By Martina Liebsch, Caritas Internationalis advocacy coordinator for migration, trafficking and gender
Caritas has it’s role to play!
One of the issues which came up during the session on migration at the Caritas in Africa Partnership Forum in Nairobi was the worry that there are different Catholic actors active in the field of migration, the Bishops Conferences of the different countries and ICMC more specifically. There was a worry that work would be duplicated. But people agreed there is a lot of work for everybody and that we should seek at complementing each other. It was emphasized that Caritas has its role to play, because Caritas is close to people’s needs.
Coordination and networking seem to be the key words to use and share the rich experience and knowledge in the region. There was an agreement that there is a need for focal points and reference persons within the region and that they should come together in a working group to facilitate the exchange within the region, but also link up with the advocacy work at a Caritas Internationals level!
How to pin down the vast field of migration into concrete common action?
It was clear that for Caritas the mission is to serve and protect the rights of those who are forced to migrate, refugees, IDP’s, but also those who are forced to leave their home due to hunger as a consequence of climate change or those who are exploited and abused during their journey!
But this is certainly just the start and the work needs to be made more concrete. It is a plant which was just put into the ground and now needs to be cared of by the region, but also by my work. Possibly the work around feminisation of migration could be a starting point and I hope very much that the region would take up the challenge to host an international forum on this topic.
At the end of the day I was really thankful to the colleagues of the Caritas in Africa, who with their contributions on migration contributed to the forward thinking on the issue.
The partnership forum was an experiment, but it turned out to be a very good setting with open discussions and exchange even on contentious issues.
I can’t end my blog without mentioning that again some wonderful and dedicated women were at the heart of the Forum.
It was my second time working with African Caritas members and I definitely feel this is a place where I feel at home and I’m looking forward to working together! A person working at the Kolping House where the meeting took place told me that he had been working with Germans and that he said that they are his brothers and sisters. I can only agree with that!
Greetings from Dakar, and thank you very much, for the job done in Nairobi with your strong contribution I am sure as a member of the GSMT, but also for the heart you put on it; I think that the more imortant think we have to do after unsing the right technical way, is to do think and act with the heart, with the Love of God. As The Pope Benedict the XVIth said in Deus Caritas Est , the poorest need Humanity at least. thanks a lot or your spirit, we fell reading your adress. Let me added something: never do anything without the women if you want some progress for the people, there are the mother, the sisters who are able to obtain “metanoia” to the men,and the men to do so : as a men I know that if we do thing not together no way to success. Finishing , I want to underline that if we want impact, real results and change amaong the nations , we have to work more and more withe the Parishes and the small communities, they are the stronger network we have to touch everyone everyere. I was with some delegates for a trainaing some days ago in a parish of Cotonou in Benin ( west Africa) and when introduicing the session I ask, what is the reason why you are there , at the end of the week , still working for the poorest? A woman answer, it is to fulfull the Love of Jesus Christ. I ask again what is Love ? The answer was , “in our local language, love is I ant each other, until his smell , I want him ou her totaly, as me”. These simple person in the parish, in,their work, in their houses , in the street can have an infuence like a tsunamy of love growing slowly but covering at least all the nations without destroying anything, but building the great Human Community.I am very happy to note that we have pore understanding, by getting good habit to respect and hear each other. In Africa wa use to say that “xwhen a big tree falls it makes à lot of noise, but when the forest is growing, it make o noise. Let us think how to implement in the people all the good resolutions we have during the forum and workshop , and the People of God, christians and those of Good will ,will change the world in a good way even if the in less money with the actal crisis. God give so many things in our hands to be able to share ( good pracrtices only can change so many thing, and save so many lives). . So again all my “compliments”, my best whishes, all my support and prayers Nicolas former Regional coordinator for Africa region
Damn, that sound’s so easy if you think about it.