps easy to recognize: We are working in different ways in different places around the country and we need to be better informed about the what. Listening deeply to the why and the how, however, is critical. It is the answers to these questions that lead us to respond more reflectively, more critically, to the question: In all that we have heard where do we see our imprint as educators on the issues?
Reflecting on our practice was followed by an analysis of the reality of immigration. We listened to the story of a young undocumented woman who is in her first year of college; the story of how she lives with the choice her parents made over ten years ago to leave home, family and friends on a perilous journey to the US. We read and discussed Introduction to the Reality of Migration in the Americas by Rafael Moreno, s.j. (2011) which offers one of the most current and comprehensive fact-based discussions of migration in the Americas. We viewed Frontline’s October 18th piece entitled Lost in Detention which took a hard look at the Obama administration’s controversial “get-tough immigration policy.” Finally, Marimer Cepeda, rscj showed us a documentary entitled De Nadie which included interviews and live footage tracking the journey of migrants en route through Mexico from Central and South America to the US. At each step we reflected on the questions: What did I learn? and “What are the invitations and challenges that this reality presents to us as RSCJ educators?”
Plumbing the depth of harsh realities can take its toll. It can leave one feeling exhausted and discouraged. To become better educated through reflection on practice and analysis of the reality requires something of us and takes something out of us. Saturday was a good, but intense day. We began Sunday morning examining the persistent feelings, insights, and questions we were experiencing. Our call, however, is not to linger at the foot of the cross. We are contemplatives in action. We are called to discover the love of the heart of Christ because and in spite of a wounded world. We drew from the words of Paulo Freire:
“Radical love is a love which leads to action…
acting in radical love must be accompanied by hope…
hope demands an anchoring in practice….
hope needs practice in order to become historical concreteness.”
(Pedagogy of Hope)
On Sunday we probed what radical love looks like for us. Beginning from where we are and what we are doing what more do we want to do? With whom? How? The weekend began with a reflection on our practice, moved to a critical analysis of the reality and at this juncture returned to our practice with new vision. Where do we concretely go from here as a group? How do we want to respond to the urgent and persistent needs of immigrants as an act of radical love, accompanied by hope, anchored in practice? In other words, how do we want to live, work and witness the transformative power of education?
The group developed an extensive list of action items with a view toward the most practical details to ensure we do not lose our momentum. Action items ranged in scale and included identifying a lead person, needed resources and timetable for completion. Below is a sample of some of these items:
- A letter to President Obama which many of you have now seen. Lead: Barbara Quinn, rscj
- Put immigration on the agenda of the Popular Education meeting of Iyolosiwa in January 2012 in Mexico. Leads: Reyna González, rscj, Marimer Cepeda, rscj and Imma De Stefanis, rscj
- Develop event(s) at the UN (e.g. movie, panel discussion, etc.) of 1-11/2 hours in length. Lead: Cecile Meijer, rscj
- Develop accessible database of information summarizing what each one of us is able/willing to do with regard to migration and immigration issues. Leads: Judy Garson, rscj and Meg Causey, rscj in the US; Marimer Cepeda, rscj in Mexico.
Going forward the group will continue to meet by Skype to track its progress along the various action items. Others will be invited to join the discussions and initiatives along the way, as well. The meeting concluded with an evaluation including highlights and recommendations. The balance of sound process and clear outcomes gave our energy a sense of direction. As one person stated, “On every level it was energizing and for me touched into the core of our vocation.”
Immigration is more than a topic of interest and concern to a small group of people who were able to gather in early November. It is the experience of thousands of people risking all in search of a better, safer life for themselves and their families.
On the US Province’s homepage under the heading “About Us” is the section entitled “Frequently Asked Questions.” One of the FAQs is: “What are some of the questions the Society is asking today about its future mission?” The reply that is posted includes this question: What will participation in God’s work of transformation demand of us? A very good response and an even better question, though not a mysterious one. For contemplatives in action to participate in God’s work of transformation requires a RESPONSE! We must respond to the needs of our world thoughtfully, prayerfully and with the same zeal as if our own lives were on the perilous journey to freedom, justice and dignity.
Submitted by:
Imma De Stefanis, rscj
Reyna González, rscj
(Forum Organizers)