The "Pope of the slums" and Villa 21

1. Villa 21Villa 21
 Villa 21Villa 21 (Buenos Aires, Argentina) belongs(Buenos Aires, Argentina) belongs
to theto the “Villas Miserias”.“Villas Miserias”.
 Buenos Aires's shantytowns take several forms:Buenos Aires's shantytowns take several forms: villasvillas
miseriasmiserias, or "neighborhoods of misery," the slums that -- with, or "neighborhoods of misery," the slums that -- with
enough money and infrastructure improvements -- conceivablyenough money and infrastructure improvements -- conceivably
could be transformed into permanent neighborhoods with fullcould be transformed into permanent neighborhoods with full
services;services; casas tomadascasas tomadas, or "taken houses," usually large, or "taken houses," usually large
abandoned buildings overtaken by squatters; andabandoned buildings overtaken by squatters; and
asentamientosasentamientos, which translates loosely as "settlements,", which translates loosely as "settlements,"
primitive congregations of temporary shacks built in vulnerableprimitive congregations of temporary shacks built in vulnerable
places. According to varying estimates from city agencies,places. According to varying estimates from city agencies,
300,000 to 500,000 in this city of 3 million live in the slums. [300,000 to 500,000 in this city of 3 million live in the slums. [
Washington Post articleWashington Post article.].]

2. Here’s a YouTube video featuring these
Shanty Towns in Buenos Aires, Argentina:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn1BrOobG9w

3. A villa miseria is a type of shanty town or slum found in
Argentina, mostly around the largest urban settlements. The
term is a noun phrase made up of the
Spanish words villa (village, small town)
and miseria (misery, dejection).
A Washington Post article has called the shanty towns
“Neighborhoods of Misery”.
These settlements consist of small houses or shacks made
of tin, wood and other scrap material. Generally, the streets
are not paved and narrow internal passages connect the
different parts. The villas miserias have no sanitation
system, though there may be water pipes passing through
the settlement. Electric power is sometimes taken directly
from the grid using illegal connections, which are
perforce accepted by suppliers.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_miseria

4. Colegio de BuenColegio de Buen
ConsejoConsejo

5. http://www.buenconsejo.edu.ar/
In one of those Villas ―Villa 21―, the faithful of Opus Dei set
up a school ―Colegio de Buen Consejo [School of Good
Counsel]― to provide EDUCATION to the youngsters, so that
they may move on to University to pursue various careers
and, thereafter, help to lift their neighbors out of poverty,
especially comrades in the villas miserias.

6. This task/work has come to form part of what we
call “Social Inclusion”, the effort to include the
marginalized and incorporate them into mainstream
society by providing them the tools necessary,
primarily that of EDUCATION, so that they may
uplift their own economic situation. Said one of the
school principals of Bueno Consejo: “The aim is to
provide the students all the tools so they may
aspire to bigger/higher dreams. Their parents who
bring them to our school seek not only academic
objectives, but above all: satisfaction, happiness,
HUMAN VALUES. I also work in this institution, and
one notices the difference.”

7. *Borzaga and Defourny (Eds.) (2004), The Emergence of
Social Enterprise, Routledge, London.
Within the “SOCIAL ENTERPRISE” * continuum:
…one can situate and label the work of Colegio de Buen
Consejo as “Educational Social Responsibility [ESR]”.

8. VIDEO “Colegio de Buen Consejo” “Door of Inclusion”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIGJ-mwZqwI
“Educational Social Responsibility [ESR]” is a concept
that augments the nearness of the schools to their
environment/neighborhoods. It’s like CSR, but carried
out by educational institutions (instead of corporations)
rseducativa.blogspot.com
In the case of Colegio Buen Consejo, the
“environment” refers more specifically to the
human persons living/working in the Villas.

9. http://www.infobae.com/2013/12/07/1529102-un-colegio-privado-barrac
In a televised
interview done by
Infobae, some
interviewees tell us:
“People sometimes
discriminate against
us, as they think
we’re delinquents
just because we
come from the villa.”
said Melanie
Velázquez, 17, 4th
year. “Going to this
school has
CHANGED MY LIFE”,
said María Ugarte,
17, 4th year.

10. Around 60% of
the school’s
students come
from within the
villas. The rest
are from the
neighboring
areas. ALL
graduates are
able to proceed
to university
studies 
View the VIDEO done by
Infobae, HERE:
http://www.infobae.com/2013/12/07/1529102-un-colegio-privado-ba
http://www.opusdei.org.ar/art.php?p=42883

11. TheThe villas miseriavillas miseria havehave
grabbed attention latelygrabbed attention lately
since Cardinal Jorgesince Cardinal Jorge
Bergoglio, formerBergoglio, former
Archbishop of BuenosArchbishop of Buenos
Aires, became Pope. In aAires, became Pope. In a
National CatholicNational Catholic
Register article, JohnRegister article, John
Allen says “Pope FrancisAllen says “Pope Francis
gets his ‘oxygen’ fromgets his ‘oxygen’ from
the slums”. According tothe slums”. According to
Fr. Juan Isasmendi, whoFr. Juan Isasmendi, who
lives and works in one oflives and works in one of
thethe villasvillas, this is where, this is where
the future Pope Francisthe future Pope Francis
filled his lungs with thefilled his lungs with the
"oxygen" he needed to"oxygen" he needed to
think about what thethink about what the
church ought to be.church ought to be.
http://ncronline.org/blogs/francis-chronicles/pope-francis-gets-his-oxygen-slums

12. The aim was to make the faith comeThe aim was to make the faith come
alive, preaching and celebrating thealive, preaching and celebrating the
sacraments while also turning thesacraments while also turning the
parish into a comprehensive socialparish into a comprehensive social
service center -- fighting drugs andservice center -- fighting drugs and
violence, educating the young andviolence, educating the young and
taking care of the old, providing jobtaking care of the old, providing job
training and even community radio totraining and even community radio to
give the people a voice.give the people a voice.
http://ncronline.org/blogs/francis-chronicles/pope-francis-gets-his-oxygen-slums
http://www.opusdei.es/art.php?p=52611
The then Cardinal
Bergoglio during a visit
to the Colegio Buen
Consejo located a
stone’s throw away
from Villa 21.


13. http://www.buenconsejo.edu.ar/objetivos.html

14. How aboutHow about
you?you? 
WhatWhat
SOCIALSOCIAL
PROJECTPROJECT
willwill YOUYOU
embark on?embark on?
