Comillas Pontifical University ICAI-ICADE,
- in the face of the overwhelming reality striking our collective consciousness, the massive influx of refugees into Europe who, as a result of the conflicts, flee their countries of origin, including Syria, but not forgetting Afghanistan, Libya and many other places worldwide;
- in coordination with the Spanish Province of the Society of Jesus and as part of its own actions, as well as in acceptance of the invitation to become part of the Hospitality Campaign which would provide a comprehensive response through a local welcoming network, international support, awareness-raising and communication, and advocacy;
- jointly with, through the Social Sector of the Province, the main social mission of the Church (Caritas Spain, the Bishops’ Commission for Migrations – Comisión Episcopal de Migraciones, the Spanish Conference of Religious – CONFER, Justice and Peace Spain – Justicia y Paz) and the Hospitality Bureau driven by the Archdiocese of Madrid;
- as a university and respecting the agreements adopted by the Conference of Rectors of the Spanish Universities (Conferencia de Rectores de las Universidades Españolas – CRUE), having actively participated in the drafting developments,
accepts as part of its ethos, the PRINCIPLES and STRATEGIES of action of the Spanish Province of the Society of Jesus:- To take part in a humanitarian response that places a focus on people’s lives and dignity with a comprehensive approach that does not limit us to the present but rather tackles the root causes in the short-, mid- and long-term;
- To make no distinction between refugee people and/or migrants (universality); to strengthen the focus on the system “flaws”, such as the time after which the official protection of the State ends (greater need); and to inform and raise awareness about the causes of these refugee crises;
- To participate, in line with the responsibilities of the university and within the scope of our possibilities, in a comprehensive response based on four elements: welcome to Spain, international support (in the countries of origin and in Europe), awareness and public advocacy.
Within this framework, Comillas Pontifical University ICAI-ICADE undertakes:
- To keep the university community informed of the different initiatives driven through these coordination mechanisms and to facilitate individual, familiar or institutional engagement for everyone;
- To adopt, as an institution, any measure resulting from the above-mentioned principles and strategies within its power, and, in particular, those which fall within its scope of action as an academic institution, to find solutions to facilitate access to university, as well as to legal, psychological, heath, social integration and linguistic training services, among others, in coordination with Public Administrations;
- To lead and encourage volunteering actions, jointly with other institutions, and notably those which can be undertaken by our students, professors, researchers, and other partners from the professional field in accordance with their academic training and expertise.
