Blog:
December Meeting Guide: Solidarity & the Rohingya Refugee Crisis
[Note: As a new effort to support CRS Student Ambassadors, each month we will release a guide for your on-campus meetings. This will serve to provide relevant updates as well as an opportunity for ongoing education and reflection on the mission of CRS. You can find other months' Meeting Guides here, which can be used flexibly and adapted as needed.]
December 2017
Key Theme: Solidarity & The Rohingya Refugee Crisis
Opening Prayer
Loving Father,
I did not know you
But I was yours.
And they do not know me
And I do not know them
But they are mine
And I am theirs.
Let no chasm, no river, no drought or storm,
No war, no exodus, no border, natural or constructed,
No device of man nor devil
Come between us Or halt the love that burns within me,
The grace that flows from you.
Let me think on no man unless I think joyful thoughts of brotherhood,
Let me think on no woman unless I think tender thoughts of sisterhood,
Friend and stranger,
Ally and enemy, Brothers, Sisters.
They are mine
And I am theirs,
Because we are yours.
Amen
Community Building
- Welcome any new ambassadors & do introductions
- Suggested Icebreaker Question of the Month: What is favorite place on campus study/pray/reflect?
Catholic Social Teaching: Solidarity
- Watch: CST 101 Video: Solidarity
- Reflect:
- To show compassion, from the root words “com” and “passion,” means “to suffer with” another. When have you experienced deep compassion for the suffering of another? Have you ever experienced compassion for the suffering of a stranger?
- Do you believe that “we are all really responsible for all”? If so, how does this challenge you?
- How can you join with others to take concrete steps—big or small—to help build a society of solidarity?
CRS on the Ground: Rohingya Refugee Crisis
- Watch: Video update from the Ground
- Review: Emergency Update
- Review: Birth and Death in a Rohingya Refugee Camp
- Reflect:
- What about these stories/videos caught your attention?
- Can you identify ways in which the breakdown of solidarity amongst people leads to crises such as the current situation in Myanmar?
- How has learning about this current crisis deepened your understanding of the root causes of global migration?
Act Now: Advocate to Congress to protect migrants and refugees
Planning Time
- Review highlights and challenges from any recent events or activities. Are there any changes you would make for the future? Do you have any examples of success that you could share with CRS or other campuses?
- What events/programs are upcoming? Do you have the resources you need?
- Do you want to incorporate what you have learned about the Rohingya Refugee Crisis into any programming, advocacy, or fundraising this year?
Closing & Next Steps
- What are the action items that need to be completed before your next event or meeting? Have they been clearly identified and assigned?
