Mission Statement
The Jesuit Universities Humanitarian Action Network (JUHAN) was launched in 2006 by Fairfield, Fordham and Georgetown Universities as a way to raise awareness on Jesuit campuses of the meaning of humanitarian response and its implications for the Jesuit ideology of “men and women for others,” as well as to jointly address the humanitarian needs of those who are suffering.
In 2010, former Jesuit Superior General, Rev. Adolfo Nicolas, S.J., said, “If each university, working by itself as a proyecto social [social project], is able to accomplish so much good in society, how much more can we increase the scope of our service to the world if all the Jesuit institutions of higher education become, as it were, a single global proyecto social?”
Driven by this belief that Jesuit academic institutions can be more effective when working together rather than independently, the Network seeks to advance both undergraduate humanitarian education and the professional field of humanitarian action by:
- Bringing students into the professional field at an early stage in their education;
- Forming an educated citizenry; for those students that are not pursuing careers in humanitarian action, providing exposure to knowledge and skills needed to become engaged citizens;
- Developing an educational program that places emphasis on the ethical dimensions of humanitarian action.
To join the JUHAN listserv, please write to Julie Mughal: jmughal@fairfield.edu.
Leadership
Contact: Julie Mughal, Fairfield University
E-mail: jmughal@fairfield.edu
Next Meeting
The Jesuit Universities Humanitarian Action Network (JUHAN) is pleased to announce an upcoming JUHAN Encounter in Rome from September 27-29, 2026, prior to the Refugee & Migrant Education Network’s Biennial Conference, which will take place from September 30-October 2, 2026. The 2.5 day JUHAN Encounter will gather a group of faculty and staff (12-15 participants) from Jesuit colleges and universities who would like to learn more about refugee accompaniment and resettlement initiatives taking place in the Italian context. We will meet with experts and explore on-the-ground programs such as the Scalabrini International Migration Institute (SIMI), the Jesuit Refugee Service’s Centro Astalli, and the Pontifical Gregorian University. Following the Encounter, the group will attend the RME Conference and, upon returning to our campuses, will serve as a critical group of JUHAN faculty/staff who can advocate for humane and ethical border and migration policies through discussions, classroom assignments, and events. If you will be attending the RME Conference and would like more information on the pre-conference encounter, please reach out to Julie Mughal, JUHAN’s Convener, jmughal@fairfield.edu.