IN THE MIDST OF THE PEOPLE

Editorial note: We reserve this space for the views, opinions and reflections of any member of our community. In this issue we are running excerpts from the sharing regarding justice and peace work experience of Fr. Peter Kramer,O.Carm.)

IN THE MIDST OF THE PEOPLE

Q: How were you made aware/exposed to social realities of poverty, exploitation, deprivation and oppression?

A: Through study. It is already going back to the time, before I came to the Philippines, more especially around 1960, thanks to organization as United Nations and awareness in the churches. In the Catholic church was Vatican Council II an important factor (Peter Kramer)

Q: How did you view these social realities?

A: “Third world” realities came as an aftermath of the decolonization. Another factor was the improvement of communication, thanks to Radio, T.V., faster traveling, etc.

Q: How did the social realities affect or influence you as a person?

A: All of these influences were for me incentives to make myself available to wherever they could send me, in order to be involved personally in some way or another. It was realized when I was appointed for the Philippines in 1967.

Q: How did you express initially your solidarity with the people affected by these social realities?

A: It was in joining our programs, being set up in our parishes, in Agusan and Negros. My first assignment was in 1968 in Toboso. Credit unions were on the move. In March 1968 was a well organized congress on Rural development. The facilitator was Asian Social Institute of Manila.

Q:Did you join any organized groups?

A: We organized our pastoral set-up in our two parishes- Escalante and Toboso. Tasks were shared. I have special tasking for the Catechesis. We joined the so called, Christian Community Program for Catechesis. Bernard Rosendaal set up Christian Community seminars as preparation for the organization of BCC’s in our parishes. (PK)

Q:How did the group help you in the deepening of your awareness of the social situation and strengthening your standpoint in solidarity with the poor, deprived, exploited and oppressed?

A: Gradually grew more awareness on the deeper roots of various social problems especially in the whole of Negros within the whole sugar industry. Besides the credit unions, there came other approaches like the organization of Farmers, which helped in Negros for setting up the National Federation of Sugar Workers.

Q: Among your experiences what are those that you value most?

A: I was part of our Carmelite group. We tried to work as a team with close cooperation with lay persons in various fields of catechesis, credit unions, organizations of fishermen, hacienda laborers, etc. Being a foreigner, I felt myself more in the line of facilitator and animator, than directly being involved (PK)

Q:How did these experiences help you in transforming yourself?

A: It helped me altogether in becoming more aware about the people’s problems and the main cause of it.

Q: What are your contributions in the field of JPIC works?

A: My contribution was more indirectly. I was from the beginning responsible for financing, being the Procurator of our Commissariate and also for our programs in Negros (1968-80), later (1981-85) I was in Agusan. When I came in Manila (1985), I took over from Arnold Van Vught two special functions: being the Carmelite Representative in Justice and Peace group of AMRSP and becoming board-member of EILER (Ecumenical Institute for Labor, Education & Research), 1985-1996