Br.Toon van Bijnen, SVD
Report 10
Organisation
Because there are many new coordinators among us, I like to present you a little bit the organisation of our JPIC working.
Since 1986 we have not only a JPIC-coordinator but a commission of 6 members, belonging to different communities so that all confreres are presented. There has been a strong continuity in this commission. Three of the actual six members are from the very beginning up to now full members and even coordinator. The commission is very well rooted in the provincial structures, because three of us are members of the provincial council. This has been all the 22 years so. So we enjoy the full support of the provincial authorities and a sufficient budget. Sometimes the provincial is attending a meeting. The commission is advising from time to time the provincial council.
We are meeting 7 or 8 times a year, in different communities so that all confreres are aware of our apostolate. Once a year there is a joint meeting with the SSpS-commission in a SVD or SSpS-community. The agenda is made up by the coordinator and sent to the members. All members are in turn making the report, which is sent to all our members, to the provincial and to the SSpS members of their commission. A summary in English is made for VIVAT International, the general coordinator, the Euro zone coordinator and everyone who wants to receive it. Maybe we will send it also to the members of the VIVAT International-antennas in Belgium and the Netherlands. But up to now these antennas are not yet functioning. Included in an internal news bulletin, that is distributed every two months among the Dutch and Belgian confreres, we provide always a JPIC bulletin with information about campaigns and situations; three items in each edition.
Actions of the commission
The actions of the commission are mostly dealing with lobbying; so working for structural change.
Most of our actions are undertaken in co-operation with other NGO's so as VIVAT International, Oxfam, Pax Christi, AEFJN, Lenten campaign, Jubilee 2000, Amnesty International. The last three years we have been campaigning for:
1. Fair trade. We signed petitions to EU commissioner Peter Mandelson, Heads of State, Prime Ministers, defending the rights of the poor countries in the WTO conference of Hong Kong. Several times petitions to de EU authorities, demanding to change the proposed new EPA's at January 1, 2008.
2. Every year we signed petitions to the Heads of State of the G8 for cancelling the foreign debt of the poor countries For this question our members have a subscription to the magazine Jubilee Nederland, what is regularly discussed in our meetings One of our members prepared a detailed study for the AEFJN 3 We pay a special attention to the EU policy for Africa. There were several protests against the unfair trade by dumping Belgian class-books as a “gift” to Congo; dumping medicines to African countries, and most of all against the protection of European agro products and the free export to African countries.
4. More than 2 years we have been dealing with the water provision in African countries. We campaigned against privatisation of water by big companies. One commission-member was co-editor of a detailed study about people’s right to water.
5. Another member is in the AEJPN responsible for food-sovereignty of the African people. The commission signed petitions for this right.
6. In our Peace Apostolate we participated in the campaign Control Arms and several times we signed petitions against the trade in small arms and against the system of child-soldiers; against the new Japanese army (changing article 9 of the Constitution). Every year the International Peace-day and the Peace-day of the religious and the Peace-weeks in the Netherlands and in Belgium are celebrated. We are actively cooperating.
7. Over the years the commission is dealing with alternative banking. On the proposal of the commission the province co-finances a small banking project in the Philippines.
8. Belgium and the Netherlands are among the most "multinationalised" countries in the world. Amsterdam is the number one in the world with the most nationalities, Antwerp is the number second. This is for our commission the main challenge: building a peaceful multinational, multicultural and multi-religious society. One community is living in the most multicultural and multi-religious area of the town. Others are working in parishes where there are over 90 nationalities.
One of us has been halftime working for refugees, providing lodging and legal assistance; others are doing so regularly.
We are taking part in campaigning for asylum-seekers. We have signed petitions against the detention of children in refugee camps. We take regularly part in vigils of asylum-seekers. In the Netherlands we signed petitions to the government demanding a “general pardon” for people without legal documents, who are over 5 years in our country. Every year we are present at the vigil in memory of 11 asylum-seekers who died by fire in a detention camp. Regularly there are manifestations against racism, where we are present. In short, we are campaigning against every restriction of migration.
For the cohabitation with other religions one community is organising multi-religious meetings in our house, where Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Christians are invited. Also a multi-religious Christmas party was held in our house. We are taking part in iftars and the end of Ramadan-celebrations and joint prayer services and workshops on this matter. One of us is working in a diocesan commission to promote harmony among religions, by preparing the liturgy for the 7 Sundays between Eastern and Pentecost, (which give a good opportunity to open up the minds for other people), by organising conferences with a imam, a rabbi and a catholic priest, by writing a booklet about the meaning of Abraham for Jews, Christians and Muslims, by publishing about multi-religious conferences and documents. Another confrere is giving instructions to migrant imams for their integration in the European situation. Some have regular contact with Muslim leaders.
Actions of all confreres
2 or 3 times a year the commission invites all confreres for prayers and for petitions. We see it as our duty to animate all SVDs in our province. The coordinator is sending an appeal to the rectors of the communities. The response is very good; about 90%, we may say. So, every year there are prayer services and celebrations in every community at World Peace-day: also at World Aids day ad some others. Actions as "stand up against poverty" and "1 minute put out the lights" are well done in the communities.
The last years the confreres signed petitions to the Top G7/8 for cancelling if the foreign debt of the poor countries; They signed petitions to Ministers and Commissioners in order to change the WTO-policy and the EPAs There were petitions, addressed to the Minister of Agriculture, to change the Africa-policy: a petition addressed to the Minister of Home Affaires, protesting against the detention of children in refugee camps; a petition for the regularisation of illegal migrants without documents. For these problems prayers are said during Eucharist and prayer services.
So we are happy about this good response. Sometimes it happens that a confrere does not agree with the commission. But we are happy about his attention for world problems and we give him a proper answer. We think, that the JPIC commission in our province is well accepted by all SVDs. In the annual report of the province the coordinator is invited to write his survey over the last year. Finally the coordinator is as observer admitted to the provincial chapter, where he is presenting his report and proposals, which can be discussed. So, JPIC is well integrated in the NEB province.
Toon van Bijnen svd
JPIC Coordinator
Organisation
Because there are many new coordinators among us, I like to present you a little bit the organisation of our JPIC working.
Since 1986 we have not only a JPIC-coordinator but a commission of 6 members, belonging to different communities so that all confreres are presented. There has been a strong continuity in this commission. Three of the actual six members are from the very beginning up to now full members and even coordinator. The commission is very well rooted in the provincial structures, because three of us are members of the provincial council. This has been all the 22 years so. So we enjoy the full support of the provincial authorities and a sufficient budget. Sometimes the provincial is attending a meeting. The commission is advising from time to time the provincial council.
We are meeting 7 or 8 times a year, in different communities so that all confreres are aware of our apostolate. Once a year there is a joint meeting with the SSpS-commission in a SVD or SSpS-community. The agenda is made up by the coordinator and sent to the members. All members are in turn making the report, which is sent to all our members, to the provincial and to the SSpS members of their commission. A summary in English is made for VIVAT International, the general coordinator, the Euro zone coordinator and everyone who wants to receive it. Maybe we will send it also to the members of the VIVAT International-antennas in Belgium and the Netherlands. But up to now these antennas are not yet functioning. Included in an internal news bulletin, that is distributed every two months among the Dutch and Belgian confreres, we provide always a JPIC bulletin with information about campaigns and situations; three items in each edition.
Actions of the commission
The actions of the commission are mostly dealing with lobbying; so working for structural change.
Most of our actions are undertaken in co-operation with other NGO's so as VIVAT International, Oxfam, Pax Christi, AEFJN, Lenten campaign, Jubilee 2000, Amnesty International. The last three years we have been campaigning for:
1. Fair trade. We signed petitions to EU commissioner Peter Mandelson, Heads of State, Prime Ministers, defending the rights of the poor countries in the WTO conference of Hong Kong. Several times petitions to de EU authorities, demanding to change the proposed new EPA's at January 1, 2008.
2. Every year we signed petitions to the Heads of State of the G8 for cancelling the foreign debt of the poor countries For this question our members have a subscription to the magazine Jubilee Nederland, what is regularly discussed in our meetings One of our members prepared a detailed study for the AEFJN 3 We pay a special attention to the EU policy for Africa. There were several protests against the unfair trade by dumping Belgian class-books as a “gift” to Congo; dumping medicines to African countries, and most of all against the protection of European agro products and the free export to African countries.
4. More than 2 years we have been dealing with the water provision in African countries. We campaigned against privatisation of water by big companies. One commission-member was co-editor of a detailed study about people’s right to water.
5. Another member is in the AEJPN responsible for food-sovereignty of the African people. The commission signed petitions for this right.
6. In our Peace Apostolate we participated in the campaign Control Arms and several times we signed petitions against the trade in small arms and against the system of child-soldiers; against the new Japanese army (changing article 9 of the Constitution). Every year the International Peace-day and the Peace-day of the religious and the Peace-weeks in the Netherlands and in Belgium are celebrated. We are actively cooperating.
7. Over the years the commission is dealing with alternative banking. On the proposal of the commission the province co-finances a small banking project in the Philippines.
8. Belgium and the Netherlands are among the most "multinationalised" countries in the world. Amsterdam is the number one in the world with the most nationalities, Antwerp is the number second. This is for our commission the main challenge: building a peaceful multinational, multicultural and multi-religious society. One community is living in the most multicultural and multi-religious area of the town. Others are working in parishes where there are over 90 nationalities.
One of us has been halftime working for refugees, providing lodging and legal assistance; others are doing so regularly.
We are taking part in campaigning for asylum-seekers. We have signed petitions against the detention of children in refugee camps. We take regularly part in vigils of asylum-seekers. In the Netherlands we signed petitions to the government demanding a “general pardon” for people without legal documents, who are over 5 years in our country. Every year we are present at the vigil in memory of 11 asylum-seekers who died by fire in a detention camp. Regularly there are manifestations against racism, where we are present. In short, we are campaigning against every restriction of migration.
For the cohabitation with other religions one community is organising multi-religious meetings in our house, where Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs and Christians are invited. Also a multi-religious Christmas party was held in our house. We are taking part in iftars and the end of Ramadan-celebrations and joint prayer services and workshops on this matter. One of us is working in a diocesan commission to promote harmony among religions, by preparing the liturgy for the 7 Sundays between Eastern and Pentecost, (which give a good opportunity to open up the minds for other people), by organising conferences with a imam, a rabbi and a catholic priest, by writing a booklet about the meaning of Abraham for Jews, Christians and Muslims, by publishing about multi-religious conferences and documents. Another confrere is giving instructions to migrant imams for their integration in the European situation. Some have regular contact with Muslim leaders.
Actions of all confreres
2 or 3 times a year the commission invites all confreres for prayers and for petitions. We see it as our duty to animate all SVDs in our province. The coordinator is sending an appeal to the rectors of the communities. The response is very good; about 90%, we may say. So, every year there are prayer services and celebrations in every community at World Peace-day: also at World Aids day ad some others. Actions as "stand up against poverty" and "1 minute put out the lights" are well done in the communities.
The last years the confreres signed petitions to the Top G7/8 for cancelling if the foreign debt of the poor countries; They signed petitions to Ministers and Commissioners in order to change the WTO-policy and the EPAs There were petitions, addressed to the Minister of Agriculture, to change the Africa-policy: a petition addressed to the Minister of Home Affaires, protesting against the detention of children in refugee camps; a petition for the regularisation of illegal migrants without documents. For these problems prayers are said during Eucharist and prayer services.
So we are happy about this good response. Sometimes it happens that a confrere does not agree with the commission. But we are happy about his attention for world problems and we give him a proper answer. We think, that the JPIC commission in our province is well accepted by all SVDs. In the annual report of the province the coordinator is invited to write his survey over the last year. Finally the coordinator is as observer admitted to the provincial chapter, where he is presenting his report and proposals, which can be discussed. So, JPIC is well integrated in the NEB province.
Toon van Bijnen svd
JPIC Coordinator
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