April 10, 2012
“Scholars in Global Solidarity”
program to Unite and Enrich Working
Relationship
St. John’s University and Catholic Relief
Services (CRS) will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on
Friday, April 13 to work on a new collaborative venture known as
the “Scholars in Global Solidarity” program. The signing will take
place at St. John’s Queens campus in the University’s D’Angelo
Center at 11 a.m.
Rev. Donald J. Harrington, C.M., President of
St. John’s and Ms. Joan Rosenhauer, Executive Vice President of
U.S. Operations for Catholic Relief Services, will sign the
agreement which caps several years of collaborative work. The
event, which will be held in the D’Angelo Center on the
University’s Queens campus, will also draw university
administrators, faculty, and alumni in the graduate program in
Global Development and Social Justice. In addition, Ms.
Rosenhauer will meet with a group of undergraduate students who are
active in social justice programs at St. John’s.
Catholic Relief Services is the official
international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the
United States. Under the direction of the United States
Conference of Catholic Bishops, the agency provides assistance to
people in need in nearly 100 countries.
“The agreement, signed today is the first step
in partnership that will build on the strengths of both
institutions to develop faculty leadership in solving pressing
global issues affecting the poor overseas. By linking our
talents we become a stronger force with even greater foresight in
fighting poverty and injustice,” said Joan Rosenhauer, executive
vice president for U.S. Operations at CRS.
“Scholars in Global Solidarity” is a program
that fosters the exchange of expertise between faculty working in
Catholic higher education and technical experts leading CRS’
overseas humanitarian work. Mutual understanding and goals of CRS
and St. John’s have in the past produced significant programs that
embody and advance global solidarity. Thus, the “Scholars in
Global Solidarity” initiative perfectly aligns these mutual
goals. St. John’s (a Vincentian institution) which will
be the third Catholic university to team with CRS in this venture.
The University of San Francisco (Jesuit) and Dayton University
(Marianist) are also participants in this program will have its
opening session in Baltimore, MD in June.
“This program relates the broad range of
expertise and experience available in our two institutions. By
uniting the academic sector with the service-provider world, mutual
benefits will occur so that service to those in need will be
enriched which is our shared purpose,” said Sr. Margaret John
Kelly, D.C., Executive Director of the Vincentian Center for Church
and Society at St. John’s.
One element of the MOU signing document
captures well the spirit of the project:
“CRS and St. John’s share a common goal with
the other Catholic universities: to advance the Catholic values of
global solidarity, peace and social justice through scholarship,
formation, service and research. The parties shall therefore
work together to fulfill their common goal while affirming their
different identities.”
Faculty members trained through this program
will ultimately develop and implement with students and colleagues
sustainable outcomes in order to advance the principles and
experience CRS uncovers through its transformational,
justice-centered work with vulnerable communities around the world.
And, the project brings together the long history of CRS expert
responses to victims of war, natural disasters, and poverty with
the academic resources of the universities.
Ultimately, it is hoped that the reach of
“Scholars in Global Solidarity” will extend to Catholic colleges
and universities across the US and that global solidarity will be a
major priority that impacts communities and the lives of the poor
overseas.
For more information regarding Catholic Relief
Services contact Susan Walters, Communications Officer for U.S.
Operations at susan.walters@crs.org.
Media interested in information about St.
John’s partnering with Catholic Relief Services can contact Dominic
Scianna, Assistant Vice President for Media Relations at St. John’s
by calling 718.990.6185 or e-mail inquiries to sciannad@stjohns.edu.