2004 Pedro Arrupe Dollar

Monday, 6 July 2004

Interim report on the 2004 Arrupe dollar campaign

Dear friends,

The third Arrupe dollar campaign was launched on 5 February 2004.

How do things stand now, in mid-2004?

So far, we have collected over 10,000 euros.

But this sum has been provided by only 20 donors, including 7 associations, some of which are repeat donors: the AJAA (Australia), Stellaner Vereinigung (Germany), Vereniging Oud-Leerlingen Antwerpen (Belgium), Ass. Anc. Elèves d’Avignon (France), Ass. Anc. Elèves de Ste Geneviève (France) and Ass. Anc. Elèves de ND de Jamhour (AJFE) (Lebanon). We would like to extend a warm welcome to the Association des Anciens elèves du Collège du Saint Esprit in Bujumbura (Burundi), which joins the group of donor associations for the first time in 2004. Some 12 former pupils continued to support the association financially as individuals, one of whom personally contributed half of the sums donated by the associations. A big thank you also to the Jesuit community of Fordham University (NY-USA)which made its contribution through Father Duminuco, its Rector.

Status report:  We could do better if each alumni/ae and each association were to adopt the Arrupe dollar reflex every year!
We remind you that the aim is to collect the sum of 3 million dollars between now and the Yaoundé congress in 2009, a goal that would be easy to achieve if 3 million former pupils were to pay just one US dollar during this period, to set up a permanent reserve fund, the investment income from which would be used to finance more substantial programmes on all continents. We still have 5 years to achieve this goal!

So far, 3 programmes have been financed, all in Africa, which is "a priority" (in the words of the Very Reverend Father Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, Superior General of the Society of Jesus). The budget of US$8175 allocated was used to finance the continuing JRS school bursary programme for refugee children in Rwanda (US$6000) and 2 new programmes launched in Zambia, one with the JRS (US$2000) for a socio-educational programme at the Lusaka Peace Centre (JRS centre for refugees) and one University bursary programme (175 euros for 2004). So far, we were unable to do more this year due to the lack of sufficient funds.

Our current cash position is 10,000 euros and we hope to put all or part of this sum in the reserve fund mentioned above to constitute our first long-term capital.

We would also like to inform you that a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Pedro Arrupe World Association was held in Paris on 22 May, in the presence of Bernard Thompson, President of the World Union, François-Xavier Camenen, Secretary of the World Union, and Father Pierre Salembier s.j., Father General’s Delegate.  Laurent Grégoire and Eric de Langsdorff delivered the activity report for 2003, reported on resources and programmes for 2004 and suggested various changes in the composition of the boards of directors and committees of the two existing associations: the parent association in Luxembourg and the daughter association in France.

From reading Dispatches (the JRS publication) and Headlines (news about the Jesuit social apostolate), it is obvious that our social commitment is both desirable and desired.

Each association and Jesuit alumni/ae should therefore consider, in all conscience, making an annual contribution to the Arrupe dollar campaign.

Our very sincere thanks to the handful of donors whose generosity has allowed us to provide -- as yet - modest assistance to those who are victims of war, violence and injustice.

Laurent Grégoire and Eric de Langsdorff