IGNATIAN SPIRITUALITY

In mid-July, Jim McGloin, S.J., of the Jesuit Provincial Office, led the eight-member staff of the JCTR in a reflection morning on ''Ignatian Spirituality'' as a guide for our working together and our mission today. Using a short video on the Ignatian Vision, Jim prompted the staff to look at what is important in our work, what motivates us, and what we need in order to be strengthened. Everyone felt it was an extremely helpful reflection, and more such experiences will be planned in the future.

EDUCATION

As you may be aware, one of the core areas of our activities is education. Pete Henriot, S.J., offered a weeks' workshop in early August for Spiritual Direction Course sponsored by ZAS. The theme was: ''Fostering in Spiritual Directees a Consciousness of the Social Dimension of the Gospel.'' Prior to the course, Pete received about 20 responses to his request for information from spiritual directors, both Jesuit and others, about how they view such a theme and suggestions for treating it. Members of the course -- laity, priest and religious -- responded in a very lively fashion to looking at scripture, social analysis, the social teaching of the church, and their own experience and commitment in promoting justice and involvement with the struggle of the poor.

Pete spent a week in Rome at the end of June and first part of July for participation in the RSHM chapter and presented a paper a SEDOS conference. The SEDOS paper, offering a positive and hopeful perspective on Africa today, is available from the JCTR office.

CSPR

JCTR hosts the Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) secretariat, with two of our staff based in down town Lusaka. (We have no more room in our Luwisha House offices!) In July the CSPR presented a major study on civil society's perspectives on the poverty reduction strategies being prepared by the Zambian government.

DEBT

A ''press luncheon'' was held on 19 July to brief about 20 key media people, from government and independent press and TV-Radio, about the continued efforts of Jubilee Zambia to secure debt cancellation for Zambia and to insure that any such relief goes toward poverty eradication. We do receive very good media coverage and consider this an important dimension of public education on issues of faith and justice.

Another major study was presented by the Jubilee-Zambia project evaluating the economic and social impact of HIPC on Zambia. The conclusion: very little positive impact! The only solution: cancel the debt and put in place a mechanism to guarantee that funds go to the poor.

By popular demand, the Jubilee-Zambia drama, ''And Now the Eclipse of the Debt,'' was re-run two more nights in July at the Lusaka Playhouse, to overflow audiences. A video of the play is being prepared for wide circulation (check our office for more details).

JCTR FOOD BASKET

The Food Basket Survey continues to be very much a centre of monthly discussion. Its findings were used as negotiating points during the recent civil servants strike in Zambia. The July figure was K332,520. This figure was up from the June figure of K328,570 and was about twice the take home pay of civil servants.

CHURCH'S SOCIAL TEACHING

With the help of Charlie Searson, S.J., the JCTR Social Teaching Project is again preparing homily guidelines for the Advent Season 2001. These guidelines are proving to be very popular, for use not only in homilies but also in small Christian community discussions, youth group meetings and catechism classes. Translated into the seven major Zambian languages, they are sent to over 250 Catholic parishes around the country.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

JCTR and Oxfam made a brief presentation of their study findings on ''Cost Sharing in Zambia's Basic Education'' to the Ministry of Education Strategic Planning Stakeholders' Workshop on 10^th August. JCTR and Oxfam plan to officially launch the findings of this study in September.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

In late June the new JCTR Board of trustees met for the first time. Chaired by Colm Brophy, S.J., Jesuit Provincial, the Board is composed of nine members from diverse backgrounds. Its purpose is to guide the activities of the JCTR in accordance with its vision statement. Full details about the Board will be reported in the next issue of the JCTR Bulletin

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