"Pedro Arrupe" Political Training Institute

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**"Pedro Arrupe" Political Training Institute** (Arrupe Institute) researches and offers training for public administrators. It also sponsors conferences, workshops, and publications related to the evolving political, economic, social, and cultural scene especially in Sicily and southern Italy. It began in 1958 as the Social Studies Center of the Sicilian Jesuits, and is located in Palermo, Italy.

## History

In 1986 the Jesuit’s Study Center in Palermo changed its name to Arrupe Institute and set itself the task of training conscientious, competent professionals in civil leadership, in response to a perceived need in southern Italy and in Sicily. The institute was named for Pedro Arrupe, who is revered for his prophetic leadership of the Society of Jesus in the post-Vatican II era. It aimed at a tertiary level of education in social sciences, incorporating Christian ethics but no confessional or party commitment. It is registered at the National Research Registry of the Ministry of University and Research.Template:Cn

## Partnerships

Since 1996 Arrupe Institute has contributed to the production of the monthly *Social Updates* which furnishes a Christian and scholarly perspective on political, economic, and cultural issues. This is a collaborative effort of the Jesuits, with editorial offices in Milan.

Since 2004 the Jesuit Social Network Italy (JSN) has combined efforts of Jesuits from Trent in the north to Palermo in the south, in 16 of the 20 regions of Italy. The network responds to areas of most need and to social emergencies. This includes addressing the problems of refugees, homeless people or dependents, minors at risk, single-parent families, elderly people, disabled people, and inmates.

Arrupe Institute is one of 69 tertiary institutions around the world that selects students for research scholarships funded by the Tokyo Foundation's international Sylff Program (Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund). Through the program Palermo has become part of this international network of cultural and social research. In 2017 Arrupe Institute awarded four student scholarships for post-graduate studies in migration research, in collaboration with the Institute. Palermo is in the difficult situation of a poor job market for educated youth, who are then tempted to turn to organized crime or emigrate, and who also need to compete with the refugees who are arriving. The research funded by the Tokyo Foundation has focused on creating urban leaders for the future. It looks for young researchers who have engaged in political activism and volunteerism and are highly motivated to envisage opportunities for the future, in contact with like researchers who work with the Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (Sylff) worldwide.

## References

1. ↑ Istituto - Istituto di formazione politica "Pedro Arrupe" (it-IT).
2. ↑ Partnership - Istituto di formazione politica "Pedro Arrupe" (it-IT).
3. ↑ Template:Cite news
4. ↑ Inguanti, Francesco. SicilyPresent.it - "L’Istituto Pedro Arrupe intende dialogare con tutti per il bene della città e soprattutto delle sue periferie". Intervista alla direttrice Nicoletta Purpura (it-it).