Ignatian Solidarity Network

written by: Christopher Kerr, executive director, Ignatian Solidarity Network

Well the Super Bowl certainly lived up to the hype. One of the longest kickoff returns in NFL history, great catches, tackles, and even a performance by Beyonce & friends that will be hard to forget (especially for the parents whose children became scandalized by the outfits and dance moves!).

But the bigger question on social media was not the final outcome for the Ravens and 49ers. It was the commercials! Were we as impressed as we should have been? Did Volkswagen and eTrade really convince us to buy their products?  Was every 30-second spot really worth $3.7 million?

We’re not sure, but we do know members of the Ignatian network came up with some creative ways that $3.7 million could be spent that didn’t involve a Clydesdale horse.

Kelsey suggested that the $3.7 million be invested in companies like Alta Gracia Living Wage Apparel, providing them credit to expand their production. Ken, a Jesuit brother, took Kelsey’s idea step further and said the money could be used “as an initial investment for the Jesuit schools to start their own fair trade athletic [apparel] company,” allowing them to support workers and student creativity. He pointed out that “most fair trade clothing focuses on jeans and t-shirts, but not athletic apparel like uniforms for teams…With many of our universities and high schools being athletic powerhouses, this statement would surely reach the eyes and ears of media and other companies.”

Taking a different route, John from Canisus College argued that the $3.7 million spent showing us that not even a Joe Montana stain is sacred could instead be scholarship money for students studying abroad in developing nations including Santa Clara University’s Casa de la Solidaridad program in El Salvador. In the future, John hopes the media giants would consider sponsoring this concept, and “feature [Super Bowl] commercials on Casa and immersion, and real experiences with real people…not just materialistic things.” If Doritos eating goats can be featured in the Super Bowl, why not?

Robert had a similar idea in terms of student scholarships, but suggested supporting students who have been alienated by their families after being open about their sexual preference, including students who are gay, lesbian or bisexual. He said that $3.7 million could assist upwards of “20 students with all of their college expenses for four years.”

There is no doubt that $3.7 million could make a big difference – thanks to the Ignatian family for a few suggestions and thanks to the Ravens and 49ers for an entertaining game!

written by: Matt Smith | Director of Outreach & Engagement, Campus Ministry at Santa Clara University

Since I’ve been a campus minister at Santa Clara University I’ve seen three Fair Trade campaigns. The first campaign was a year after 9/11 and corresponded with a high level of student activism at the university. I was turned off by what I perceived as an angry energy surrounding protests, both off and on campus. The rhetoric was so often about what we were against, rather than what we were for. I didn’t want to be a part of movements that left me feeling angry, depressed, and unsatisfied. I had been taught to presume the good will of the other and this approach was in complete dissonance with that idea.

In response to this sentiment, I attended a training for social action trainers led by George Lakey, a Quaker, visiting professor at Swarthmore College, and director emeritus of Training for Change. It was a completely empowering weekend that has given me many effective tools that I continue to use today. One such tool was the Spectrum of Allies, which provided a solution to my dissonance about wanting peace, but being angry at and accusatory of everyone else. I have since introduced this tool to several student groups involved in various campaigns at Santa Clara.

The premise is that, in any social change situation, there is a diversity of people who are involved in the struggle for one outcome or another. Our job is to work with them, as allies, to achieve the desired outcome. Here’s what I do. I ask the group to make a list of all the various players who will be affected by this change (stakeholders). I then draw a semicircle split into five pie wedges. Yum! We then place each stakeholder where we think they would go on the spectrum. You can do this as a group or as individuals. (For introverts, the individual time to think about this is helpful.) We look at the spectrum and make some observations. Who is farthest away from you? Who is closest to you? Where is the president of the university? I’ve seen some bulbs go off here. The students may have thought that the president was on the far side of the spectrum, only to realize that s/he’s actually more in the middle. I explain that what many activists think change looks like is persuading the person who’s farthest from them to come all the way to their side. This is unrealistic and can lead to a sense of despair. The person to talk to is the one who occupies the wedge closest to you. This is the part I love! I’m more likely to speak the “language” of the person who is right next to me. I can connect with them more easily than with the person four wedges away. If I do this effectively, then I have gained allies who will then help me to speak to the person two wedges away, and so on. Eventually (in an ideal world) everyone has moved one wedge closer to what I want and the person farthest away must move one wedge up, simply to be part of the conversation.

As with any tool, this must be used at several different points in a campaign. It’s not a one time deal that forever cements people in a particular stance. To do that would be to deny the helpfulness and fluidity of this tool. When used well, in tandem with other tools, the Spectrum of Allies has the potential to greatly diminish a sense of despair spawned by accumulated “failures.” It helped me feel empowered to articulate what I was for and how I wanted to work towards that. I hope you will find it helpful in your work.

by Carlos Martinez | Santa Clara University – Class of 2015

Carlos installing insulation to the house his Santa Clara University group helped rebuild in New Orleans.

My recent immersion trip to New Orleans, in which we worked on rebuilding a house devastated by Hurricane Katrina, was my first immersion experience as well as my first trip to the South. In our group’s pre-trip meetings, the actual word ‘solidarity’ was never touched upon, which I believe was ultimately for the best. I think that if I had been asked to define ‘solidarity’ before going to New Orleans, I would have struggled and not been able to provide an accurate depiction of the complexity behind the word. I strongly believe that ‘solidarity’ is not a word that can simply be defined, but rather must be experienced and reflected upon afterwards in order to fully understand its meaning and depth.

Looking back on my immersion experience now, I see now that the concept of ‘solidarity’ is a complex one. For me, the foundation of ‘solidarity’ with another community is made up of a mutual respect and understanding between the two communities, along with an overarching unified theme of wanting to learn about the other. Going from a private Jesuit university in California to a destroyed house in New Orleans was not only humbling, but also forced me to realize that there were some experiences the New Orleans community had that I would never be able to relate to. I understood that what they went through because of Hurricane Katrina was life changing, and while I could not relate to their situation beyond that, I made sure to find out as much about their experiences as possible. Though intimidating at first, as I was not completely certain sufferers of Katrina would want to speak to an outsider, I thought the least I could was put myself out there and let them know that I was there to listen to them.

Ultimately, I believe this was the best decision I made during my immersion experience. I learned that while it is true that there are some experiences that I cannot relate to, that does not mean there is no possibility for a connection or understanding between communities. Rather, I now firmly believe that ‘solidarity’ means finding strength by sharing different experiences among communities in order to establish one unified community. Two different communities will never have exactly all of the same characteristics, which is in many ways the very aspect that makes solidarity so beautiful, in that it draws the strengths from each community to support the other’s weaker areas. Now I know to not look at differences in others as intimidating, but rather as an opportunity to improve my understanding and respect of them, and vice versa. This mysterious connection as a result of differences is what solidarity means to me.

written by Kurt Wagner | Santa Clara University - Class of 2012

Kurt Wagner (Santa Clara University '12) working up in the rafters of a house in New Orleans during SCU's January 2012 immersion experience.

I recently returned from an immersion trip to New Orleans, my second immersion experience but my first domestic trip. As the student leader for the trip, I spent a great deal of time preparing our group for what to expect, but the actual word ‘solidarity’ was never brought up in our pre-trip meetings. I think that many of the general concepts of solidarity were touched upon, but the word itself is hard to define and therefore hard to teach. I am a firm believer that ‘solidarity’ is one of those rare words that can take a unique shape depending on the individual experience.

For me, ‘solidarity’ with another community involves an individual’s commitment to stripping themselves bare of everything they think they know about another culture or community and opening their mind to a group of new individuals. ‘Solidarity’ is a combination of both empathy and understanding, but also requires shared experiences and beliefs. In order to truly connect with another culture, you must be willing to make yourself vulnerable and uncomfortable. Sometimes, this requires you to unveil your own prejudices or biases; to accept that you may be ignorant about what is truly happening outside of your own comfort zone. ‘Solidarity’ is the cumulative experience that leads to the creation of a meaningful connection with members of a community.

On both of my trips, I have found that solidarity is as prevalent among the group members as it is between the group and the outside community. It seems ironic that it takes a trip across the country to really open up with classmates who have been right under your nose the whole time.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 13, 2012
www.ignatiansolidarity.net
Contact: Christopher Kerr, Executive Director
ckerr@ignatiansolidarity.net

“UNIVERSITY SOCIAL JUSTICE STUDENT LEADERS 

CONVERGE at ISN LEADERSHIP SUMMIT”

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – Twenty-seven student leaders from Jesuit and other Catholic universities across the country are converging on San Francisco, California, for the Ignatian Solidarity Network’s 2^nd annual University Leadership Summit from January 13-15, 2012 at the Mercy Retreat Center in Berlingame.  The ISN University Leadership Summit invites emerging leaders for social justice to spend a weekend strengthening their capacity to effect positive social change while deepening their understanding of the relationship between faith and justice emphasized in the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Students attending the Summit represent the following U.S. universities: Boston College, Gonzaga University, John Carroll University, Le Moyne College, Loyola Marymount University, Loyola University Chicago, Loyola University Maryland, Regis University, Rockhurst University, Saint Joseph’s University, Saint Louis University, St. Mary’s College of California, Santa Clara University, Seattle University, and University of San Francisco.

Throughout the weekend students will explore the Social Change Model of Leadership, examine the life of St. Ignatius of Loyola and his call to become “men and women for others,” engage with fellow campus leaders, and with the support of experienced facilitators, develop personal action plans to translate leadership skills into programs on campus.  ISN executive director, Christopher Kerr, reflected on the program’s intentions by saying, “ISN is committed to developing emerging leaders for solidarity and justice.  The university students who attend the Summit bring tremendous passion and desire to be leaders.  The Summit provides them a community of peers to gain energy from and stay networked with long after the program ends.”

Students who participated in 2011 have returned to campus to engage their peers in a variety of issues from environmental education to the development of significant non-profit initiatives.  When asked about the impact of the program, ISN program director Kim Miller said, “Through my interactions with last year’s summit attendees, it is clear that the opportunity to further form student’s leadership skills grounded in spirituality and justice can have great impacts for their campus and beyond.”  Andrew Lunetta, a Le Moyne College student who attended the 2011 Summit developed a program called “Pedal to Possibilities” that provides individuals who are homeless in Syracuse, New York, access to bicycles for transportation and exercise.  More information about this program can be found at: http://www.pedaltopossibilities.org/

The Summit is led by a diverse team of facilitators that began planning in the fall.  The leadership team is comprised of: Helen Alatorre, Associate Director of the Center for Student Leadership & Development at Loyola Marymount University; Jerry Cobb, S.J.,  provincial assistant for formation and higher education for the Oregon Province of the Society of Jesus; and Michael Nuttall, program director for student immersions of the Ignatian Center for Justice Education at Santa Clara Unviersity.  Cobb and Nuttall also served on the facilitation team in 2011.

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The Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN) promotes leadership and advocacy among students, alumni, and other emerging leaders from Jesuit schools, parishes, and ministries by educating its members on social justice issues; by mobilizing a national network to address those issues; and by encouraging a life-long commitment to the “service of faith and the promotion of justice.”  ISN is an independent 501c3 non-profit organization.  Additional information can be found at: www.ignatiansolidarity.net

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