JRS Thailand - Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS)
The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is an international Catholic organization with a profound mission: to accompany, serve, and advocate on behalf of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons worldwide. Founded in November 1980 by Jesuit Superior General Pedro Arrupe in response to the plight of Vietnamese “boat people,” JRS has grown significantly and now operates in over 50 countries.
At its core, JRS aims to help displaced individuals heal from trauma, access education and opportunities, and ultimately determine their own futures. They achieve this through a variety of programs and services, including:
- Education: Providing formal and informal education, vocational training, and livelihood skills to empower refugees.
- Mental Health and Psychosocial Support: Offering counseling and support to help individuals cope with the psychological impact of displacement and trauma.
- Emergency Assistance: Delivering immediate aid such as food, shelter, and medical care in crisis situations.
- Healthcare: Providing access to essential medical services.
- Livelihoods: Implementing programs that help refugees become self-reliant and integrate into host communities.
- Reconciliation and Social Cohesion: Fostering positive relationships between refugees and host communities.
- Protection and Advocacy: Working to uphold the rights of refugees and internally displaced persons, ensuring they receive the protection guaranteed by international conventions like the 1951 Geneva Convention. They advocate for fair asylum processes, improved living conditions, and an end to harmful practices like prolonged detention.
JRS’s work is driven by a deep commitment to human dignity, solidarity, and compassion, often focusing on vulnerable populations in challenging environments such as refugee camps, detention centers, conflict zones, and urban areas. They believe in walking alongside displaced people, listening to their stories, and ensuring that their voices are heard in a world that too often forgets them.