Twomey Center for Peace Through Justice

Last updated
Twomey Center
for Peace Through Justice
Predecessor Institute of Industrial Relations
Established 1947;71 years ago (1947)
Founder
Louis J. Twomey S.J.
Director
Alvaro B. Alcazar
Main organ
Blueprint for Social Justice
Affiliations Loyola U. New Orleans
Jesuit, Catholic
Staff
Six
Website Twomey

Twomey Center for Peace Through Justice at Loyola University New Orleans began in 1947 with the efforts of Fr. Louis J. Twomey, S.J., an early advocate for the rights of labor, and his distribution of the newsletter Christ's Blueprint for the South to his fellow Jesuits. Sixty-nine years later Twomey's efforts have expanded to a variety of programs in support of the faith that does justice. [1]

Loyola University New Orleans Private Jesuit university in New Orleans, Louisiana

Loyola University New Orleans is a private Jesuit university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Originally established as Loyola College in 1904, the institution was chartered as a university in 1912. It bears the name of the Jesuit founder, Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Loyola is one of 28 member institutions that make up the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and, with its current enrollment of approximately 5000 students, is among the mid-sized Jesuit universities in the United States. Loyola University New Orleans is ranked as the tenth best institution among Southern regional universities offering masters and undergraduate degrees in the 2017 issue of the annual America's Best Colleges issue and guidebook published by U.S. News & World Report. The Princeton Review also features Loyola University New Orleans in the most recent editions of its annual book, The Best 371 Colleges. In the past, the school has been called Loyola of the South, Loyola New Orleans, Loyola University, New Orleans, and Loyola University of New Orleans.

History

In 1947 Louis J. Twomey, S.J., founded the Institute of Industrial Relations to defend the rights of labor in the workplace. He published Christ's Blueprint for the South to advance this cause, and his struggle soon extended to opposing racism in a prophetic way that was unpopular with many in the churches and among his own Jesuit brethren at the time. He saw labor and race issues as "two sides of the same coin," with justice for both coming together.

The widening scope of Twomey's work is reflected in the name changes of his Center, to Human Relations Institute and then to Twomey Center for Peace Through Justice since 1991. By 2016 the Center could celebrate surviving cuts and consolidations in LU programs [2] and continue to pursue social justice on many fronts: human rights and workers' rights, conflict resolution, racism, the impoverished in general and educational opportunities for all. [3]

Twomey Center has been supported by funds from 16 organizations including Campaign for Human Development, USDA, [4] and Bread for the World for which it is the local affiliate. [5]

Bread for the World is a non-partisan, Christian citizens' movement in the United States to end hunger. The organization describes itself as a collective Christian voice urging nation's decision makers to end hunger at home and abroad. By changing policies, programs, and conditions that allow hunger and poverty to persist, it provides help and opportunity far beyond the communities in which they live.

Activities

The Center facilitates, on and off the Loyola campus, involvement in community issues through various initiatives.

Hurricane Katrina Category 5 Atlantic hurricane in 2005

Hurricane Katrina was an extremely destructive and deadly Category 5 hurricane that made landfall on Florida and Louisiana, particularly the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas, in August 2005, causing catastrophic damage from central Florida to eastern Texas. Subsequent flooding, caused largely as a result of fatal engineering flaws in the flood protection system known as levees around the city of New Orleans, precipitated most of the loss of lives. The storm was the third major hurricane of the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, as well as the fourth-most intense Atlantic hurricane on record to make landfall in the United States, behind only the 1935 Labor Day hurricane, Hurricane Camille in 1969, and Hurricane Michael in 2018.

Blueprint

Beginning in 1948, Christ's Blueprint for the South came to be circulated among Jesuits worldwide, with a special focus on those in studies, as a guide for social justice formation and the apostolate. Twomey died in 1969, after seeing his efforts confirmed and furthered by the Second Vatican Council of Catholic Bishops, and after his death the Blueprint began to be distributed beyond his preferred, Jesuit audience to the general public. Under various editors Blueprint expanded its coverage and spawned other efforts. It currently focuses on social justice with an emphasis on cultural diversity and inter-religious dialogue. [12] Recent issues are freely available on the Center's website and back issues are available in Loyola University library.
The Center has supported itself in part by soliciting business for its printing services. [13]

References

  1. "Faith that does justice: The mission of Pope Francis and Jesuit teaching". MSNBC. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  2. Times-Picayune. Accessed 3 May 2016.
  3. "About the Twomey Center | Twomey Center for Peace Through Justice | Loyola University New Orleans". www.loyno.edu. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  4. "Get Involved | Twomey Center for Peace Through Justice | Loyola University New Orleans". www.loyno.edu. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  5. "Staff | Twomey Center for Peace Through Justice | Loyola University New Orleans". www.loyno.edu. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  6. "Volunteer | Twomey Center for Peace Through Justice | Loyola University New Orleans". www.loyno.edu. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  7. "Community Based Learning Interns | Twomey Center for Peace Through Justice | Loyola University New Orleans". www.loyno.edu. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  8. "Urban Partners | Twomey Center for Peace Through Justice | Loyola University New Orleans". www.loyno.edu. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  9. "PRIEMMANS | Twomey Center for Peace Through Justice | Loyola University New Orleans". www.loyno.edu. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  10. Antoine, Garibaldi,; Loren, Blanchard,; Steven, Brooks, (1996-10-01). "Conflict Resolution Training, Teacher Effectiveness, and Student Suspension: The Impact of a Health and Safety Initiative in the New Orleans Public Schools". The Journal of Negro Education. 65 (4). ISSN   0022-2984.
  11. "Training Center | Twomey Center for Peace Through Justice | Loyola University New Orleans". www.loyno.edu. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  12. "Blueprint documents social awareness | Twomey Center for Peace Through Justice | Loyola University New Orleans". www.loyno.edu. Retrieved 2017-02-20.
  13. "History of the Blueprint for Social Justice | Twomey Center for Peace Through Justice | Loyola University New Orleans". www.loyno.edu. Retrieved 2017-02-20.

Coordinates: 29°56′03″N90°07′18″W / 29.934236°N 90.121685°W / 29.934236; -90.121685