‘The Journey towards Hospitality’ – New handbook on welcoming migrants for primary and secondary schools

“Do we know the reality of people who are forced to move, their aspirations, difficulties and needs? Do we know if their rights are respected in our communities? Do we realise how these people enrich our societies? How can we get to know them better and welcome one another?”

These questions are highlighted in a recent publication entitled The Journey towards Hospitality. This educational material on hospitality towards migrants and refugees was published in the form of two handbooks with practical activities for primary and secondary students. The colorful and well-presented books were produced by the Jesuit Migrant Network in Latin America. The English version has been adapted by the Jesuit Refugee Service and can be used in different regional contexts. They can be modified to suit local contexts and translated as needed. 

“They are intended to be widely used also in other non-formal contexts, such as parishes, to educate children and young people in the value of hospitality towards migrants and refugees.

These handbooks can be also offered to Education Ministries to integrate them in their curricula. With a growing xenophobia in our world, we see this as a contribution to long term local integration of migrants and refugees, and as a durable solution in many countries where we work” (A. Valcarcel, JRS).

The Handbooks are available to download in Spanish and English.

“The Character of Catholic Schools”

Chris Gleeson SJ in his keynote entitled “The Character of Catholic Schools” speaks about the importance of storytelling in articulating Catholic identity. This keynote was delivered at the Catholic Education Conference in Singapore in March 2015. His main interest is in presenting the ‘HOW’ of Catholic education rather than the ‘what’. Catholic schools are to be so-called ‘Dialogue School(s)’ which “promote(s) a maturity in the students’ own faith through dialogue and interaction”. The themes of ‘frontiers’ and ‘hospitality’ in Catholic education are also highlighted. While walking through these ideas there is a wealth of references to spiritual, educational and Catholic literature. Teachers and educators might like to use this document in conjunction with the ‘The Journey towards Hospitality’ handbook as they elucidate the question of ‘dialogue’ and ‘hospitality’ from very different but complimentary perspectives. To read keynote please click here.