18 LUMEN | PROGRAMMES
Caring for our Common Home By
Mr Firmin Lee
In his encyclical letter Laudato Si ' issued on 24 May 2015 , Holy Father Pope Francis calls for a new dialogue with the Church and the world to care for our common home - Mother Earth :
" The urgent challenge to protect our common home includes a concern to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development , for we know that things can change . The Creator does not abandon us ; he never forsakes his loving plan or repents of having created us . Humanity still has the ability to work together in building our common home . Here I want to recognize , encourage and thank all those striving in countless ways to guarantee the protection of the home which we share . Particular appreciation is owed to those who tirelessly seek to resolve the tragic effects of environmental degradation on the lives of the world ’ s poorest . Young people demand change . They wonder how anyone can claim to be building a better future without thinking of the environmental crisis and the sufferings of the excluded .
I urgently appeal , then , for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet . We need a conversation which includes everyone , since the environmental challenge we are undergoing , and its human roots , concern and affect us all . The worldwide ecological movement has already made considerable progress and led to the establishment of numerous organizations committed to raising awareness of these challenges . Regrettably , many efforts to seek concrete solutions to the environmental crisis have proved ineffective , not only because of powerful opposition but also because of a more general lack of interest . Obstructionist attitudes , even on the part of believers , can range from denial of the problem to indifference , nonchalant resignation or blind confidence in technical solutions . We require a new and universal solidarity . As the bishops of Southern Africa have stated : “ Everyone ’ s talents and involvement are needed to redress the damage caused by human abuse of God ’ s creation ”. All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation , each according to his or her own culture , experience , involvements and talents ."
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Everyone
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’ s talents and involvement are needed to redress the damage caused by human abuse of God ’ s creation
It is in this light that the SJI Chaplaincy team decided to adopt a ‘ green ’ approach for the schoolwide Lenten Project this year . The Lenten Project is an annual collection that SJI holds during the season of Lent , as a means for our students to give back to society as a form of almsgiving . This year , the Lent project transitioned into a student-led initiative that focused on reducing wastage and encouraging recycling and reusing , in line with the United Nations ’ 17 sustainable goals .
Josephians from Year 1 to 4 were invited to participate under the Sustainable Development Goal 12 on sustainable consumption and production , where they are to collect used clothes and electronic items for recycling or reuse . The Year 5 & 6 Josephians were invited to participate under the Sustainable Development Goal 15 , to protect , restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems . Working alongside with the school ’ s Green and Ecology Clubs to implement this Lent Project , the team received an overwhelming response from students across all levels , before it was put to a halt due to COVID- 19 .