Loyala Centre for Ecology & Justice - Trincomalee

Founded in 2019 by the Provincial of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), the Loyola Centre for Ecology & Justice, located in the city of Trincomalee in Sri Lanka, is developing programs and projects to curve the effects of the environmental crisis in the District of Trincomalee. The environmental crisis is not neutral as it creates a situation of injustice where low-income families are getting poorer and are deeply affected, physically, psychologically and socially by the effect of pollution and the degradation of the environment.

Located at the heart of a region that has been deeply affected by traumatic events such as the war between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lanka Government Armed Forces, displacement of population, economic decline, the devastating tsunami of 2004, and more recently the effects of COVID-19, the Loyola Centre for Ecology & Justice has opted to team up with low-income families to initiate life-changing projects and reduce the consumption of plastic. Trusting that real changes are slow transformations facilitated by trust, coaching and teamwork, the Loyola Centre for Ecology & Justice develops long-term activities.

Until 2025, the Loyola Centre for Ecology & Justice will focus on reducing the consumption of plastic, reducing toxic waste and promoting zero waste zones as a mean to improve the health of low-income families. By creating networks of low-income families, by coaching those families and supporting them in their creative ways to find solutions, the Loyola Centre for Ecology & Justice is convinced that a true solution to the environmental crisis requires the participation of those the society usually neglects.

While the programs initiated by the Loyola Centre for Ecology & Justice require funding, projects require only seed money to begin and should be sustainable after two years of activity. If those projects are successful, the Loyola Centre For Ecology & Justice will use its know-how to develop similar projects in other districts in Sri Lanka and also in other parts of Asia.

Loyola Centre for Ecology & Justice
238 Inner Harbour Road, Trincomalee 31000, Sri Lanka
+94 262 223 800

Prepared by V. Yogeswaran, SJ on behalf of the Social Service & Action Team