Belonging , Dignity and Justice
A group of faculty developed enhancements to our diversity training for students founded on the principles of Catholic Social Teaching and the Four Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus . These enhancements strive to create a student experience and environment in which young men are welcomed to our community , valued for all their gifts , personal histories and backgrounds , appropriately challenged , and protected from bias and discrimination for any reason .
Belonging ensures students experience the Fordham Prep community as one in which differences are welcomed , different perspectives are respectfully articulated and heard , and each young man feels valued and cared for .
Dignity helps students recognize that all people are made in the image and likeness of God and so possess an equal and inalienable worth . This understanding leads students to treat each other with love , respect and compassion while working actively to oppose bias , harassment , and discrimination in all of its forms ( e . g ., racism ; sexism ; ageism ; homophobia ; anti-Semitism ; ableism ; etc )
Justice inspires students to engage in serious conversation with all our brothers and sisters , to hunger and thirst for righteousness , and to act when we see inequality . We aim to empower students to advocate for justice and become agents of reconciliation for those whose dignity has been violated .
These program enhancements include presentations , speakers and discussions during orientations , mentoring periods and during other formation opportunities such as retreats . Its five goals for student formation are taken directly from The Profile of Graduate at Graduation , a document that guides all Jesuit schools in the United States-- to form young men who are open to growth , loving , religious , intellectually competent , and committed to justice .
From Randall Pedro P ’ 18 , Director of Diversity , Equity and Inclusion
The work of Diversity , Equity , and Inclusion at Fordham Prep is rooted in justice . Justice has the potential to be a wideranging abstract construct . Many people equate justice with being a “ good person .” To conceptualize justice in a way that becomes the core of our experiences , I find reflecting on Rev . David Fleming ’ s S . J . translation of the “ Principle and Foundation ” in Ignatius Loyola ’ s Spiritual Exercises extremely helpful : “ Our only desire and our one choice should be this : I want and I choose what better leads to God ’ s deepening his life in me .”
Embracing God ’ s invitation to deeper transformation and conversion has the potential to transform our society .
Dignity , belonging and justice are at the heart of this work . They allow us to respect every individual in every interaction . This transformative justice-- flowing from God ’ s love-- also gives us the power to confront , address and dismantle systems that perpetuate societal divisions based on historic discrimination .
To combat these societal divisions and systemic biases we hope to imbue our students with the ability to “ truly see ” one another as God ’ s creatures , created in love , in order to love . This is the cornerstone of our mission to develop “ men for and with others .” To work toward this outcome , it is necessary to listen to each of our stories . We must create opportunities and an environment for different voices in our community to own and articulate their personal history and experience . We cannot overlook the pain and anguish we cause when we look past a student ’ s story .
Our Program is one of the many missioncentered initiatives in our school community where we can express “ I see you , I value you and most importantly I love you as my brother or sister .”
We are inspired by the vision of diversity , equity , and inclusion as articulated within the Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus . These preferences invite us to walk with the excluded in a mission of reconciliation and justice , and to accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future . Beyond opportunities for service and expressions of charity , we believe sustained accompaniment and respectful encounters on a human level have the power to transform us and our community in radical and lifegiving ways .
July 2020 Action Plan for Diversity , Equity and Inclusion
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