Global Webinar “Promoting a Consistent Culture of Protection in the Society of Jesus »

Building ‘a safe environment for all’ is a key and fundamental task of each of our schools. It is both our great desire and firm commitment that Jesuit schools be free from any form of abuse or violence. To this end, we not only put safety procedures and protocols in place, but we constantly train our staff in the protection of minors; we exchange experiences on proven and socially impactful best practices. This was also the purpose of the fourth Global Webinar, which concentrated on Global Identifier #2: Jesuit Schools are committed to Creating a Safe and Healthy Environment for all.

Educators from the Jesuit Global Network of Schools (JGNS) came together in a spirit of collaboration on Thursday, November 10th, 2022 to discuss this important topic. The online meeting for staffs of Jesuit schools worldwide was organized by JECSE and Educate Magis.

The series comprises 10 webinars, each hosted by a conference network of the JGNS and dedicated to reflecting on a Global Identifier from the document Jesuit Schools: A Living Tradition in the 21st Century.

During the Webinar, we were able to listen to Fr John Guiney SJ, Fr. General’s international Delegate for this sensitive area, with the presentation: « Promoting a Consistent Culture of Protection in the Society of Jesus ».

Fr John’s presentation was then followed by two examples of good practice from our schools and networks:

  • Ms Ulrike Gentner from The Center for Ignatian Pedagogy (https://zip-ignatianisch.org/) presented on “Safeguarding Policies in the Ignatian Networks”. She shared with us about the six Minimum standards for developing a safeguarding policy in this network
  • Ms Esther Ribas Batlló from Sant Ignasi, Spain, gave a short talk entitled « Let’s change the culture! » She gave us practical examples of how to implement a school safety policy with a particular emphasis on risk management.

After the presentations, teachers and staff from our schools had the opportunity to exchange their comments and pose questions to the invited guests. A lively discussion ensued illustrating once again how relevant and important this topic is for all of us.

A recording of the presentations and discussion is available here: https://www.educatemagis.org/living-tradition/jesuit-schools-are-committed-to-creating-a-safe-and-healthy-environment-for-all/#HPWebinar4EN