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Click here to access the main presentation: Ignatian advocacy model
Click here for indications about the document to be written after the internal mapping: Document of Internal Mapping (Patxi Alvarez)
Giving life to spiritual sources of our mission – developing the resources, good for our identity, our Ignatian way of proceeding
Collaborating as we offer the best of our tradition – our added value is related to our resources (spiritual, identity)
We are weak, and many others are already doing advocacy on these issues, we want to collaborate with them – we cannot invent our own agenda, we can only contribute; offering the best of our tradition. Contributing our best to a pluralistic society. Developing our way of proceeding = Ignatian entrepreneurship.
Ignatian advocacy is not a new concern (El Escorial plus publications)
(1) Centrality of the poor – coming from life of Ignatius, advocacy for the good of the poor; two kinds of feelings: anger & hope/gratitude, have to decide if we are fuelled by one or the other. In Ignatian spirituality, it is gratitude, we are people of hope, grounded in gratitude. When we look at the world, we see signs of life, signs of hope. Contemplation of the incarnation. Many people say this is going towards a catastrophe, but we are people of hope, world-affirming, have narratives of hope, we celebrate = advancing the future, we are not looking at the past, looking to the horizon, otherwise difficult to go forward. Anger is our temptation because of the broken reality that surrounds us.
(2) Communal discernment. We have good ideas, we believe in them, but we have to find a way in common. Open to listening to others, to the spirit present in the others, look for truth together. Not something that we own.
(3) Personal involvement. GNMR has to do with our way of living, not others to blame. That’s why we always begin with the First Week, we are involved in all the bad things that happen in this world. We are not with the Trinity, we are with the people, part of that, personal involvement. We are called to conversion of the heart.
(4) Collaboration with others, essential part of our mission.
(5) Magis, generosity, not just good but best, quality work and creativity. We have a reputation for quality. Added value from value, from creativity, passion, generosity.
Not “my institution is Ignatian because I am a Jesuit”.
This is already a community of discernment, making a big effort in understanding what’s the truth everybody brings to it. Experience of listening, openness, not in order to win.
We will do interviewing, probably getting some narratives of hope. You will get data from reality, some good visions of reality, sometimes they cannot be demonstrated but just argued. Example Fr Arrupe. A vision is something that pulls you – e.g. “The world can change, but we don’t want it to change” (Arrupe)
Higher Education – we will receive research from them, rigorous descriptions of reality, bringing in complexity and questions we have not considered in the social sector. Deep dynamics that fuel the phenomena. Narratives of hope are related to spirituality, as is academic rigour and deep dynamics.
Identify our allies: civil society, church
We need a position paper, something to tell to the Society and the people around us. People ask for it, can be a big help. Not a long paper, but something which expresses our beliefs, hopes, description of reality, point of view of the poor, main areas in which we want to work. Need a draft position paper. Do with Core Group, with help of people that may not be here, e.g. a research centre. Needs to be rigorous, centrality of poor, rooted in our spirituality (want to address our companions and colleagues with this, too).
Discerning for the magis (with prayer, deep reflection, am I ready to do this): jump in quality. Not a moral question, question of being grounded in our own situation.
Contents: sources of hope (narratives?), deep and prophetic description of our thematic issue, our Christian/Ignatian reading of the phenomena, our commitment in view of this reality = our mission, main fields of action = our strengths (internal) and opportunities (external) – offering our best collaborating with others. 10-12 pages, something moving, that you can bring to your community.
Main areas of concern; define strategies, programs, actions and timetable, Vision for the network after 4 years.
Position Paper & Strategic Planning finalised
Probably there is a logical way of doing it – and there is a way that YOU will do it. You will develop Position Paper and Strategic Planning in parallel. We go from simple to more complicated, but this is only the beginning. So far, we will have done little advocacy. The above is only the first 2 years, then comes the development of plans of actions, and evaluation. You have to define period of time, but maybe after 4 years, you should make an evaluation, then revise position paper. This needs to be a long-term process, we will not be able to “solve” the problems we are attacking in 2 years…
Questions for Core Groups (3 hours today):
Speak about mapping
Key Ignatian elements, and how to make sure they are included
Resources needed for position paper
How to deal with planning?
You will not meet again for about a year (you have Skype). On Thursday, you have to define what you will have to do in order to get mapping and planning (draft versions) done before the Specific Workshop.
Final document for mapping: proposal for internal, external mapping so that you know what to ask for in the interviews.
Julie Edwards: What do we need to leave this meeting with to be in place?
Patxi Alvarez: Three steps: mapping, planning, specific workshop. SW: fix date, fix place, held by leader – not important now. Need to decide here: how to do mapping in each one of the Conferences, who is going to do interviews (e.g. 10 interviews in 3 months), how to deal with Plan B. “Research” to write a document for the planning – decide how to do that, you have 15,000 euro for that, hire someone to gather information and write draft report. Second step up to your imagination: leaders propose a first draft to Core Group and others interested in network. Decide the work of the leader and the timetable for all this. By February mapping done, then three months to organised research. We will chase you from the Secretariat, ask for follow-up.
Rafael Moreno: So you are asking that the strategic planning for mid-2012 – before the SW or?
Patxi: Mapping in February, then draft planning over the next 3 months (ready by May), then make changes/finalise draft during Specific Workshop.
Julian Filochowski: Internal timelines: we really have to contract to one another by when we do something. The whole process of the network will be in danger if not, and the future of the network. We need to have a calendar of external events (e.g. Rio+20) in addition to allies & external mapping. Important piece of information for planning, especially position papers (foolish if comes out a month after the UN has made a decision on the same topic!). Before anything can be planned, we need to have some idea who the members are… otherwise we can’t plan sensibly and have resources.
José Ignacio García: Timing, membership, calendar tasks for the leader. Each network has to clarify the way of including people, maybe on temporary basis, core group is stable, need to establish how members are admitted etc.
Trevor Miranda: In our group, we already expressed the need for a position paper even before strategic planning.
David Hollenbach: Not clear what the 15,000 euro for.
José Ignacio: The money is allocated for mapping and producing document. More money after that for SW: 20,000 euro. Hire someone to produce documents, even for the planning.
Augustin Kalubi: On the mapping, we have been underlining Higher Education – primary & secondary education?
José Ignacio: Target should be limited on Higher Education since otherwise we will be overwhelmed with replies, there are thousands of primary & secondary education institutions.
Augustin Kalubi: Mapping, planning, are we all talking about the same things?
José Ignacio: Mapping: looking for people, planning: producing a plan, position paper: producing a paper. In addition, calendar and timeline.
Dani Villanueva: Communication for GIAN
Julian Filochowski: Intercultural communication most problematic and causes most disruption. Add one point as an Englishman: anglo-saxons are at enormous advantage with our first language, for everybody it is second/third language. We need to be aware not to use it as oppressive and undermining too – constant awareness.
Leonard Chiti: Google Docs, need a Gmail account? Wouldn’t want to change email address.
Dani Villanueva: We need to compromise with the technology – leaders should all open an Gmail account to generate document but the Core Group members don’t have to have one. Gmail account can be used only for this, does not need to become the main email account. Can call it Ignatianadvocacy@… or something.
Do you think this is realistic?
Migration has already had Skype meeting, PHR no, GNMR no…
Ignatian Advocacy 
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