HONORARY DOCTORATE at UNIVERSITY of Leuven 2000

It has always been a tradition in the academic world to grant honorary doctorates to people who have managed to systematically build up the career they had planned out for themselves, and in doing so contributed to the development of either science or politics.

Jeanne Devos, however, is honoured for having done quite the opposite; she has deliberately distanced herself from a well planned and well structured existence in order to bestow all her attention on the needs of others and to be able to answer these needs in most different circumstances.

 

University of Leuven and the Fund Jeanne Devos


 

On 2 February Jeanne Devos was granted the KU Leuven’s honorary doctorate in recognition of her struggle against child abuse and exploitation in India.
Every day in Sister Jeanne’s life is devoted to the weak and the poor, and her fight for structural changes in Indian society is never-ending. By means of the ‘Sister Jeanne Devos Fund for Children’s Rights’ the KU Leuven wishes to support Sister Jeanne’s work, and help carry out her Christian and humane social mission.

The fund is not only meant to collect and provide in financial means but also aims to offer expertise. In practice, the idea is to set up a central location for sister Jeanne’s movement (The National Domestic Workers Movement), provide support to refugee centres for children and to train Indian social workers at the KU Leuven.

 

 

 

MORE ABOUT THE FUND

 

 

 

FROM Veto

 

BY Gertie De Fraeye   
FEBRUARY 19th 2007

Jeanne Devos is a sister "out of category" !

After years of committing herself to the position of the domestic workers in India, she managed to achieve what was previously considered impossible. This passionate Leuven-born lady turned into a tireless human rights activist. Her honorary doctorate at the KU Leuven, her nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize and the recently installed Children’s Rights Fund are not only to be considered as rewards for her own work, but also for the efforts put in by everyone involved, as Jeanne Devos is followed by an enormous movement. Furthermore, she also has a surprisingly fresh and critical look on the role of student movements and the Church as an institution.

Jeanne Devos: “In the 1960’s I ventured to go to India to work with deaf children. Very soon, however, I started my fight for the student movement, and later on for children employed in domestic labour. More than 8 million domestic workers between the age of 5 and 14 are trapped in the house they work in. They don’t have the possibility to go to school and are treated like modern slaves. Together with a number of employed women we founded a movement, called the National Domestic Workers Movement (NDWM).” 
Veto: “What is it exactly that your movement does, how do you try to take care of and help the children?”
Jeanne Devos: “We try and listen to the domestic workers and help them regain their self-confidence; and if necessary, we take them out of the houses and give them the psychological help they need to get over traumas they may have suffered. On one occasion we stood up for little Kavita, who had been struck in the eye with glass. Even under such circumstances she was confident that all would be well. When we sued her employer and took it to court, she witnessed a lawyer defending her rights, which made her decide to become a lawyer herself. She is now studying law in order to be able to help children in the future. It is truely unbelievable how these children persist in believing that everything will be fine and continue to dream of a future.”
“The most important thing is that they know that they’re being looked after. We do not intend to act on their behalf, but we want to give them the strength to stand up for themselves. That way they regain their self-confidence. Our movement also relies on women employed in domestic work. Even though some of them can’t read or write, their experiences cause them to speak straight from their hearts.”
Veto: “In October a law was passed against child employment in domestic labour. What actually lead up to this?
Devos: “The immediate cause for passing a law, which had in fact already been pending for 15 years, was the death of 10-year old Sonu. She was found by one of the domestic workers, and was supposed to have killed herself by hanging. At six in the morning, thousands of domestic workers took to the streets in protest, which of course caused quite some media attention. As the story continued to take a different course, the media attention increased. In the end Sonu turned out to have been raped and murdered by her employer and that his wife had taken the blame in order to protect her husband.” 
“From then on it all went fast and I was invited to come give my view on the matter in a TV-show. The question being posed was: “Are we, as a society, responsible for Sonu’s death?” In the beginning of the show 92% of the people voted ‘no’, because it had happened in a private environment, and they are poor anyway. But in the course of the show the public opinion shifted to 70% voting ‘yes’. And if society starts to feel responsible for all children - including the poor from the lower castes – politicians have to act. We immediately started lobbying, and in three days time the law was passed. But this is in fact still only a beginning, there is as yet still no solution.”

Veto: “On 2 February, the Sister Jeanne Devos Fund for Children’s Rights was founded at the KU Leuven. Funds as well as expertise was provided. How much do you value this support?”
Devos: “If we really want to help people, we need more than money alone. Professor Adriaenssens’ knowledge with regard to child abuse and protection is very important. The knowledge and expertise the KU Leuven has gained in this field, should not be contained within the walls of Gasthuisberg and the Centre for Child Abuse, but should be spread out. Adriaenssen’s expertise can easily be applied in India as well, the only difference being that in India it doesn’t concern groups of 3, but groups of 700 children.”
Veto: “Your Indian based centre was also presented with the Confidence Centre’s Golem, a gigantic sculpture by the artist Koen Van Mechelen. How do you value this sculpture?
Devos:”I have learned a lot from it, it has expanded my view. In the beginning I thought: ‘How does this help our children living in extreme poverty?’. But children do not live and breath on bread alone. They have to be given the opportunity to fantasize, to dream. They were allowed to help with the Golem and contribute. From then on we started working with art and science which has proved to be quite a significant contribution from the KU Leuven. “
Veto: “You were one of the founding members of the student movement in India. What’s the source of such commitment?”
Devos: “When I was still living in Leuven, I always took to the streets, like when we protested in favour of those Hungarian students (Hungarian Revolution, red.). My parents were always complaining how they paid for our tuition but how we didn’t put in the effort, always jumping from one thing to another (laughs). But the ones joining the movements were also the ones achieving good results on their exams.”
“In India, I was heavily influenced and converted by the liberation theology from Latin-America. It propagates a life of responsibility, compassion and change. This was the main reason for my increased involvement in the student movement. It was not exclusively Christian by nature. Everyone who was committed was allowed to join. They were always joking: ‘As soon as Jeanne arrives, the revolution kicks in’. But that’s not entirely true, but when you’re there it just sprouts from the knowledge that ‘this just can’t be right?’”

 
 
Veto: “In what direction did the student movement evolve from then on?
Devos: “The open house, an old library, was our home base from where we organized protest activities. It was a place where everyone could stay and spend the night on tent mats. We spent many nights discussing topics such as the Gospel, Marxism and Das Kapital. Some graduates went on to become human rights lawyers, others committed themselves to projects such as agricultural villages and mines. In 1971 the movement took a definite start, when a cyclone as bad as the tsunami terrorized the area. When we arrived with 30 students to help out, the bodies were still hanging from the trees.”
“Some of us never left. Women stayed to help the midwifes, explaining them how to cut an umbilical cord as hygienically as possible; because back then it was still cut by means of a sharp rock. Men were mainly allocated in agriculture, which lead to a project being set up for agricultural villages some 7 years later. If a community managed to organize a committee in which all different castes were represented, they were given a water tank. In a later stage, agriculture and housing were stimulated.”
“In two villages, we actually managed to persuade the population to go inside when using the toilet, which I can assure is pretty remarkable for rural India. This caused the percentage of malaria victims to decrease with a full 80%. The number of young people dying of malaria also dropped considerably as a consequence of the increased use of disinfectants. Both villages set an inspiring example, which lead to the project being implemented in 400 other villages. The project was rewarded with the Harvard Prize for best developing-aid project and evolved into the most promising project in the whole of Asia.”
Church and pluralism
Veto: “As a sister, you tend to take a critical stance towards the church? In what respect would you like to see the Church changed?
Devos: “The Church suffers from all the traditional disadvantages of an organized religion. She is too institutional, too hierarchic, and is not part of society but operates outside of it. But she maintains her position within this structure causing her to lose contact with the poor. She still speaks of them, but this is nothing but theory. I have joined a movement called Anawin, which predicts justice. We still celebrate Christmas, but more like the star of Bethlehem opposed to the 5-star hotels. Other than that, I am also a member of the Satya Shodak, a movement of women fighting for women’s rights within the Church and society.”
Veto:”Does this mean you didn’t fully support the election of this pope?”
Devos: “I would have preferred the new pope to have originated from a third world country. Because I hope we will one day be able to rid Christianity of its overtly European dominance and symbolism.” 
Veto:” Are you in favour of pluralism then, and of more openness between the different religions?      
Devos:”I believe in it very strongly and I always have in fact, ever since I was in the student movement up until the foundation of the NDWM. In the 1960’s I left for India, thinking ‘the universal truth is ours to spread’. But my truth has continued to ‘search and grow’ ever since. And it is exactly this search for the truth that binds and complements the different religions. Realizing this has given me an enormous respect for other religions.
Solidarity
Veto: “What is your opinion on commitment in general as it is presently displayed?
Devos:”Individualism is dying a slow death, and capitalism is turning on its heels. My hopes for the future are mainly set on economic globalization, which I hope will positively affect the globalization of solidarity. As the poor lack money, a voice and a vote, all their faith lies in solidarity. And nowadays people do not just want to give money, they want to help actively, which is an entirely different thing. A very promising evolution indeed.”
Veto: “You have written a book, in which you speak on behalf of all the children. How is the promoting going?”
Devos: “The first print has already been sold out, so I’m very happy to see so many people taking an interest. I only hope it will inspire the reader to get actively involved as well.”
Veto:”You are now 72 years old. Where do you continue to find the energy to do so much?”
Devos: “The most tiring is travelling. But every day I get up at 4 o’clock and start meditating, which brings me in contact with my subconscious and is actually more relaxing than sleeping. After that I still have two distraction-free hours in which to finish all urgent matters of the day in preparation of the court cases. Then the children start coming in and all is under control. Typically western behaviour (smiles).”
Veto: “Earlier in the interview you said ‘we’ when referring to India. Where do you feel at home?”
Devos: “When I left for India in the 1960’s, I wanted to be an Indian amidst the Indians. It took me a while to realize that that would never be a real possibility, being a new Belgian woman, however. But I’m not really a stranger there either, and I actually feel more at home in India than here in Belgium.”