STUDENT ASSOCIATIONS - OIKOS GROUP

The idea to start the SJTI Oikos Group was born in 2007 when students from the then 2 nd year of Theology (BTh II), with Fr. Charles Ryan, in their course of Social Moral Theology, decided to create a new group in St Joseph's Theological Institute. On Tuesday evening, 16 th October 2007, when Fr. Charles Ryan was celebrating the Eucharist, he invited a group of students to share with their brothers and sisters about the research they made on sufferings and modern challenges to the world. It is during the same mass that many students chose, with visible enthusiasm and determination, to join the new group.

The first meeting was held on the 26 th October 2007. On the 28 th November 2007, at the end of the year, before the closing ceremony, the group projected a documentary on issues related to Oikos' area of work. Its title was "The Inconvenient Truth". It is a famous American documentary presented by Al Gore, former Vice-president of the United States of America. It presents issues related to global warming.

Throughout the first semester of 2008, the members met many times and managed to finalize the Constitution of the group. They made also commissions within the group to facilitate its activities. Three commissions were created: the commission in charge of issues related to Justice and Peace, the commission in charge of Communication and the commission of Social Welfare. The commissions meet always before the general meetings which include all members of SJTI Oikos Group.

Defining its aims and objectives in its Constitutions, the group aspires to provide and engage in justice and peace activities and group discussions to help members to understand and grow in their appreciation of environment and humanity, to propose a forum where members can discuss and deal with humanitarian issues. Its aims also to maintain close liaison with institutions, bodies or structures similar to OIKOS Cedara in order to foster common policies and practices and to promote co-operation; to develop recommendations and actions relating to any ecological, justice and peace matter which may affect or interest SJTI students. The group shall organize, encourage and promote community projects and involvement therein by members. It shall research and produce documents on justice and peace issues; and shall give direction on those issues. Its other objectives are to identify at least one group of vulnerable people and develop actions in terms of their situation, to sensitise and educate people on the true meaning of human security and to stand by our brothers and sisters in situations of insecurity. 1

During the same year, the group had a successful talk-workshop with Rev. Sue Brittion from Diakonia Council of Churches. She presented a small booklet launched by Diakonia in 2006: The Oikos Journey: A Theological reflection on the Economic Crisis in South Africa (Uhambo Lwe-Oikos: Ukuzindla ngokholo mayelana nesimo esibucayi sezomnotho eNingizimu Afrika) . Another booklet "Who is my neighbor?" was distributed to the participants. She promised that Diakonia will sustain the group on the journey it undertook last year.

The group still faces many issues that go with an increasingly challenging life on earth and new methods of effective outreach are being planned.

1 From the Constitutions of Oikos Cedara Group.