Let us build from JCAM Research Network (Fr. Willy Moka, SJ)

By Honoré Onana Olah, SJ

From 16 to 18 November 2018, many Jesuits working in different universities and their collaborators gathered at Hekima University College in Kenya to talk about research (JCAM Research Network workshop). Fr. Willy Moka, SJ, Dean of the faculty of philosophy at Université Loyola du Congo, one of the team leader of this meeting, was kind enough for an interview:

In fact the idea was how to reflect of what he have been doing as scholars and how we can promote the work we are doing. And each one of us has to present a research project in terms of books or articles and discuss about that.

What was your project?

Personally, I did not have any specific project because I am a part of the leader team which organised the meeting. Basically we were listening and accompanying those who have projects and try so see how we can give them a feed back in order to help them to improve their researches.

For a continent like Africa what does it mean this kind of meeting?

I think it was an important meeting because we have been reflecting on issues relating to our life in Africa, the way we relate to one another; the issues challenging the way we live. We talked about the challenges facing as using internet. Sometimes we use social media or Facebook but we do not pay attention to the ethical and social implications which can be raised up. This was one of the project we reflected about. We also talked about the issues of child abuse.

This is one the thing the Church is reflecting about and also a challenge the church is facing. More the whole society. I think as a continent, as a Society of Jesus, Jesuits working in Africa, we have to reflect about such kind of issues affecting the continent, our lives, the way we minister to the people of God.

Un mot en guise de conclusion!

Cette réunion était très importante, nous avons beaucoup appris, en écoutant les uns et les autres, les projets sur lesquels ils travaillent. Je pense que cela a été une réunion qui a enrichi tout le monde ; et nous allons voir comment à partir de là mener des réflexions qui peuvent aider à faire progresser la compagnie de Jésus en Afrique et les problèmes que traversent le continent.