Dialogue on the situation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon

The USJ/ Jesuit Refugee Service seminar on research projects tackling the situation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon was held on 27 September 2018 at the Gulbenkian Amphitheater of the Campus of Social Sciences.
Thursday 27 September 2018
Campus des sciences sociales

“Journeying Together” is the title of the results of a study conducted between USJ and the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) on the situation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. These results were presented by Fr Cédric Prakash, s.j., JRS Regional Refugee Advocate and Communications Advisor, during the seminar held at USJ on Thursday 27 September 2018 (Gulbenkian Amphitheater, Campus of Social Sciences).

The relevant topic of this seminar brought together ambassadors, members of the diplomatic corps, UN representatives, academics, researchers, and humanitarians.

The purpose of this study was to engage in constructive dialogue the different Syrian refugee-related stakeholders (namely the refugees themselves and refugee-hosting communities) in Lebanon.

On this occasion, Fr Nawras Sammour, s.j., Regional Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service (MENA) highlighted the importance of the spiritual, ethical, and political dimensions of the Jesuits’ mission.

For his part, Rev Salim Daccache, s.j., Rector of USJ, first commended Fr Prakash’s idea of organizing the seminar which “was originally supposed to only present the results of a study conducted by the Institute of Political Science on the sometimes problematic relationship between Lebanese citizens and Syrian refugees”. He then pointed out that “the seminar we are holding today in partnership between USJ and the JRS aims to present a scientific research project on the reception of refugees and the way they are perceived on Lebanese territories. We also wish to present research projects tackling the different aspects of the situation of refugees and, more explicitly, tackling the presence of Syrian refugees. In that sense, this seminar is a sign of the times. The point is not so much to boast of the large number of research projects - some 60 projects undertaken over the course of the last 4 years - but rather to show that this presence has not gone unnoticed by a university like ours, which fiercely belongs to its time. This is our way of looking into the status of refugees, into the tragedies they have suffered and still suffer, into their education and behavior, and into the effects that such a presence has on the different aspects of Lebanese reality.”

“It is clear that there must remain no measure not taken in order to return the refugees to their land and their cities. This does not mean that we wish to get rid of them or lighten a burden. It must be viewed instead as refugees’ right of safe return to their land. It is a duty for us to help them return to their homes. At this level, we must advocate for the JRS’s and other organizations’ roles to be a defense, if not a plea, for refugees’ right of return to be a primary duty, so that they may be reintegrated into their initial social fabric,” he continued.

About the Jesuit Refugee Service

Father Pedro Arrupe, s.j., Superior General of the Society of Jesus, came up with this idea in the 1960’s and 70’s as a result of an observation he made in late 1979 during a trip to Asia: he was deeply moved by what he witnessed in the boat-people of Vietnam. Upon his return to Rome, he wrote a letter to the Jesuit provincial supervisors, asking them for help and for suggestions on a corporate response that the Society of Jesus could take in order to tackle the issue of refugees. The response was very positive, and not only in terms of material aid and money - some Jesuits even personally offered their services and expertise. It was in November 1980 that the Jesuit Refugee Service was officially founded to coordinate and support this effort initially taken to help Vietnamese refugees. In his letter, Arrupe explains that he sees this service as a very modern form of apostleship, and he was further inspired by the commitment of the Society of Jesus to work towards a “faith that works for justice” (32nd General Congregation). Today, Fr Cédric Prakash, Fr Nawras Sammour, and many other Jesuits - along with thousands of lay people - have dedicated themselves to the refugee crisis present in some thirty hot spots. Some young people, administrative personnel, and professors from USJ have targeted these places where such educational, social, and humanitarian aid is given with warmth and affection.

Click here to see photos.

A Brief Report on the Research Study by JRS (MENA) in collaboration with USJ