Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice History
From the Gates of Ft. Benning to the Halls of Congress
A Growing Movement for Justice
A growing number of people hold vigil at the gates of Fr. Benning. School of the Americas Watch (SOAWatch) is founded in 1990 and begins to organize the annual vigils.
The first Ignatian family gathering takes place at a hotel in Columbus, Georgia.
The Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice takes up its home in “The Tent” which has since become the symbol of ISN. Sitting at the edge of the Chattahoochee River in downtown Columbus, rain or shine, the tent became an important part of the Jesuit institutions’ time in Georgia to protest the School of the Americas.
A Moving Tent
The Teach-In moves from the tent to the Columbus Convention Center. Over 3,000 people attend the Saturday Mass.
The Teach-In moves from GA to Washington, D.C., and engages the Ignatian family in new and exciting ways including legislative advocacy on Capitol Hill.
Nearly 1,200 people attend the Teach-In and over 800 individuals participate in 130 meetings in 60 different congressional offices on the final day of the Teach-In.
A record-breaking 1,700 people attend the Teach-In, and over 1,200 people head to Capitol Hill on advocacy day to advocate for immigration reform, environmental justice, and U.S. policy toward Central America.
Watch the 2015 highlights video:
In the midst of the pandemic, IFTJ 2020 goes virtual to welcome more than 5,000 people for 10 days of learning, prayer, and networking for a more just world.
Energy continues to grow as IFTJ 2022 returns to our new home at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. Will you be part of our history?