The Midwest and Kohima
Jesuit Provinces have had a convenio
relationship since 2002. Jesuits in both regions are known for their work with
indigenous people. The vision of the Kohima Region states: “We are on a mission
accompanying the marginalized through the service of faith and the promotion of
justice, while engaging in dialogue with cultures and religious
traditions."
Projects of the Kohima
Jesuits in Northeast India are located in the primarily rural, mountainous
Himalayan hills and valleys between Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Tibet. The
region’s land, cultures, and languages are among the most diverse in the world,
and Northeast India is historically, politically, and ethnically distinct from
mainland India.
The Kohima Jesuits focus on the following ministries/works:
- Pastoral: Establishing village parishes and mission stations;
training lay leaders to work with local faith communities
- Education: Teacher training; supporting vocational/agricultural
projects, high schools, middle schools, and primary schools
- Health Care: Working closely with local women's religious
congregations, parish centers, schools, and medical dispensaries; reducing
child mortality from 50-65% to as little as 5-8% in places of operation
- Social Research: Advocacy-based research to support human rights,
religious tolerance, economic and social justice, and environmental
preservation
- Socio-Economic Transformation: Literacy training, economic self-help cooperatives,
micro-financing, orphan care, and legal advocacy for marginalized groups
- Diocesan Support: Educating and providing spiritual direction to local
clergy, religious, lay leaders, and legal advocacy for marginalized groups
- Conflict Resolution and Peace
Initiatives: Mediation and peace building
between groups that suffer from historical tensions or disputes