Society of African Missions

SMA Policy on Justice, Reconciliation, Peace and the Integrity of Creation, Par 8.

Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation (JPIC) concerns right relationships; with God, with self, with our fellow humans and with all creation. It is therefore the faith-filled way of living our lives in this world and the goal that being Christian and praying “thy Kingdom come,” calls us to strive for. For missionaries it is integral to evangelisation.

The commitment of the Society of African Missions (SMA) to Justice Peace and the Integrity of creation is marked by a special concern for Africa and its peoples.  Faithful to the Founder’s vision of mission to the most abandoned, the SMA accompanies and supports the peoples of Africa in their struggle for a more just society and world. We will therefore, make the best use possible of the resources at our disposal to challenge injustice and collaborate with and support likeminded groups in order to work effectively for social and environmental justice, especially in areas that effect Africa and Africans.

To be effective we recognise the need to focus on specific areas. Priority will be given to raising awareness of and promoting advocacy and to action in the following areas:

1. Advocacy on Behalf of Africa and People of African Descent.
2. Challenge Human Trafficking.
3. Promote Care for Creation.

The SMA have a special mission to the people of Africa. We recognise that Africa faces many injustices including unfair trade relations and debt burdens that obstruct human development in Africa. Additionally, Africans and people of African descent in Ireland often face racism and prejudice.  Therefore, the society of African Missions commits to:

• Proactively seek the presence and involvement of Africans, lay and clerical, in our life and work as a witness of our commitment to equality and inclusion.
• Build its capacity to raise awareness and to undertake advocacy seeking economic justice for Africa.
• Increase its capacity to challenge racism, especially against Africans in Ireland through networking and campaigning.
• Support financially or materially projects that enable of promote the inclusion and integration of Africans in Irish Society.

Ireland is a destination, source and transit country for human trafficking, yet it remains on the periphery of Irish public consciousness. The importation and sale of goods produced by victims of trafficking and which sustains the demand for trafficked or slave labour also goes largely unnoticed in Ireland. We must strive to end this denial of fundamental human rights and to uphold the God given dignity of each person.  The society of African Missions commits to:

• Advocate for policies that disrupt human trafficking and protect people who have been trafficked.
• Raise awareness of the reality of human trafficking, and mobilise the public to take action.
• Collaborate with organisations such as APT (Act to Prevent Trafficking) that campaign against human trafficking.

The SMA works for the promotion, protection and sustainability of the environment. In response to global warming and climate change, which pose major environmental challenges, SMA Ireland promotes an integrated approach to environmental, economic and social sustainability, aware of inter-generational justice and its demands that the good of future generations be safeguarded. The society of African Missions commits to:

• Build a network of partners to promote the integral ecology perspective of Laudato Si’ with a focus on Africa.
• Undertake local action to care for creation within SMA Communities and Houses as an example to others.
• Integrate care for creation into our spiritual exercises, personal and communal life.