An Interview with Isaac Jacques Cavin

by Gordon Nary

Gordon: Where were you born? Please tell us about your family.

Isaac: I was born and raised in a religious Catholic family. My parents were Catholic catechists, actively involved in Church activities, as is common for Catholics in Indonesia. I was taught to live in communion and fraternity with diverse individuals from various cultural, religious, and linguistic backgrounds. The Catholic Church in Indonesia is one of the vibrant faces of Catholicism's development in Asia, characterized by a strong emphasis on dialogue. I was educated in a Catholic Parish that championed interfaith and intercultural dialogue through numerous inclusive inculturation activities, involving Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Protestants, and Confucianists.

The Muslim community, being the majority in Indonesia, is very friendly and collaborates extensively with the Church in Indonesia. Furthermore, I also lived not far from Borobudur Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in the world, where I learned a great deal about and from Buddhist prayer traditions. I grew up in an area where fraternity and dialogue with people of different faiths were very fluid, facilitated by culture as a shared space for encounter.

Gordon: When did you attend Sekolah Tinggi Filsafat Driyarkara, what degree did you earn, and what is one of your fondest memories when you were there?

Isaac: I studied at Sekolah Tinggi Filsafat Driyarkara after completing my novitiate as a Jesuit. At Driyarkara, I thoroughly enjoyed a very comprehensive philosophy education, studying both Western and Eastern philosophy. This school is located in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, where there are many socio-political dynamics unfolding. This context made me interested in delving into political philosophy, specifically exploring the phenomena of populism and the rise of right-wing ideologies, which were then a significant national political concern.

I greatly enjoyed my time studying at Driyarkara because I directly had Jesuit lecturers as mentors who understood political philosophy and grasped socio-political movements. Additionally, as a student, I also learned a bit about activism, aiming to bring philosophical inspiration and political ethics into social movements and the public sphere.

Gordon: When and where did you serve at Jesuit Refugee Service? What positions did you hold? Please provide an overview of your responsibilities at each position.

Isaac: After studying philosophy, Jesuits typically undertake a regency program. I completed my regency at the Jesuit Refugee Service for two years, focusing on accompaniment, service, and advocacy. In Jakarta, I served refugees, primarily from Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Sudan, and Yemen. For some time, I was a project coordinator for JRS in Jakarta, helping refugees to become more empowered and to be "artisans of their own future." We utilized a case management approach to identify the potential within refugees and provide facilities to help them achieve their goals. For example, if a refugee had a talent for cooking, we would act as their manager to empower them with their cooking skills and help purchase cooking equipment and capital for their small businesses. Additionally, we provided emergency assistance (health assistance for homeless refugees) and regular financial assistance, as refugees are not formally permitted to work in Indonesia.

Most importantly, we undertook advocacy efforts to encourage policy and structural changes to make Indonesia more welcoming and inclusive in recognizing the basic rights of refugees. These advocacy efforts later became our special project in Aceh, where Rohingya refugees frequently arrive by boats. The advocacy work involved networking with NGOs, local communities, and local governments to ensure refugees were well-received, accommodated, and integrated.

Gordon: Tell us about your studies at University of Oxford.

Isaac: My experience at Oxford was part of my regency program as a Jesuit at JRS. I was not there for long, attending a summer school organized by Campion Hall Oxford in collaboration with JRS and Boston College. It was an opportunity for young Jesuits working on migrant and refugee issues. I learned a great deal from instructors from both Oxford and Boston about the International Protection Framework, Education for Refugees, Refugee Integration Models, Moral and Ethical Principles on Refugee Protection, and Philosophical Questions on Border, State and Duties. This program was very compact, simultaneously portraying refugee issues sociologically, ethically, philosophically, and theologically. I am grateful for it, as it greatly inspired my subsequent theological studies.

Gordon: When did you attend Sanata Dharma University, what degree did you earn, what was your favorite course, and why was it your favorite?

Isaac: After completing my regency, I continued my theological studies at Sanata Dharma University as the final stage before being ordained as a Jesuit priest. There, I not only pursued a master's degree but also completed the required study program for aspiring priests. During this period of study, I became interested in delving into moral and theological studies within the context of advocacy for refugees in developing countries like Indonesia. Of course, this was inspired by my experiences meeting many refugees at JRS. I was particularly interested in how JRS developed advocacy rooted in mutual-accompaniment with refugees.

Gordon: What are the ethical obligations to countries that accept refugees?

Isaac: The Catholic Church outlines clear ethical obligations for countries accepting refugees, rooted in the inherent dignity of every human person. It affirms the fundamental human right to seek safety and livelihood when conditions in one's home country are untenable. All nations are thus morally bound to welcome those in search of security, not merely as an act of charity, but as a recognition of this right. While acknowledging state sovereignty over borders, the Church insists that such policies must always uphold human dignity, ensuring refugees are treated with respect and granted protection, as their fundamental rights are inalienable.

Furthermore, Pope Francis emphasized the imperative to welcome, protect, promote, and integrate migrants and refugees, seeing them as opportunities to build the human family and recognizing Christ in their faces. This includes supporting family reunification, dignified employment, and full integration. The Church calls for a preferential option for the vulnerable, urging societies to move beyond national self-interest and respond with solidarity and compassion, while also addressing the root causes of forced migration. In essence, the Church advocates for prioritizing the human person over political or economic agendas in refugee response. However, realizing these obligations requires sustained advocacy and long-term effort to ensure states genuinely protect and integrate refugees.

Gordon: What are some of countries trying to meet their ethical obligation to refugees?

Isaac: Assessing countries' efforts to meet ethical obligations to refugees reveals a significant divide between nations bound by international treaties and those that are not. While signatory nations, primarily in North America, Europe, and parts of Oceania, have legal obligations under the 1951 UN Refugee Convention to provide resettlement and integration, their ethical implementation remains complex. The rise of narrow nationalistic politics in some of these very countries has led to policies that prioritize absolute border sovereignty, including practices like "turn-backs" of asylum seekers, despite their legal commitments to non-refoulement.

Conversely, many countries, largely in the Middle East, and South and Southeast Asia, have not ratified the 1951 Convention, meaning their obligations are not legally binding, leading to varied and often limited protections for refugees within their borders. Compounding this, the current international system, which predominantly views resettlement as a discretionary right of destination countries rather than a firm obligation, has inadvertently left vast numbers of refugees stranded in developing nations, seemingly absolving other countries of shared responsibility.

Gordon: What are some of countries that are failing to meet their ethical obligation to refugees?

Isaac: Some countries notably fail to meet their ethical obligations to refugees, frequently driven by national security concerns or economic anxieties. These countries often lack formal asylum policies and do not recognize "refugee" in their laws, leading to limited pathways to status or social protection for displaced populations. Policies like the kafala system can lead to exploitation and human rights abuses, with deportations often occurring without due process or regard for non-refoulement.

Similarly, numerous non-signatory countries treat refugees as "illegal migrants," leading to detention, limited rights, and poor integration, placing a disproportionate burden on these developing nations. Furthermore, even among countries that have ratified the 1951 Convention, some do not necessarily implement policies favorable to refugees. There are instances where policies are enacted that prioritize absolute border sovereignty, leading to practices such as "turn-backs" and other measures that effectively push back asylum seekers, demonstrating a failure to uphold the ethical imperative to protect human dignity and rights.

Gordon: Thank you for a great interview and your commitment to help the refugees.