Book

Josse van der Rest (1924 – 2020)
I have no other hands but yours

Marc van Overbeke

Foreword
Josse van der Rest passed away quietly on 24 July 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The man known as Père Josse, Padre Josse, Father Josse, Father Jossé or even uncle Josse certainly deserves these few pages written about him, even though several articles have been devoted to him, both in Chile and in Belgium, not to mention documentaries (the latest of which, entitled ‘Have you ever met an angel? ’, was directed by Marcela Said, sister of Sergio Said, the current executive director of SELAVIP Chile).

Also known in Chile as ‘Padre hasta luego’ (which could perhaps be translated as ‘Father, see you later’, as he sometimes tended to say Mass, hug two or three people, and then hurry off to say the next Mass) or ‘El Padre de los garrabatos’ (which could be translated as ‘Father of the swear words’, given the colourful language he’d picked up from the street kids in Chile), he rarely minced his words. He left a lasting impression on many men and women, both in the two countries he called home – Belgium and Chile – and throughout the world. It is interesting to note that in Chile, many people who went on to work with him first came to know him through a lecture he gave at their respective schools. This left a lasting impression on them and shaped the course of their lives forever. Josse left no one indifferent. Wherever he went, his ideas and his outspokenness, as well as his concern for the poorest, set him apart from others.

This book is intended as a collection of memories, writings, testimonies and archival material relating to him. It is important to emphasise that I have been unable to gather information on certain periods of his life – I am thinking in particular of his enlistment in Patton’s army and, specifically, his role as a tank commander – as there is simply no written record of them.

It is hard not to draw parallels between Josse and other people who have dedicated their lives to the most disadvantaged, such as Sister Emmanuelle. I had the opportunity to meet Sister Emmanuelle in 1982, during a scout camp in France, and I sensed in her that same strength and fervour towards the rag-pickers of Cairo, that determination to fight for the most destitute, and that ability to connect with absolutely everyone.

Josse has been a key figure in the field of housing throughout the last 60 years of Chile’s history. The mediagua, the Chilean hut of which he was the principal architect, is an integral part of Chile’s history and collective memory Unrivalled to this day, the mediagua remains THE cheapest and easiest-to-install solution for addressing emergency housing needs.

Looking at Josse’s life, it is impossible not to ask ourselves the following question: What are we doing with our lives to make this world a better place? That is a question only each of us can answer for ourselves.

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The English version will be available soon