Following the “Networking for Justice” meeting that took place in Loyola, Spain, from 16-20 November, our Chief Executive Officer Julie Edwards travelled to Madrid participate in a roundtable discussion organised at Comillas University on 23 November.
The event, titled “Global challenges, networking responses”, was chaired by the Rector of the University, Julio Martínez and the Head of ICADE Business School, Marta Muñiz. Leaders of a number of the Global Ignatian Advocacy Networks presented, including Julie in her capacity as leader of the Justice in Mining Network (formerly known as the Governance of Natural and Mineral Resources Network).
The meeting was an opportunity to share lessons learned from networking carried out at a global level by the Society of Jesus since 2008, in areas such as ecology, migration, natural resources and education, and to provide concrete examples of the work being done by the networks. Julie discussed the conflict minerals campaign which has been led by the European Jesuit Conference (through Spanish NGO Alboan) with the support of the Justice in Mining Network. The campaign advocates for mandatory due diligence by European companies of their supply chains, seeking to break the link between the extraction and supply of certain minerals and the channeling of profits towards violent conflicts in those countries. A video prepared as part of the campaign can be accessed here.
