Jesuits and partners from around the world joined the call to take action for water on World Water Day. Ecojesuit sought water pledges from colleagues around the world and many expressed solidarity in caring and defending this resource that is fundamental to all life and human dignity.
Roberto Jaramillo SJ, President, Conferencia de Provinciales en América Latina y el Caribe (CPAL) and Rigobert Minani SJ, focal person of the Ecclesial Network of the Congo Basin Forest (Réseau Ecclésial du Bassin du Congo or REBAC), took the pledge during the International Conference on Integral Ecology at Georgetown University in Washington DC, USA.
Xavier Jeyaraj SJ, director of the Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat (SJES) outlined steps towards water for all, emphasizing its spiritual and living qualities, while colleague Rossanna Mattei shared a poem on how water is a gift from the Lord.
Youth from South Asia remain hopeful and pledged to share the responsibility in addressing severe water shortages in the region.
Lumnesh Swaroop Kumar SJ, Coordinator for Ecology at the Jesuit Conference of South Asia, took to social media to spread awareness and promote action and wrote about the drought in Karnataka, India, and the challenges that communities face.
“Last year too the situation was very grim. People had to depend on water tankers that fetch water from outskirts of the town, drawn from a few borewells which have water, and these are supplied to people at a cost. Those who can afford are able to manage, but for those who cannot afford, they have to seek other water sources.” Lumnesh also shared that women bear most of the burden as they “are forced to walk long miles to get water for their living.”
In the Philippines, staff of the Environmental Science for Social Change (ESSC), a Jesuit research and training institute that also serves as Ecojesuit secretariat, along with Sylvia Miclat, Jesuit Conference Asia Pacific (JCAP) Coordinator for Reconciliation with Creation, undertook a clean-up activity in the clogged creek at the Francis Corner beside the Arrupe International Residence and Loyola House of Studies to promote wastewater management.
Ecojesuit encourages all to follow through with their pledges and to take action beyond World Water Day.
