Well I just got back from our ReOrientatino retreat up near San Francisco and the break from LA was very needed. Each one of our retreats focuses on one of the JVC values, this one being social justice. One of the speakers from the retreat is a layperson on the board of the California province of Jesuits, and he spoke about the financial investments of the society. In addition to just investing money for financial growth, they strategically target companies that they can implement new policies in.
For example, the California Jesuits became a major shareholder of Chevron a few years ago, and since this new relationship, they have used their influence to work with the company to improve it's human rights record. In the past, local militias hired through the company to protect its pipelines had harassed and murdered some locals living along the route, even though they were not a threat. Not that Chevron ever ordered this to happen, but the lack of oversight and guidelines at leaset put some share of instances like this on the company. However, Jesuit school alumni in the organization and the Society of Jesus representives to the board have spearheaded new efforts to face these regions directly to ensure the safety of locals and to also invest in the communities where Chevron has operations.
What struck me the most about this speaker was that he showed how working with businesses, instead of villifying them, can bring positive change for the marginalized. He said that public shaming of a person or company makes the people involved unwilling to work together over an uncomfortable and pertinant issue. This isn't meant to say that the shit should never hit the fan for companies (Enron anyone?) so that new laws are put in place to protect the consumer and average person. I believe he instead wanted to highlight a manner in which companies and individuals can rise to the daily occasion of acting both responsibly and ethically and how to address injustices from within as opposed to waiting for a whistleblower to take down the whole house of cards. It was exciting to see how the Jesuits and Jesuit educated people share a common mission that can be impliemented in a way that is obviously both protects human rights, and also makes good business practice.
Needless to say, this retreat provided many opportunites for me to focus on these issues and to learn from the other JV's who work with the underserved and vulnurable populations of immigrants, abused women, homeless youth, and minority students. The goal is to ask no just WHAT can I do to help these people, but WHY do they need my help. What structure in their job, country, or society has caused them to be in this position? I feel that by being on the "front lines" of working with the marginalized, I am learning the answer to the WHY. It is never a clear-cut answer, but I believe it comes down in some way to opportunity. By ensuring that people have an opportunity to succeed and invest in their skills and education, then hopefully less of my work will actually be needed.
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