Hello from JVC’s new Programme Manager CLARE LEWIS

After just one month officially in my new post at JVC, I have to admit I’m still working out which end is up, but finding out is a very exciting process!

Before JVC, I had quite a varied experience, which included running my own business, teaching, working as a volunteer and volunteer manager with other charities, and quite a lot of press and publicity work. I’m pretty sure I will be using most of the skills I’ve gained so far in running JVC.

I was able to join Marie, Austeja and this year’s group of volunteers for most of Orientation in September, and found it an inspiring event. We have a great bunch of people, and it’s a privilege for all of the staff team to be supporting them during their journey this year.

I’ve already been entertained by the Birmingham and Liverpool communities, and I’m looking forward to visiting the Manchester community soon. I’ve also visited some of the placements where our JVC volunteers are working, and it’s really heartening to see the work that’s being done to make people’s lives fairer, happier and more inclusive.

I was attracted to JVC by the opportunity to try to live and work by its values, and I passionately believe that JVC can change the world one person at a time. In a comfortable society like Britain, too many of us are ignorant of the injustice, poverty and exclusion right on our doorstep. JVC opens our eyes to this, lets us see just what life is like for those who are marginalised, and enables us to do something about it – in volunteer work during the programme, and by a lifelong change in attitude after JVC.

The staff team really wants JVC Britain to grow, and we’d appreciate the help of Holy Joe readers in spreading the word about the programme, helping us to find opportunities to talk to groups who may be interested in joining us, and offering to help us promote it, perhaps by sending us articles or photos.

We’re here and waiting for your response!

Looking Back, Looking Forward: Jesuit Volunteer Community BY GED EDWARDS

JVC recently held it’s 21st Birthday party in St Frances Xavier Church Liverpool, everyone agreed it was a lovely evening. Ged Edwards gave this speech, looking back at the first JVC community.

I’m delighted to be asked to speak tonight.  It’s a real privilege to be here on such an occasion, an occasion we could barely dream off 21 years ago.  I’ve always felt that JVC is a movement, not a voluntary organisation and our collective presence here tonight shows how true that is.

Lest we forget where we’ve come from, JVC was Jesuit Volunteer Corps and started in Alaska about 50 years ago.  Eddy Bermingham SJ was asked by The Society of Jesus, the Jesuits to set up JVC: Britain.  To do this in 1985 he approached 2 students Tess Clancy and Sue Hogg to go to the States to experience JVC programme there and to come back and after a short while take on the running of JVC: Britain which he started to shape in their absence.  While Eddy was recruiting the first community, building links with Community Service Volunteers and the Housing Department in Liverpool, Tess and Sue were in California and Montana.  At 21, Tess ran a soup kitchen for up to 600 homeless people a day in Sacramento which was part of the Loaves and Fishes Project inspired by Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement so she’s the longest-standing volunteer with us tonight.

Last September, twenty years after its formation of the first JVC: Britain community JVC Liverpool (or JVC Rialto as we knew it), we held a reunion attended by five of the first six JVC volunteers (Jo Sullivan, David Cronin, Ann Wilson, Patrick Sweeney and me), and Tess Clancy and Ken Vance from the Management Team and Sr Liz Stinson SND: Community Partner, four of us are here tonight.

We had a great day wandering around the European Capital of Culture.  We knew a different culture back then in Toxteth where we had lived for the year.  In 1987, the area was still struggling with the label of the infamous Toxteth riots of 1981 and burnt buildings and dereliction were to be seen everywhere.  We lived in two dilapidated maisonettes in Berkeley St which we had to decorate (after taking down the red light bulbs!) and hurriedly furnish with furniture from a flat where someone had done a moonlight flit.  In our JVC year our work took us away from Toxteth but we tried hard to support the local community and be accepted there too.  One of our community, Steve Jobling was a brilliant magician and the local kids a keen audience so that for the years the Liverpool community was based in Berkeley St, they were all known as “The Magies”.  We helped in the Toxteth Carnival in our year and when some children tried to break into the flat when we were away on the Spirituality Weekend, people we didn’t know came and boarded the place up late at night and thrashed the culprits.  We were in!

When we got to the area last September, it had changed so much.  Both blocks of flats, which had been so liberally decorated with graffiti, had been pulled down and new, smart terraces put in their place, and other houses given a facelift.  It was a great physical improvement but the memories of being there, in a place I thought of as so much as home, were still so powerful and I was glad we were together to experience it.

Then off to Liz’s for prayerful reflection.  We looked at the four JVC values of simplicity, community, spirituality (Ignatian) and social justice, where they had influenced us over the years and what they meant for us now.  We took time to reflect also on the JVC USA strap line “Ruined For Life”.  After all that time. were we?

We noted how the values were continuing to shape little things – like running the office tea fund – as well as having shaped major choices, like careers in health, social and environmental work.  The friendships we had had remained vitally important.  Some of us were ruined in terms of personal relationship: the quality of those relationships, people who had been complete strangers, had been so strong and now we badly missed community living and contact with like-minded people as we had spilt up over the UK and this was hard to come by.  Community is such a powerful, natural and necessary experience it will be rediscovered and JVC is part of that effort.  Where God is leading us is alive for us still and all of us are still strongly drawn to Ignatian spirituality with its foundation of contemplation in action.

Simple lifestyle had become more of an issue for some with environmental issues coming to the fore.  How can we live more simply and share what we have with others?  What are the benefits of this?  In terms of social justice, for most of us dealing with systems and bureaucracies rather than just with the people we signed up to help was causing us to scratch our heads.  We were being paid as professionals and we welcomed that for the most part.  But was this helping others as well as it might – or ourselves?  Again, the simplicity of being in touch with others as volunteers, running soup kitchens, cooking with someone who lives in a hostel or playing the piano in an old people’s home brought back vivid memories of individuals we had formed bonds with.

JVC: Britain started amid a blaze of interest from the Society which was exploring in particular how its charism of Ignatian spirituality could be used with lay people.  During the year we were visited by many people most notably by the then Provincial, Michael Campbell-Johnston SJ and by Alec Dixon, the founder of Community Service Volunteers who had advised President Kennedy on establishing the American Peace Corps who stayed overnight with us.  For us as the first volunteers, staff and support staff, for all the challenges, there was a sense of a great adventure, both personally and as a movement.  We were open to experiencing first hand something of the need for social justice, of the vitality and difficulties of living in community with people we had not met before, of living with the strengths and limitations of few choices and of finding God amidst this, individually and together.  For all of us, 1987-88 remains both a rich and influential period, a touchstone and influence for today and the future.  Eddy’s phrase to us was, “It’s not about getting the right answers but the right questions!”  That’s all part of being ruined for life – in theological terms, being dead to the world and truly alive for God’s work, building a fairer more compassionate kingdom here, now.

Jesuit influence

The Jesuits have always used their limited resources to influence the social fabric by helping people to find God in all things and, because of their courage and approach, that influence has been phenomenal.  The BBC is currently running the 2008 Reith lectures on China and has highlighted the Society’s work, in the shape of Matteo Ricci SJ in 1580, as the first westerners to enter China.  Their impact there and China’s interest in the West because of that is still being felt today.  St Francis Xavier had the same goals when he went to India.  Here in this Church named after him, Bro Ken Vance SJ and the team are seeking to influence modern Liverpool and are hosting as well a special exhibition next month Held in Trust  on the work of the Society in the UK to influence the Capital of Culture.

And the Society is hosting tonight’s celebration as it has so generously supported JVC for 21 years financially and with its Jesuit members in spiritual development particularly.  Why?

It does this because it wants every volunteer, to do what Ricci and Xavier tried to do.  To go into the places where people are excluded from Jesus’ message, to learn from them and live along side them to change the world for the better.  I personally want to thank Fr Michael on behalf of his predecessors and the rest of the Society for continuing to ruin my former conventional life and help to make me part of the Jesuit movement.  I’m sure many of us who have gone through JVC feel the same.  The challenge we took up continues – but God doesn’t leave us alone.  It’s God’s work we are about to make a fairer Britain, where personal relationships are valued and not cheapened, where spirituality is respected as part of the whole compass of human experience and where people are encouraged to see the wisdom and joy in simplicity in a world teetering to the edge of catastrophe through consumerism-led climate change.

On behalf of my Rialto community, thanks for listening and staying ruined!

Ged Edwards was one of the first JVC volunteers in JVC Rialto 1987-88 in Liverpool.

European Volunteer Meeting BY AUSTEJA MOCKEVICIUTE

The European JVC volunteer meeting, “Discover strength and unity through diversity” was held in May 2008. JVC volunteers from Ireland, Germany, Great Britain, Slovakia, France and young people from Lithuania gathered in Vilnius (Lithuania) to share their experiences on social inclusion activities carried out in different parts of Europe, working with marginalised people and helping those who come from very diverse backgrounds.

Volunteers could discuss and analyse high unemployment rates, a decrease of equality of opportunity in education and employment in many countries, marginalisation, social exclusion and discrimination for many people who have skills but not opportunities and access to use them and feel fully-fledged members of the society they live in. Jesuit volunteers during the meeting could share examples of their work trying to make poor people’s voice heard and to advocate their interests. Volunteers try to engage more with society and become a bridge between those who are voiceless and those who have got power to make decisions affecting the lives of others. Volunteers shared ideas on how to stimulate people on the margins to engage more in society.

Each group prepared a presentation of social inclusion models used in their country and their placement. Those presentations had one issue in common – people from different backgrounds can be welcomed and accepted by non governmental and charitable organisations better then the formal institutions, which deal more with problems, forgetting about the person and his/her dignity.

The seminar activities brought about an understanding that social inclusion is achieved when all members of society can acknowledge, accept and implement their civil rights and duties, something significantly influenced by equal access to opportunity.

In diverse societies like the UK, France, Germany equal opportunities can be secured by activities based on principles of solidarity striving for successful integration into society through education, personal development and employment. Most people JVC volunteers work with have found it difficult to integrate into society, especially into formal systems, therefore synthesis of non-formal education and social services often is the key to successful integration, mentoring people with low self esteem and supporting them to discover their strength and engage it into positive activities.

The JVC volunteer meeting has broadened the understanding of social inclusion not just in the cities or countries represented but in wider Europe. The meeting was financed by Youth in Action Programme which is operated by the European Commission and aims to inspire a sense of active citizenship, solidarity and tolerance among young Europeans and to involve them in shaping our future.

Austeja Mockeviciute is a volunteer coordinator at JVC and a former volunteer; she comes from the lovely city of Vilnius in Lithuania

Letters from Europe BY JULIA BABOS

Júlia Babos attended the European meeting of Jesuit Volunteer Communities throughout Europe. While she was there she wrote her blog entries in English so her community back home in sunny Manchester could share her impressions. Now she shares them with you…

Letters from the European Meeting – vol 1

27^th May 2008

So, here we are:

• 3 volunteers + 2 staff from JVC Britain,
• 4 (= the whole single community) + 1 from JEV Slovakia,
• 2 + 2 from JVC Ireland (they also only have one community),
• 3 volunteers from JEV Germany including the only Guy (Berlin, Leipzig & Vienna — but as it turned out, there are German JEV groups in Mexico, Brussels, Bosnia, and Romania, as well),
• 5 + 1 from JEV France (Marseille & St Etienne — all volunteers but one who only noticed at the airport that her passport has expired..).

It’s a bit strange that the numbers of the participants don’t at all reflect the size of each programme…

There are some language barriers (for the first time in my life, I am among the betters with my English — no wonder after 8 months of use day and night) but we can overcome it. Strangely for me, those participants who are foreigners in their programme, are usually from a country that also has JVC. For example: a Slovak girl in France, or the other is a Lithuanian in Germany (so she’s at home now). The Slovaks are pretty shy with their English but fortunately their leader is Katka from JVC Birmingham 2005/06.

Today we had some icebreaking & group building, and then the presentations about JVC and the values in our country.

Some bits & bobs that may be interesting:

• The Irish community lives in a worse area than Ancoats. It’s called Ballymun — it’s a towerblock quarter in Dublin. All their placements are there, too.
• The Slovak girls were the most creative by the presentation: they sang a simple song about their days, with two recorders, a guitar, and a piano. They showed pictures and the lyrics. They live in a small village near Bratislava, where some Jesuit institutions are working, as well. And they only work for four days, Friday is a day for reflection and a mass.
• The Germans have three “ordinary” communities, and some abroad but they all meet 4 times during the year. Those abroad send a letter every month in which they explain everything that is going on with them (mostly for the sake of their sponsors). I think this Lithuanian girl is the only foreigner in the whole programme.
• The two French communities meet for a thematic weekend every month (such as community, violence-free conflict resolution, Islam (they meet more Islamic people a day than Christians, they said), and so on. Also, their values are called: service, community, spirituality, and “human formation” (these weekends).

Probably we are the only ones with internet at home.

Now there is an optional mass, and after that there will be social in the sauna. I think I’ll finish it for now.

2nd Letter: The Sky Above Vilnius

28^th May 2008

The sky above Vilnius is about half blue and half cloudy (mostly with white clouds). It was a beautiful day again, nevertheless because we had a bit less work to do (or at least a bit less to do with words).

After a nice musical morning prayer (the Slovak girls are really musical!) we got on a bus, then on a trolleybus, and went to the social centre of the Blessed Jurgis Matulaitis parish. They work with children and youngsters mostly considered as being “at risk”, as well as people with learning disabilities, and also families, parents, mothers, pregnant women etc. It’s a not very spacious but nice colourfully painted place, you’ll find pictures later, probably. The church is especially worth having a look at…

What I found interesting & really nice was maybe two things. First, they will have 4 EVS volunteers soon (once they had a Muslim guy who worked with the learning disabled people where there is lots of spirituality going on, and he really enjoyed it). And second, they do recycle, which is something none of my (UK) placements can be bothered with…

The city itself, as far as I’ve seen it (from one suburb to another) is pretty much like any other “Eastern Block” cities (suburbs): smaller and bigger blocks of flats are standing one by one. But there is quite a lot of green around, even a forest! Almost everything was old around but the people seemingly all take care of their appearance. No one in jogging suit or pyjamas on the streets.

In the afternoon we had the presentations about social inclusion & our workplaces but now a French girl is waiting for the computer (meanwhile chatting a bit in Spanish with Diana ) so I’d better take my leave [does anyone say this since the time of Jane Austen?]. I’ll try to go on tomorrow.

3rd and Probably Last Letter about Miscellaneous Stuff

30^th May 2008

Now I should write about two whole days which will be surely beyond my capacity so I apologise in advance for not going into any details.

Yesterday at 11 we got on a bus, and travelled to Trakai, the historic capital of Lithuania. It’s a beautiful town quite close to Vilnius, with a castle on a lake (actually, more lakes, I think), some reminiscences of the historical minorities in Lithuania (the Karaites and the Tartars), and flourishing green surroundings everywhere.

We had kibinai for lunch, a Karaite dish, similar to a cornish pasty (filled with mutton and onion).

After that we came back to Vilnius, and had a long walk in the Old Town. We’ve seen lots of churches in various conditions, and heard interesting legends and stories from our nice guide. I think for me the most interesting was the (former) Jewish Quarter and the baroque Orthodox church with a strikingly grass-green iconostaz (turned into that from the former altar).

The dinner was in a popular traditional restaurant where there is a snake kept under the stairs (I am not sure whether this is a part of the local traditions). Marie, Tanja and me all ate cepelinai with different sauces; it’s really nice and really filling.

After dinner (at around 8.30, I guess) we met the Baltic Jesuit provincial, who is a very nice guy. He greeted us as maybe the pioneers towards a Lithuanian JVC, and later on even joined us for the (presumed) folk dancing evening.

But unfortunately we went to another venue where there was no dancing but a great Norwegian group playing (mostly) the langeleik. It was absolutely perfect sleeping-music, so I soon found myself almost asleep… luckily, the others, too, so we hired a taxi, and headed home.

Today we had a nice (also singing) morning prayer (this time led by the French girls), then a game about living and working with people of different social and cultural backgrounds. Later in the morning we were given a little story from The Velveteen Rabbit, and some reflection questions on our JVC/JEV experiences. The sharing was in small groups from at least two different countries — we were just four with Tanja and two French JVC girls (one of them from Germany), so we could have a pretty good conversation with enough time for everyone. I found it inspiring.

Now it is free time after lunch, and because we’ll have half a day more for the city tomorrow, I stayed at the hotel. Silence is golden, all around…

Letter from Hungary – 4 Months Later

9^th October 2008

What stayed with me from the meeting…? First of all, probably, faces. Faces of fellow volunteers (who are now all at home or somewhere else and I don’t know anything about them – maybe I should write them…?), pieces of dialogs, both of funny and thoughtful ones. Then that incredibly blue sky (don’t forget, I arrived from and went back to Manchester!), the sunshine, the grass. And Vilnius, this little-great city. I must go back at some time or another.

Júlia Babos was a volunteer in Manchester 2007-8. When she wasnt flying to Vilnius she was volunteering in the Booth Centre and Manchester Prison Visitors Centre.

If you would like to see the brightly painted centre Julia mentions and some more of Vilnius, take a look at Flickr for the photos Marie took