The Service of Faith and the Promotion of Justice
An Interview with Fr. Cedric Prakash, S.J.
Fr. Cedric Prakash is a Jesuit Priest and human rights activist who visited Marquette during mission week. As the Center for Peacemaking’s Ignatian Peacemaking Lecturer, Fr. Prakash shared insights from his decades of experience working nonviolently for peace and justice.
Fr. Prakash is the founder of Prashant, a Jesuit center for human rights, justice, and peace that works with populations in northern India who have suffered from inter-religious violence and discrimination. He also recently completed a three-year stint in Beruit, Lebanon with Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
This interview explores Fr. Prakash’s history of involvement at Marquette, valuable lessons he has gained through his work in both India and Lebanon, and a message for Marquette students, faculty, and alumni who are looking to live out their values and commitments to peace and justice.
You’ve spent quite a bit of time at Marquette, including as a Wade Chair. What are some of your favorite memories at Marquette?
Fr. Prakash: I have several favorite memories at Marquette. One, I definitely enjoyed the atmosphere at this University; there is a particular ambiance which is created by the students and by the staff. This helps to promote an interactive climate of great dialogue and debate. There is plenty happening on campus so whether it is a student, faculty or visiting scholar like me, one can never feel bored. This is a happening place, full of growth and human advancement and I like it tremendously.
The second warm memory I have of this place is how welcoming the people are. I’ve felt this not only as a Wade Scholar but every time I come. This is my fifth visit and I always experience an amazing hospitality.
The third thing is the commitment to faith and justice, especially with the Center for Peacemaking. Ten years ago, when I was here, it was just the beginning. I’ve seen its development and it has diversified in so many ways. It has become a very strong stakeholder in the PARC program and Near West Side along with its expansion in the Peace Works programs. These programs are ushering in actual change in the hearts and minds of people and students in the movement towards nonviolence. I also think its engagement in other parts of the world, whether in India or El Salvador, is important in terms of outreach and involvement of students.
I believe peace is about an attitude; it is about a behavioral pattern. It cannot be confined to a project or a program. It should become a part of the whole university’s mission.
In the past, most of your work has focused on human rights issues in the northwestern Indian city of Ahmadabad where you established a center for human rights called Prashant. Then, In 2016, you moved to Beirut, Lebanon with Jesuit Refugee Services and assisted populations experiencing the effects of displacement.
What have you learned while working within these contexts? What were some similarities and differences between the situations and populations?
Fr. Prakash: In both areas, whether it’s human rights in India or refugees in Beirut, I have been working with a lot of displaced populations. In India, I worked with the victims of what we call the Gujarat Carnage of 2002. I have worked with other displaced groups too because of the behavior of those who do not care about the marginalized, poor, and other vulnerable groups.
I’ve been in the Middle East for the past three years working primarily with Syrian refugees. I think I’ve learned three important lessons.
First, people are becoming refugees all over the world not because they have a choice but because they have no choice. They are being persecuted because of their beliefs, there is war, violence, global warming, etc.
Secondly, many people, especially those who have much, think that those who are refugees are a burden. I think this — to regard them as an encumbrance to society — couldn’t be a bigger lie because many refugees throughout the world contribute to the economy and development of societies. Besides, they are not criminals. They have left their homes and cities because they have no choice.
Third is that many countries, especially those who have much, are unable to integrate these people into their societies. This is one of the global challenges — how do you integrate those who have been forced out? How do you welcome them with an attitude that treats them as human beings with dignity?
I think this has been very important to think about and a learning experience for me, whether it is with my human rights background in India for several years or in the last three years in the Middle East.
After many years dedicated to nonviolence and justice, is there anything you have learned that you want to share with people at Marquette who want to become more engaged?
Fr. Prakash: Today (February 5) is the anniversary of Pedro Arrupe’s death and a very special day for Jesuits all over the world. I joined the Jesuits in 1974 when Pedro Arrupe was Father General and gave us the faith and justice mandate.
My message to students and staff at Marquette is to be men and women for others always, but with the service of faith and promotion of justice mandate ingrained in you. It does not matter what God you believe in or if you do not believe in a God at all. It is only important that you have faith and belief in humanity.
Let this faith in God or humanity sustain your thirst for justice. Only when you have a deep faith and commitment to justice will we have sustainable peace.
Secondly, this is an institution of higher learning. We cannot look at the reality of this world if we do not have some in-depth study or intellectual acumen. If you do not have this, we cannot analyze or understand what is happening in the world today.
With the dynamics of our politics and media, it shapes the biases of so many people. How do we create awareness and a sense of responsibility in this university to what is happening in both the United States and places like the Middle East? So many people do not know what is happening in these places.
The third and final thing is that you are being shaped in this university not for yourself but for others. How do you get out of the borders of this great university and take the knowledge, spirituality, and values you gained into the wider world? How do you make a difference and be the change you want to see?
This is what we must consider, and the atmosphere of Marquette can help you grow and challenge the world today.
