The Jesuits believe in "a faith that does justice". As a Jesuit Institution, it is our duty, here at Canisius to carry out this faith that does justice. A major resource for social justice is the Ignation Solidarity Network, or ISN. ISN's purpose is to facilitate and enhance the effectiveness of existing social justice and advocacy efforts that are currently present in here at Canisius and at Jesuit institutions across the nation. The Ignatian Solidarity Network will serve as a channel to help each of us to become men and women for others. The Vision of the Ignatian Solidarity Network states that, "We are a Network actively facilitating and promoting communication, education, and social justice awareness and action among Jesuit member institutions and individuals".
Justice Trip, Columbus, Georgia
Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice/SOA rally and protest
November 20-22, 2009
On November 16, 1989, six Jesuits and two women were murdered in El Salvador for speaking up and acting for justice. They were killed by soldiers trained at the US Army School of the Americas (SOA) in Fort Benning, Georgia. The SOA was renamed the Western Hemisphere Initiative for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC) in 2001 but it continues to train Latin America soldiers with American tax dollars. The SOA has been in existence for over 60 years and has trained over 60,000 soldiers. These graduates have been responsible for the killing of tens of thousands of innocent people including Archbishop Oscar Romero, Jesuit priests, and American church women.
Campus Ministry will be sending a delegation of students and staff down to Columbus, Georgia to participate in the Ignatian Family Teach-In, a gathering of students from Jesuit schools from across the nation. The Teach-In consists of a variety of speakers talking about a variety of issues. Past speakers have included Father Roy Bourgeois, founder of the SOA watch and demonstration, and Sr. Helen Prejean, author of "Dead Man Walking." There is a variety of break-out sessions to attend. The Teach-In closes with a mass. Last year appoximately 3,000 people attended the teach-in.
The Teach-In will be followed by a gathering a the gates of Fort Benning, the base that houses the SOA. Last year, 20,000 people gathered to participate in a reverant funeral procession to remember all the victims who were murdered by SOA graduates and to call for the closing of the school.
You can find more about the SOA and the SOA Watch at www.soaw.org.
Justice Trip, Wheeling, West Virginia
Spring Ignatian Family Teach-In
March 4-8, 2010
The Spring Ignatian Family Teach-In gathers members of the network for four days each spring to examine a single specific justice issue that is of serious concern for the Ignatian family. This year, the theme for the Spring Teach-in will be Environmental Justice. At the Teach-in, students will have an opportunity to become informed on social justice issues by various speakers. Students will also become empowered to bring the information that they learned back to their communities in order to take social action and make a difference.
This year, the Spring Teach-in will take place at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, West Virginia.
You can find more about the Ignatian Solidarity Network and the Teach-ins at www.ignatiansolidarity.net
For further information about the teach-ins, contact Sarah Signorino at 716-888-2424 or signoris@canisius.edu.