Introduction
ESSET seeks to mobilise the resources the church derives from its theology, history, networks and infrastructure towards attaining socio-economic justice. It also seeks to confront powers and principalities that denies and negates life and perpetuates injustices.
ESSET understands its role as primarily that of listening respectfully to the voices of the poor and marginalized as they articulate their aspirations and walking alongside them as they struggle against forces and conditions of marginalization and injustice. It will in this journey enable the agency of the affected communities to inform its own praxis: set its research and advocacy agenda; and conscientize the broader ecumenical movement to the realities and aspirations of these communities.
Focus of our work
ESSET’s work focuses not just on the manifestation of poverty and socio-economic injustice, but also on the root causes thereof. This does not take away the significance of the need to relieve immediate pain, such as hunger, when it occurs, for indeed the poor cannot be told to wait another day while their lives are being wasted away.
This focus locates us outside the comfort zones of poverty alleviation and reduction into the more confrontational space of seeking to engage the powers and structures of society that benefit from the sustained inequality and poverty. ESSET recognizes that this task is immensely complex and multifaceted and will not yield results overnight.
The agency of our work
ESSET believes that genuine transformation of society towards social and economic justice must emerge out of the struggles of those affected by injustices, meaning the poor and marginalized in society who are outside the centers of power. It respects what the poor themselves define as their interests and works to promote the agenda they set. It will endeavour to respect the strategies for action identified by the poor in a manner that does “not to represent the victims […] but to be faithful to those events during which victims politically assert themselves.”
ESSET’s role would be informed by these struggles borne out of real experiences. Practically ESSET will seek to work with groups of the poor to promote the inclusion of all in collective decision making processes about the welfare of the broader communities. It seeks to support the formation of community initiatives that respond to and represent all voices within the community or movements.
It is also aware that enabling the articulation of suppressed voices within the community may expose divisions, create resistance from incumbent leaders and so lead to conflict. It is aware that ‘community’ and ‘movement’ may be used to conceal relations of power, that leadership groups may not represent those that they claim to represent, that they may be articulating the interests of an elite within the community and may suppress voices that articulate a different interest, notably the interests of women. For ESSET, ‘community’ is not just a geographic construct, but also refers to people who create community through mobilizing in struggle.
It is driven by the imperatives of the Gospel
ESSET is committed to the ideal and conviction of God’s ‘preferential option for the poor’. This commitment is evident in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ as testified in the Gospel. This praxis, referred to as Good News to the poor, was clearly in solidarity with the outcast on the margins of society; outside the camp where there is wailing and groaning. It is in these spaces that God’s mission is located. We understood too that it is when we locate our work in the same spaces that we will be become true disciples and find the message of HOPE that already sustains the affected communities.
At the same time ESSET recognizes that it has a ministry to the wealthy and privileged in society as well. The wealthy and privileged are called to remain mindful of the ethical and practical demands of the reign of God. This includes an injunction to be good stewards of God’s creation; to show compassion to the poor; not to lord it over others; not to turn the table of the Lord into an exclusive table. ESSET will thus also engage with authorities and power holders and the privileged.
Towards social and ecumenical action for economic justice
ESSET understands working for justice as ADVOCACY work. All its programmes and activities are geared towards enabling action for transformation. The scope may be broadly or narrowly defined according to the situation. The action may be addressed to a specific authority that holds the power of decision making in respect of an issue. It may take the form of ‘petitioning’ an authority that is seen to be legitimate. It may also seek to shape public policy and behaviour. It may involve a stand against an authority or power holder seen to be illegitimate.
Advocacy may also make a claim for something which is not in the power of any constituted authority. This may, for example, be the case when people’s rights may extend beyond the provisions of the Constitution of the country. Advocacy may thus involve actions which gesture beyond the logic of the present order of power. Advocacy concerns both the substantive issues that affect people’s lives and the location of decision making. The issues are typically about practices, policies and regulations; and about people’s participation in decisions that affect their lives.
In its own praxis, ESSET will design its programmes such that they lead to action for change. The core programmes of accompaniment and mobilisation will set the agenda and focus of the other programmes. For illustration our accompaniment programme of local struggles will inform research priorities and even determine the content of leadership development programmes which will be running.