On October 22nd & 23rd, the directors of JRS European country offices and the regional office team met for the Regional Coordination Meeting. Gathered in Brussels, the group discussed the latest achievements and challenges faced at work in the continent

The meeting also marked the kickstart of the planification process of the New Strategic Framework which will be operated for the years 2026-2030. The current Strategic Framework 2019-2024 was extended until the end of 2025 to better align with the Global Strategic Framework from JRS International, currently under development.

Alberto Ares, JRS Europe Regional director, highlighted after the RCM: “This meeting was crucial to start discussing what is the context we are facing, what are the new trends we see emerging, and what are the main priorities we should focus on in the upcoming years. While the process of drafting the Strategic Framework will last all of 2025, we already received a lot of insight from the people who know best the situation on the ground. We are thankful for the active participation and engagement from all directors”.

Focusing on JRS work in Europe

The first day started with an intervention from Victoria Martin de la Torre from the European Parliamentary Research Service who shared a historical look into the founding fathers of the European Union and their values. This set the scene for a reflection on what are the values present today and how the spirit of community fuels JRS Europe’s work.

The rest of the first day concerned updates from the different areas of work of JRS Europe, such as Programmes, Fundraising, Communications, Advocacy and the One Proposal. Beyond sharing the latest developments, each area designed workshops aimed at setting the key priorities for the next months.

Strategic Framework Discussion

The second day focused on kickstarting the discussions on the next strategic framework. Nacho Eguizabal, deputy director, presented the work done by the International Office on the global strategic framework.

Afterwards, the Coordination team of the European Strategic Framework held 3 workshops focused on deepening the context analysis, deciding strategic directions and priorities and uncovering new trends. All of these workshops were the initial phase of a much longer process that will last until the end of 2025.

Walking Paths of Hospitality

On October 22nd, the directors participated in the joint global action of “Paths of Hospitality”. Inspired by Pope Francis’s message and following the call from GIAN Migrations group (of the Global Ignatian Advocacy Network), JRS Europe have joined the Social Sector of the Society of Jesus in Spain, the Jesuit Network with Migrants in Latin America and the Caribbean (RJM LAC) and its Campaign for Hospitality, and the International Federation of Fe y Alegría in walking Paths of Hospitality.

This initiative wants to generate a hopeful future for people seeking a dignified and peaceful future. Because Hope is the Path. For the joint action, directors wore mismatched shoes as a visual way of putting oneself in the shoes of the people who are forcibly displaced. This visual gesture, while small, is representative of an important reminder to always situate ourselves in the shoes of the people we accompany.

Do you want to learn more about the current Strategic Framework that will be applied until the end of 2025? click here.