SOCIAL JUSTICE

 

World Day of Social Justice:

 Why are we here if not to serve humanity?

On World Day of Social Justice, the CIDSE Secretary General reminds us that every decision we take and every new policy that is implemented have an impact on the lives and livelihoods of others, and that the crises we face today are interconnected.

-By Francesca Merlo

 Social Justice means equality and dignity for all. It means a system is put in place not only to protect but to aid choices people make, as well as to create an environment that keeps them safe and helps them flourish.

 World Day of Social Justice is celebrated annually on 20 February and its observance aims to do just that: to remind us, each year, of the need to build fairer, more equitable societies.

 A multiple crisis

Today, the main challenge we are facing within this realm, according to Josianne Gauthier, Secretary General of CIDSE, is that “we are speaking of a pluri-crisis”.

 On the frontline in the battle for social justice, CIDSE is an international family of Catholic social justice organisations working together for social justice, and Ms Gauthier explains that “we've gone from seeing that multiple crises we dealt with in the past are deeply interconnected.

 "Whether it's climate disruption, extreme poverty, violence, war and conflict over resources, gender, social and racial inequality," she says, adding they are all triggered by "power imbalances and a culture of waste, we're now recognizing that they are just one interconnected crisis of relationships between humans and between humans and the rest of creation”.

 Pope Francis' appeals

“Culture of waste” as Ms Gauthier notes, is a concept used often by Pope Francis, who has dedicated much of his pontificate to fighting the global indifference that causes injustices. In particular, Pope Francis continuously appeals for the protection of our common home that is threatened by climate change, for the protection and welcome of migrants and refugees, and he warns against what he describes as “the globalization of indifference” calling on richer countries to take concrete action to help the poor.

 Speaking of migration Ms Gauthier notes that when people are forced to leave their home country, because it’s uninhabitable and offers them no future, “we're facing a crisis of our own morality”.

 “How can we allow for other human beings to flee their homes due to our own political and economic choices that are impacting them and then turn them away when they cross the border and are in need of our solidarity?” she asks.

 "It's only a matter of justice!"

 An "opportunity"

Ms Gauthier invites everyone to see World Day of Social Justice as a unique opportunity to “take a pause and reflect on how we treat each other, how we can build more just relationships with each other and with life on this planet, which is our common home”.

 Pope Francis' call for social justice and human rights, according to Ms Gauthier, is “extremely relevant”, and it “should be the most important and resounding message for policymakers right now”.  She says she believes that policies must always be linked and rooted in how they affect people's lives, all of our lives, on a daily basis, because, she adds, “what else are we here for if it's not to serve humanity and make it a welcoming and just home for all?”

 Finally, Ms Gauthier reminds us that “it is not a game” and that working together, thinking of everyone, is a common and collective responsibility, which “Pope Francis does not tire of reminding us of”.

 Vatican News

 

GREAT CHALLENGES OF OUR TIME ARE ALL GLOBAL

 Pope to diplomatic corps: Great challenges of our time are all global

AR - DE - EN - ES - FR - IT - PL - PT

Pope Francis gives his annual “state of the world” address in his greetings to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See that takes place at the beginning of the year.

By Linda Bordoni

Pope Francis’s “state of the world” address highlighted critical issues of human and geopolitical concern across the world, hinging on the fact that we are one human family, inhabiting a common home and that, to be able to tackle the urgent problems of our time, we need to recover a sense of the profound unity of all reality. Speaking to the Members of the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, gathered in the Vatican for their yearly audience, the Pope reminded them that their overriding goal should be to help resolve disagreements and foster harmony. First, he highlighted the ongoing pandemic, and its direct and collateral effects on humanity, saying the health crisis “still calls for a significant effort on the part of everyone.” He lamented how the fight against the virus has been undermined in many cases by strong ideological divides that have “severed the bond of human reason with the objective reality of things.”

Tackle the pandemic “head-on”

Calling on leaders and citizens to confront the problem “head-on”, the Pope said a political commitment is needed to pursue the good of the general population through measures of prevention and immunization. He added that “a comprehensive commitment on the part of the international community is necessary so that the entire world population can have equal access to essential medical care and vaccines.” He appealed to governments and concerned private entities to demonstrate a sense of responsibility, “developing a coordinated response at every level (local, national, regional, global), through new models of solidarity and tools to strengthen the capabilities of those countries in greatest need.” The Pope also urged all states “to adopt a policy of generous sharing as a key principle to guarantee everyone access to diagnostic tools, vaccines and drugs.”

Apostolic visits and the suffering of Lebanon

As he always does during this important yearly speech, Pope Francis went on to mention some of the areas most affected by conflict, political division, the impact of climate change and poverty. He spoke of the suffering of the people of Lebanon calling for “necessary reforms and the support of the international community,” which he said will “help the country to persevere in its proper identity as a model of peaceful coexistence and brotherhood among the different religions.” And mentioning his Apostolic Visits undertaken in the course of 2021, Pope Francis recalled Iraq, Budapest, Slovakia, Cyprus and Greece. He said they were precious moments of encounter and sharing and opportunities for ecumenical and interreligious dialogue.

Migration

His visit to the island of Lesbos in Greece, he said, was an occasion to witness the generosity of all those working to provide hospitality and assistance to migrants, and the suffering of those who are forced to leave behind their homelands and their loved ones and undergo the dangers of perilous journeys and the fear of an uncertain future. “Before those faces, we cannot be indifferent or hide behind walls and barbed wires under the pretext of defending security or a style of life,” he said. Acknowledging the difficulties that some states encounter in the face of a large influx of people, the Pope reiterated his call to governments and to the European Union “to adopt a coherent and comprehensive system for coordinating policies on migration and asylum, with a view to sharing responsibility for the reception of migrants, the review of requests for asylum, and the redistribution and integration of those who can be accepted,” implementing sound models for a “farsighted approach to the global challenges before us.” His attention however was not only for those who arrive on Europe’s shores in search of safety and development, but also for those who have fled Syria, Afghanistan and the massive migration movements on the American continent, “which press upon the border between Mexico and the United States of America. Many of those migrants are Haitians fleeing the tragedies that have struck their country in recent years.” “The issue of migration, together with the pandemic and climate change, has clearly demonstrated that we cannot be saved alone and by ourselves: the great challenges of our time are all global,” he said.

The value of multilateralism

Pope Francis stressed the need to recover a “sense of shared identity as a single human family”, and decried what he sees as a crisis in multilateral diplomacy that leads to “the reduced credibility of social, governmental and intergovernmental systems.” The Pope expressed concern for the fact that too often important resolutions, declarations and decisions are made without a genuine process of negotiation in which all countries have a say. He added that this has led to an imbalance that has generated disaffection towards international agencies and weakened “the multilateral system as a whole, with the result that it becomes less and less effective in confronting global challenges.” Calling for a multilateral diplomacy that is “truly inclusive, not canceling but cherishing the differences and sensibilities that have historically marked various peoples,” the Pope said that in this way “it will regain credibility and effectiveness in facing the challenges to come, which will require humanity to join together as one great family that, starting from different viewpoints, should prove capable of finding common solutions for the good of all.” Once humanity’s fundamental values are adopted through dialogue and consensus, he said, we realize that they rise above consensus: “Here I wish to mention in particular the right to life, from conception to its natural end, and the right to religious freedom.”

Care for our Common Home

A mention of the agreement reached in Glasgow at the COP26 called for more commitment towards the urgent care for our common home. In that occasion, the Pope said, several steps were made “even though they were rather weak in light of the gravity of the problem faced.” He also expressed hope that decisions be further consolidated in view of COP27 planned for Egypt next November: “Much still remains to be done.”

World hotspots

Reiterating his belief that the suffering of people across the globe is of concern to the entire human family, the Pope called on the international community to “address the urgent need to find solutions to endless conflicts that at times appear as true proxy wars.” He mentioned Syria where political and constitutional reforms are required for the country to be reborn, and where the “imposition of sanctions should not strike directly at everyday life, in order to provide a glimmer of hope to the general populace, increasingly caught in the grip of poverty.” He called the conflict in Yemen “a human tragedy that has gone on for years, silently, far from the spotlight of the media and with a certain indifference on the part of the international community, even as it continues to claim numerous civil victims, particularly women and children.” He lamented the lack of progress in the peace process between Israel and Palestine expressing his hope the two people may be able to “live in two states, side by side, in peace and security, without hatred and resentment, but the healing born of mutual forgiveness.” Other sources of concern he spoke of “are the institutional tensions in Libya, the episodes of violence by international terrorism in the Sahel region, and the internal conflicts in Sudan, South Sudan and Ethiopia.” The Pope also turned his attention to the “profound situations of inequality and injustice, endemic corruption and various forms of poverty that offend the dignity of persons also continue to fuel social conflicts on the American continent, where growing polarization is not helping to resolve the real and pressing problems of its people, especially those who are most poor and vulnerable.” With a gaze on Europe, he called for lasting solutions for Ukraine, the southern Caucasus, and the Balkans. “Dialogue and fraternity are all the more urgently needed for dealing wisely and effectively with the crisis which for almost a year now has affected Myanmar; its streets, once places of encounter, are now the scene of fighting that does not spare even houses of prayer,” he said.

Disarmament

Pope Francis noted that these conflicts are exacerbated by the abundance of weapons and the “unscrupulousness of those who make every effort to supply them.” He called for disarmament and expressed his hope for new commitments between parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which was to meet in New York in these days, and “was once again postponed due to the pandemic.” “A world free of nuclear arms is possible and necessary,” he said, reiterating the Holy See’s position “that in the twenty-first century nuclear arms are an inadequate and inappropriate means of responding to security threats, and that possession of them is immoral” and “threatens the very existance of humanity.”

Education and labour

Finally, Pope Francis recalled his Message for the World Day of Peace celebrated on 1 January, highlighting the factors he considers essential for promoting a culture of dialogue and fraternity. Education, he said, holds a special place. It is “the primary vehicle of integral human development, for it makes individuals free and responsible.” Not neglecting to mention and condemn the crime of sexual abuse that has taken place in places of education run by the Catholic Church, the Pope said “no society can ever abdicate its responsibility for education. Yet, regrettably, state budgets often allocate few resources for education, which tends to be viewed as an expense, instead of the best possible investment for the future.” Also referring to his 1 January message, the Pope  highlighted labour “an indispensable factor in building and keeping peace”, noting it has been sorely tested by the pandemic which has caused many workers to experience job loss, exploitation and economic uncertainty. “The number of people falling under the category of extreme poverty has shown a marked increase,” he said. “Here, too," Pope Francis concluded, “greater cooperation is needed among all actors on the local, national, regional and global levels.” He expressed his hope that the coming years will be a time of opportunity” to consolidate the fraternal ties of our one human family in the awareness that no one is saved alone.

Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See

There are currently 183 countries that maintain diplomatic relations with the Holy See. To these must be added the European Union and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. There are 87 Embassy Chancelleries based in Rome, including those of the European Union and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. The offices of the League of Arab States, the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees are also based in Rome.

Vatican News

François aux ambassadeurs: la "cancel culture" fragilise l'identité des peuples

Inmunizar lo más posible a la población y no ceder a las ideologías actuales

Papst hofft auf Friedens-Fortschritte in Nahost

UN-ONU - NEW GLOBAL THREATS REQUIRE NEW FORMS OF UNITY AND SOLIDARITY

In an interview with Vatican Media, António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations speaks among other things of his gratitude to Pope Francis for supporting his appeal for a global cease fire.

By Andrea Monda

"The pandemic should be a wake-up call. Deadly global threats require a new unity and solidarity," António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations emphasizes in an exclusive interview with Vatican Media.

 Recently you made an appeal for peace in the world, a world affected by the pandemic. This initiative links up once again with those taken by Pope Francis – whom you have met at the end of last year, when you delivered a video message together – who keeps asking to cease all wars. You said: The fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war.. Why, do you think, is it so difficult to get this message through?

First, I would like to renew my deep appreciation to Pope Francis for his support for my global ceasefire appeal and the work of the United Nations. His global engagement, compassion and calls for unity reaffirm the core values that guide our work: to reduce human suffering and promote human dignity.

When I launched the ceasefire appeal, my message to parties to conflict around the world was simple: fighting needs to stop so that we can focus on our shared enemy – COVID-19.

So far, the call has been endorsed by 115 Governments, regional organizations, more than 200 civil society groups as well as other religious leaders. Sixteen armed groups have pledged to end violence. Millions of people have also signed an on-line call for support.

But mistrust remains high, and it is difficult to turn these commitments into actions that make a difference in the lives of those impacted by conflict.

My special representatives and envoys are working tirelessly around the world, with my own direct involvement when necessary, to turn expressed intentions into effective cease-fires.

I continue to call on parties to conflict and on all those who can have influence on them, to place the health and safety of people first.

I would also like to mention another appeal I have made that I consider essential: an appeal for peace in the home. Across the globe, as the pandemic spreads, we are also witnessing an alarming increase in violence against women and girls.

I have asked Governments, civil society and all those who can help around the world to mobilize to better protect women. I have also appealed to religious leaders of every faith to unequivocally condemn all acts of violence against women and girls and to uphold the bedrock  principles of equality.

A few months ago, before the pandemic broke out, you said that fear is the best-selling brand. This is something which now, in these weeks, could be even more amplified. How, do you think, is it possible to fight the feelings of fear spreading among people, especially in these difficult times?

The COVID-19 pandemic is not just a global health emergency.

In recent weeks, there has been a surge of conspiracy theories and anti-foreigner sentiment. In some cases, journalists, health professionals, or human rights defenders have been targeted simply for doing their jobs.

From the very beginning of this crisis, I have been advocating for solidarity within societies and among countries. Our response must be based on human rights and human dignity.

I have also called on educational institutions to focus on digital literacy, and I have urged media, especially social media companies, to do much more to flag and remove racist, misogynist and other harmful content, in line with international human rights law.

Religious leaders have a crucial role to play to promote mutual respect in their communities and beyond. They are well-positioned to challenge inaccurate and harmful messages, and encourage all communities to promote non-violence and reject xenophobia, racism and all forms of intolerance.

Fear is certainly fostered by fake news, which, as you recently denounced, are spreading more and more. How is it possible to fight misinformation without risking to blot out fundamental freedoms and rights in the name of this battle

People around the world want to know what to do and where to turn for advice. Instead, they have to navigate an epidemic of misinformation that, at its worst, can put lives at risk.

I salute the journalists and others who are fact-checking the mountain of misleading stories and social media posts.

In support of these efforts, I have launched a UN Communications Response initiative, under the name Verified, aimed at getting accurate, factual information to people while encouraging solutions and solidarity as we move from crisis to recovery.   

Religious leaders also have a role to play to leverage their networks and communication capacities to support governments in promoting public health measures recommended by the World Health Organization— from physical distancing to good hygiene – and to dispel false information and rumors.

Among the groundless news that daily assail public opinion, currently there is a lot of criticism of UN agencies, as for example the World Health Organization (WHO). What is your opinion with regard to this?

As we mourn the lives lost to the virus, we despair that many more will follow, particularly in places least able to cope with a pandemic.

Looking back at how the pandemic unfolded, and at the international response, will be crucial. But, right now, the World Health Organization and the entire UN system are in a race against the clock to save lives.

I am particularly worried about the lack of adequate solidarity with developing countries -- both in equipping them to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and to address the dramatic economic and social impacts on the world’s poorest.

The World Health Organization, and the entire United Nations system have mobilized fully to save lives, stave off famine, ease the pain and plan for recovery.

We set out a U.S.$7.6 billion Global Humanitarian Response Plan for the most vulnerable populations, including refugees and internally displaced persons. Donors have generously pledged close to $1 billion so far and I continue my advocacy to ensure that this plan is fully funded.

Our country teams are working in coordination with Governments to mobilize funding, to assist health ministries on preparedness, and to support economic and social measures, from food security and home schooling to cash transfers and many others.

Our peace operations continue to carry out their important protection mandates, and to support peace and political processes.

The UN system network of supply chains has been placed at the disposal of developing countries, with millions of test kits, respirators and surgical masks having now reached more than 100 countries. We have set up solidarity flights to bring more supplies and workers to dozens of countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.  

And since the beginning, I have mobilized the expertise within the entire UN family to produce a series of reports and policy briefs to provide analysis and advice for an effective, coordinated response by the international community. (https://www.un.org/en/coronavirus/un-secretary-general)

We are living in a time where attacks against multilateralism are multiplying. Do you think there is a need to strengthen people’s trust in international institutions? And how could this be done?

The collaboration and contribution of all States - including the most powerful- is essential to not only fight COVID‑19 but also to address the peace and security challenges we are facing. It is also essential to help create conditions for an effective recovery in the developed and developing world.

The virus has demonstrated our global fragility. And this fragility is not limited to our health systems. It affects all areas of our world and our institutions.

The fragility of coordinated global efforts is highlighted by our failed response to the climate crisis, by the ever-increasing risk of nuclear proliferation, by our inability to come together to better regulate the web.

The pandemic should be a wake-up call. Deadly global threats require a new unity and solidarity.

You have openly commended the European initiative aimed at developing a vaccine for Covid-19. However, finding a vaccine might tempt someone to take up a dominant position within the international community. How can we avoid this risk? And even before finding a vaccine, what can be done in order to test the treatments that have proven to be of some efficacy?

In an interconnected world, none of us is safe until all of us are safe.

This was, in a few words, the essence of my message at the launch of  “ACT Accelerator” – the global collaboration to speed up the development, production and equitable access to new COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines.

This must be seen as a global public good. Not a vaccine or treatments for one country or one region or one-half of the world — but a vaccine and treatment that are affordable, safe, effective, easily-administered and universally available — for everyone, everywhere. This vaccine needs to be the people’s vaccine.

How can we avoid having first rank and second rank countries in this fight against the virus? At any rate, there is a danger that the pandemic will widen the gap between rich and poor. How can we avoid this happening?

The pandemic is exposing inequalities everywhere. Economic inequalities, disparities in access to health services and so much more.

Poverty could rise by 500 million people – the first increase in three decades.

We cannot allow this to happen and this is why I continue to advocate for a global relief package

amounting to at least 10 per cent of the global economy.

The most developed countries can do this with their own resources, and some have already begun to put in place such measures. But developing countries need massive and urgent support. 

The International Monetary Fund has already approved emergency financing to a first group of developing countries. The World Bank has indicated that with new and existing resources, it can provide $160 billion of financing over the next 15 months. The G20 has endorsed the suspension of debt service payments for the poorest countries. 

I fully appreciate these steps, which can protect people, jobs and development gains. But even this will not be sufficient and it will be important to consider additional measures, including debt relief, to avoid prolonged financial and economic crises. 

Some say that after this pandemic the world will never be the same again. What could the future of the United Nations be in tomorrow’s world?

The pandemic recovery brings opportunities to steer the world onto a safer, healthier, more sustainable and inclusive path. 

The inequalities and gaps in social protection that have been so painfully exposed will need to be addressed. We will also have an opportunity to place women and gender equality at the forefront to help build resilience to future shocks.

Recovery also needs to go hand-in-hand with climate action.

I have been calling on Governments to ensure that spending to revitalize economies should be used to invest in the future, not the past.

Taxpayers’ money should be used to accelerate the decarbonization of all aspects of our economy and privilege the creation of green jobs. Now is the time to put a price on carbon and for polluters to pay for their pollution. Financial institutions and investors must take climate risks fully into account. 

Our template remains the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Now is the time to be determined. Determined to defeat COVID-19 and to emerge from the crisis by building a better world for all.

Vatican News

CLIMATE ACTION WEEK - 20-27 september

“Global Week of Climate Action: 

Count us in!”

by Susan Hopgood.

Strongest hurricane in recorded history, hottest summer, unprecedented mass bleaching of the coral reef… we have grown accustomed to deal in superlatives. Since 1970, the number of natural disasters worldwide has more than quadrupled to around 400 a year. Scientists have warned us about the extreme weather phenomena climate change causes, but we have become desensitised, numb to the impending disaster.

If we do not change course, it is estimated that 122 million people will be driven into poverty by 2030. By 2050, some 200 million people worldwide will be driven from their homes by climate change. But there is also hope, as our students in particular demonstrate the leadership that too many world leaders are refusing to show.

This is not a one-country problem. We see worrying changes all over the world. In my native Australia, the weather has become a procession of extremes and records. We experienced temperatures over 48 degrees last summer – that’s 120 degrees Fahrenheit. The Great Barrier Reef, one of the natural wonders of the world, suffered unparalleled destruction in 2016 and 2017. This resource is critical to ocean life and food production and now there are serious concerns about saving the reef at all.

Politicians have failed. In the face of this greatest crisis of our times, our leaders have utterly disappointed. In Australia, emissions from fossil fuels and industry are increasing rather than the 15–17 percent decrease required to meet our global commitments; in the United States, the Trump administration has withdrawn completely from the Paris Agreement; in Brazil, the Bolsonaro administration rolled back environmental protections and passively watched as the number of illegal fires in the Amazon rainforest grew by more than 80 percent in just one year. All for profit.

The short-sightedness, the inaction of politicians and governments in the face of profiteering is not neutral. It is deliberate. It is reckless, especially by high-income countries like my own. Their failure and thus their complicity are our responsibility and our challenge.

But our young people are rising to this challenge; the generation whose futures politicians refuse to think about. They paid attention to the science, recognised the danger and came up with the Fridays for Future movement. They mobilised, organised, persisted. They are leading the way, pushing politicians to stop prioritising profit over people.

Greta Thunberg, the climate activist and student from Sweden, who took her own stand and is now a leader of the student movement, challenged us all, and our politicians in particular, when she recently said: “Hope is something you need to deserve… If we decided today that we were going to go through with combating climate change, then we definitely could do that. But only if we choose to and if we take the measures required.”

In March, an estimated 1.4 million people in 120 countries, most of them teenage students, participated in a global strike demanding politicians take action against climate change. In May, a Global Climate Strike involved more than a million people in more than 1,600 cities, again, a significant number being students.

For the next seven days, the movement will mobilise all over the world for the Global Week of Climate Action. With the United Nations Climate Summit taking place on the 23^rd of September, it is crucial that politicians feel the pressure, the voices that will not be ignored or silenced, the will that refuses to bend to short-sighted commercial and political interests.

As educators, we could not be prouder of our students for their civic mobilisation, the solidarity and maturity they have demonstrated, the example they have set for all of us. We cannot leave them alone in this battle. We must add our voices and make politicians listen and put people and the planet before profit.

The fight begins in the classroom. At Education International’s World Congress in July, representatives of 32 million educators made combating climate change one of our top priorities. Delegates passed resolutions reaffirming the essential role of education in bringing about a just transition to a more sustainable world and calling for more international cooperation in terms of climate research and technologies.

We agreed that education plays a key role in the much-needed individual and collective changes to our attitudes, behaviour and lifestyles. Education can help people to understand, respond, adapt and reduce their vulnerability to environmental problems.

We pledged to make classrooms across the world free of climate change denial, to push for upgrading our education systems in order to encourage more sustainable lifestyles and to ensure that our students have the skills they need so that a just transition to a greener economy is possible.

We promised to “stand in full solidarity with all students striking or protesting against climate change” and to “oppose any reprisals against students taking action to fight climate change”. Because we believe that the rights to strike and protest are fundamental democratic rights for students and workers alike, we called on schools not to take action against students standing up for the planet and their future.

Our students can also count on us for this Global Week of Climate Action. Whether they will join the protests in the streets or stop work in solidarity, lobby their government or discuss the issue in class, I know many of my colleagues will be showing their support.

This week I will go to the United Nations in New York to declare a climate emergency in education. There is no time to lose. Schools urgently need to become sites of climate action. This means updating our curriculum to address all aspects of climate science and sustainability across subjects. It means providing all educators with training and continuous professional development to be able to present the facts and push back against anti-scientific attacks. It means implementing sustainable practices within schools themselves. And it means convincing governments of the imperative to provide adequate resources for this systemic change.

It is our responsibility as educators to prepare our students for the world. It is our responsibility as educators to convey the truths of climate change and to call out the lies. Let’s build on the formidable momentum young people have created and help them take it further. 

 WORLDS OF EDUCATION