Author: 爵醒
The Beijing Center holds Virtual Internship Showcase for students
The Beijing Center (TBC) hosted a Virtual Internship Showcase to recap the student-interns’ experiences during their Fall 2020 semester. TBC began offering virtual internship experiences to students interested in China and its growing business market as one way of adapting and modifying educational methods with the development of the global pandemic.
On 21 December, working professionals, professors, and TBC staff had the opportunity to hear from student-interns from Marquette University in Wisconsin, USA, and Sanata Dharma University in Yogyakarta, Indonesia about their individual experiences working with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Glue Up (formerly EventBank).
The students shared their internship work and how it has contributed to improving their skills and giving them an upper hand in continuing their studies. A common topic was how they learned from a different country and company culture and how to communicate better when working with people in different time zones.
The showcase presentations concluded with a Q&A session from the audience. One of the supervisors commented on the challenges and blessings that virtual internships can bring during this particular time and how the experience of a virtual internship can help young professionals begin developing a solid remote work ethic and learning to work independently and effectively outside of the office environment.
This was the second time TBC held a Virtual Internship Showcase, the first being in summer 2020.
From fear to great joy
This celebration of Christmas is particularly different, and probably strange for some people. It feels more like a very long Advent rather than a Christmas celebration that we customarily do. But if Christmas means an authentic encounter with the birth of the Lord in our world today, then, there is an invitation to discern and follow the voice of the angel as the shepherds experience for themselves.
In Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus, the angel says to the shepherds who are struck with great fear: “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” In this familiar story, the shepherds, one of the most marginalised sectors of Jewish society, are the first to hear of the good news. Strangely enough, they find the infant who is both Messiah and Lord “wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger”. This image of fragility is very significant and powerful for our time, and especially for the most vulnerable among us. God enters into the depths of our humanity and frailty. Christmas is a season of hope. There is no place for fear or despair when we admit our vulnerabilities. Fear should give way to the hope that God remains with us even during this time of insecurity, joblessness, hunger, natural calamities, sickness, and death. Not even the saddest and most painful moments of human history can take away the consoling presence of our God-made-human.
Let us be like the shepherds, eager to find Jesus wherever he is. Let us learn from them as they radiate joy after their encounter with the infant. They see blessings despite the many challenges in life. For indeed, God is truly present amid the uncertainties, and struggles of humanity and creation.
Blessed Christmas to one and all!
Tony Moreno SJ
President, Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific
Multiplying the five loaves and two fish
Each semester, students at The Beijing Center (TBC) are encouraged to participate in local service-learning activities to practice the Jesuit tradition of helping others and attaining a sense of social responsibility. This fall semester, TBC students volunteered at Five Loaves and Two Fish, an organisation acting to support migrant worker families. Continue reading “Multiplying the five loaves and two fish”
A Wahyanite becomes the school supervisor – to be a bridge for students
A mile from shore a fishing boat chummed the water, and the word for Breakfast Flock flashed through the air, till a crowd of a thousand seagulls came to dodge and fight for bits of food. But way off alone, a seagull was making hundreds of glides – making a curve, stretching his wings, twisting, stalling. Continue reading “A Wahyanite becomes the school supervisor – to be a bridge for students”
Myanmar Jesuit Mission: Supporting women and girls in the pandemic
Myanmar is suffering from a resurgence of Covid-19 cases–much worse than the first wave–and now millions are locked down, unable to work or go to school. With the coming of cooler weather in December and January, they are predicting ongoing infection. The World Health Organisation is calling this an “emergency period” for the small Southeast Asian country, which has been rocked by conflict most severely in the western Rahkine State.
This has not stopped the Myanmar Jesuit Mission from continuously working to help those most in need. The squatter families in Yangon, the poorer parts of Taunggyi, and those displaced by conflict in Kachin and Chin States will receive six months’ worth of food and livelihood support. The social outreach team is led by a newly ordained Jesuit, Fr Cyril Nya Myo Htet, who is joined by partners on the ground sending food packs and supplies to the most vulnerable households. Also, they are focusing on building livelihood opportunities, simple ways to help alleviate their poverty.
Women and girls, especially, have been impacted by the pandemic. The lockdown situation has led to more incidences of domestic violence, sexual abuse, and exploitation. Unable to work, they are stuck in the slums and faced with desperate circumstances, forcing some into the sex trade despite the risks and stigmatisation. Fr Cyril Nya Myo Htet SJ says, “These women are good people who seek dignity through hard work… The pandemic has melted the livelihood of thousands and these women sacrifice their lives to feed their families.” In the coming months, skills training and microcredit loans will be offered to the women to help with their situations.
Meanwhile, in the northern Myanmar, Kachin State is home to thousands of internally displaced people (IDP) who fled their homes because of armed conflict. In the town of Myitkyina, Jesuit Mission is working with women’s groups in IDP camps to provide skills training. With an intensive sewing and tailoring course, complete with sewing machines and sweater making machines, the women are able to make garments that they sell through a cooperative.
At St Michael’s Parish in Nanhlaing Village, the Jesuits run a simple hostel for around 20 boys. There is a new girls hostel on the rise, which will allow around 50 girls to attend the nearby government school. Last October, Fr Stephen Mar Tay SJ and the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary sisters blessed the ground before laying the foundation stone for the hostel. The good FMM sisters –who have been with the parish for over eighty years–will run the girls hostel, along with the health clinic and the kindergarten. The girls hostel will be completed in December 2021.
Fr Mark Raper SJ, Superior of the Myanmar Jesuit Mission, shares a message of hope: “Although the capacity of Myanmar Mission is limited we are determined to be available where we can be and to support the Myanmar religious who work closely with the poorest and most vulnerable people. Thank you for your solidarity with us in prayers and in financial support. We have now set in place plans for continuing our outreach activities for the first three months of 2021.”
Contributions to the Myanmar Jesuit Mission Covid-19 Emergency Appeal may be sent to Manila, Australia, Germany or directly to Myanmar. Contact Mission Treasurer, Fr Puspobinatmo SJ at mynprocur[at]gmail.com or Development Officer, Gillian Donoghue at mynsjdo[at]gmail.com for details.
Open Letters of JCAM & Xavier Network to Boris Johnson and AU-EU Leaders.
The preoccupation with Corona and the postponement of the COP 26 meeting at Glasgow raises concern that efforts to combat Climate Change are postponed as well.
Fr. Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator, President of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar and Fr. Franck Janin, President of the Xavier Network sent a letter to the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and a second one to the President of the African Union, Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of the Council of the European Union, Angela Merkel and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
In their letters they want to emphasize:
- Covid 19 is a serious problem, but Climate Change also continues. When billions of USD and Euro are released to fight Corona, they need to be spent in a way that adaptation, mitigation and resilience in view of climate change is part of the package. We need a social and ecological transformation to tackle the multiple crises of our time.
- Africa suffers more (most?) from COVID 19 since its already existing problems of debt and poverty have been exacerbated while nothing is left to tackle the increasingly felt consequences of climate change and other plagues arising from the overuse and pollution of natural resources.
- Europe historically and presently belongs to the largest polluters and it has therefore to honour its commitments given at the Paris Agreement (contributing to the 100 bn annually) and in Rio 1992 (Principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibility). This can be done directly via the transfer/investment of money and technology, or indirectly by assisting Africa in improving in Domestic Resource Mobilizationand fighting Illicit Financial Flows.
- Time is running out, tipping points are fast approaching. Hence NDCs need to be formulated not by looking backwards to 1990 figures, but ahead to the global CO2-budget remaining before the 1.5/2 degree threshold is irrevocably crossed.
- Here, synergy between Europe and Africa can be exploited. For example: Helping Africa leapfrogging fossil industry is more effective to combat climate change than “cheating” by exporting dirty industry to poor countries, thus polishing own statistics by merely shifting the problem.
- Therefore: Given problems in the global, UN sponsored COP process, the Jesuits argue for speeding up an Enhanced AU-EU cooperation.
Download the letter to Boris Johnson
Download the letter to Cyril Ramaphosa, Angela Merkel and Ursula von der Leyen.
The Bejing Center Welcomes New American Pathway Program Students
On Friday, September 11, 2020, The Beijing Center (TBC) welcomed its Fall 2020 cohort comprised of local Chinese freshman from the College of the Holy Cross, Saint Joseph’s University, University of Notre Dame, and University of the South. Continue reading “The Bejing Center Welcomes New American Pathway Program Students”
Learning To Promote Justice In A Chinese Enviroment
To live a faith that promotes justice also means to operate and make decisions amidst difficult and challenging environments. When confronted with such environments, a variety of images will fill our feelings, imagination, minds, and hearts. Ignatian spirituality pays special attention to the discernment of images, when we are still searching for meaning as a previous condition before looking for solid solutions to concrete problems. Continue reading “Learning To Promote Justice In A Chinese Enviroment”
Celebrating ordinations in the Chinese Jesuit Province
Moved by their deep desire to serve in the vineyard of the Lord, six young men from the Chinese Jesuit Province were ordained as priests and deacons in four separate celebrations in Rome, Hong Kong, Ottawa, and Taipei. Continue reading “Celebrating ordinations in the Chinese Jesuit Province”
The Ignatian Family in a Worldwide Prayer Vigil
Under the umbrella of the Secretary of Faith, an international group of Jesuits and lay companions are working together to prepare this event. We hope that it will bring together our Jesuit and Ignatian networks throughout the world Continue reading “The Ignatian Family in a Worldwide Prayer Vigil”