JESC: round table hosted in the European Parliament.

On 25 September the Jesuit European Social Centre, along with FIPRA consultants, hosted an event called Common home Dialogue (An Ode to Change) at the European Parliament in the framework of Article 17  the Dialogue with Religious and Non Confessional Organisations. This meeting was based on the Laudato Si ́, the encyclical letter written by Pope Francis on ecology and the human approach to the environment. In other words, a call for action regarding the necessity of changing individual and collective habits and performance in an attempt to take responsibility of our Common Home.

Edmond Grace SJ, JESC Secretary for Ecology, opened the discussion with a spiritual approach serving as an introductory reflection: ̈When we go too fast we don't see the world around. Looking around gives space for grace ̈. His view shed light on the intersection between corporate environmental responsibility and the Laudato Si ́ which marked the pathway for the dialogue. The conference was a moment of sharing best-practices of sustainable transition mostly in the private sector. There were approximately 40 participants, including representatives from lobby groups, food, primary resources and pharmaceutical multinational enterprises. One of the common discussions about environmental practices was their endorsement of the cyclical economy, in opposition to the linear model, aiming to reduce the waste of production and reuse materials within the production-consumption chain. This was a point which they agreed upon and are separately incorporating to their working methods.

It turned out that this process was more necessary than expected, as it gave space to bring together an effused interdisciplinary debate. Green practices were addressed, compared and contrasted in an aim to implement Laudato Si ́ premises within diverse influential entities from the social, economic and political spheres. Essentially, another step was taken towards working together for a Common Home.

We invite you to read the article written by Edmond Grace SJ for the occasion.