John Guiney SJ has been IJI’s Director for 17 years, and prior to this, he spent 25 years in East Africa.

John spoke about the huge celebratory milestone for IJI, founded on solidarity and partnership. John’s address highlighted the ecclesial demographic shift to a Global South Leadership in our Church. With the centre of Christianity shifting significantly to the Global South (Africa, Asia, Latin America), “we now recognize that mission is no longer ‘from the West to the rest’ but increasingly from everywhere to everywhere.”

Shifting from a focus only on spiritual or economic progress, “the full well-being of individuals and communities” needs to be integral to our work “ensuring they can live in their cultures with dignity, freedom, and justice.”

John shared how ‘Care of Our Common Home’ calls us into a key partnership today. Late Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’, urges individuals, communities and governments to take action against environmental degradation and climate change. “Everyone, regardless of background or belief, is called to participate in the stewardship of the Earth” and work together to right the wrongs and build a future home inclusive of all creation.

John concluded his talk on the huge importance of healing the impacts and memories of a colonial past, to building bridges through dialogue and understanding, being agents of Christ’s peace, promoting non-violence, interreligious dialogue and mutual respect to cultivate fraternity and social friendship to not only address conflict but to prevent it.

You can read John’s keynote speech in full here: John Guiney SJ – A New Mission of Solidarity and Human Development