Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Bombay (Fides Service) – There is a large Catholic presence at the 4th World Social Forum (WSF) which opens today in Bombay and closes on 21 January: 1,350 Jesuits from all over the world have arrived in India to reaffirm their commitment to help the excluded, the poor the marginalised, a traditional sector of the mission of the Society of Jesus
Some of the Jesuit delegates are involved in the organisation of the Forum. They will lead groups of reflection, debates, workshops and bring a Catholic viewpoint with relative proposals to this vast assembly of organisations and movements from the world over with regard to problems such as peace, social justice and respect for the dignity and rights of every human person.
The FORUM is an international meeting to reflect on problems and challenges of globalisation and its impact at the social level. More than 100,000 participants are expected to attend the Bombay Forum to discuss how to build a better world. In the next six days the participants will attend meetings, debates and reflection groups on the themes of globalisation and peace, ethnic and religious violence, racism, discrimination of caste of gender, social exclusion.
The presence of Jesuits from all over the world, with the permission of Father Lisbert D’Souza, President of the Conference of Jesuits in Southern Asia, was promoted by the Jesuit Social Apostolate. Indian Jesuits will highlight main problems in India: Gujarat - fundamentalism and secularism; Tamil Nadu and Bihar - the rights of Dalits and Tribals; Delhi - the challenges of migration, finance, trade. Jesuit delegates from Europe, Latin America, United States, Asia and Australia will report on the international dimension of the problems.
(PA) (Fides Service 16/1/2004 lines 44 words 468)
