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London Jesuit Centre
A major theme in Pope Francis’ teachings is the need to go out and meet the people on the margins of society. Yet, by virtue of their marginalisation, it is often difficult to do so. Moreover, many organizations that work with marginalised groups (Catholic or otherwise) are led by people from outside that group, who,due to their greater enfranchisement in society, are more likely to have the skills and means required to establish and run those organizations relative to the communities they serve.
This module aims to forefront the voices of people who belong to marginalised groups, and who work with marginalised groups as members of those groups. Each session will be led by a guest speaker from a user-led organization, who will talk about the situation of, and challenges faced by, their respective group in society today.
Speakers on this course are discussing issues that are not only important but deeply personal to them. It is only fair that we listen to them in return, so if you sign up to the course please attend as many sessions as possible.
Week 3
Refugees and migrants (Migrants Organise)
Asylum and migration are major global issues that have also risen to prominence in recent Catholic social thought. For many reasons, refugees often lack access to positions of influence from which they can advocate for themselves, and as a result these discussions tend to be about refugees, rather than led by them. This has in part facilitated the growth and institutionalisation of a sensationalising, xenophobic politics which consolidate their exclusion within society. Yet they also face numerous obstacles to their own security and self-advocacy in our society, including the difficulties of the asylum system, laws forbidding work and resultant poverty, and the ever-present risk of indefinite detention.
Migrants Organise is “a platform where refugees and migrants organise for power, dignity and justice”. They “develop leadership and open up spaces for relational, organised participation of migrants and refugees in public life”, and were featured on Netflix’s Chelsea in 2017.
Dr Nicolete Burbach is the Social and Environmental Justice Lead at the London Jesuit Centre. Her PhD thesis looked at Pope Francis’ hermeneutics of uncertainty, and her research focuses on resourcing Pope Francis to think through issues of alienation and disagreement, with a particular focus on navigating the difficulties around trans inclusion in the Church. Previously, she has taught modules on postmodern theology and Catholic Social Teaching, both at Durham University.
