WHAT IS THE JRS?

Modes of Working - Mission and Vision of JRS

   The Charter of the Jesuit Refugee Service makes explicit the mission of JRS: to accompany, serve and defend the rights of refugees and forcibly displaced people. It provides criteria for choosing projects, and outlines the ways of proceeding preferred by JRS. The Guidelines deal with JRS membership, indicating how people are selected for JRS work and what support they can expect to receive.

   The mission of the Jesuit Refugee Service is intimately connected with the mission of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), namely to serve faith and promote the justice of God's Kingdom, in dialogue with cultures and religions (JRS Charter, Paragraph 1). The mission given to JRS embraces all persons who are driven from their homes by conflict, humanitarian disaster or violation of human rights, following Catholic social teaching which applies the expression de facto refugee to many related categories of people.

   JRS seeks to work in collaboration with the local Church, always respecting the relationship of the Society of Jesus with local Church officials. Often a local diocese is overwhelmed by the arrival of foreigners in its territory or is not aware of the appropriate procedures. JRS generally works well with the local Churches. Although a Catholic organisation, JRS is called to serve the whole refugee population, not simply the Christians, or only members of the Catholic Church, and we in turn encourage the Catholic community among them to serve all their fellow refugees. Sometimes those pastors who accompany their flock into exile do adapt. Others need help to appreciate the totally new context.