Photo by Ashwin Vaswani on Unsplash
His Holiness Pope Francis has issued a message to mark the 109th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, this Sunday 24th September, titled “Free to choose whether to migrate or to stay”.
The United Nations 16 days of activism begins on 25th November – International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and ends of 10th December – Human Rights Day.
The global theme for this year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, which will run from 25 November to 10 December 2021, is “Orange the world: End violence against women now!”
2021 marks the 30th anniversary of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign. November 25th also marks the anniversary of the brutal assassination of Patricia, Maria and Minerva Reyes, three activists in the Dominican Republic in 1960.
Human trafficking, a $150 billion global industry, is one of the greatest examples of violence against women and girls. As well, millions of women and girls are forced to marry or to work in terrible conditions for little pay and no chance of an education.
Pope Francis reminds us:
“It is not possible to remain indifferent
before the knowledge that human beings
are bought and sold like goods!”
For an overview of the 16 Days Activism concept: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2021-11/UNiTE-campaign-2021-concept-note-en.pdf
In the message of his Holiness Pope Francis for the 105th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Pope Francis highlights his repeated and explicit calls of concern for migrants and refugees, should be understood as being integral to his deep concern for all of humanity.
His message aims to convey to us how deeply involved ‘’as Christian communities and societies we are and that we are all called to respond and to reflect how our faith and commitments are engaged in responding to vulnerable people on the move.
In an increasingly globalised world, where migrants, refugees, displaced persons and victims of trafficking have become emblems of exclusion, Pope Francis reminds us that each encounter with the other, is an encounter with Christ and in extending the hand of love, friendship, assistance and support to the most vulnerable, we are extending our hands to Christ.
MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
FOR THE 105th WORLD DAY OF MIGRANTS AND REFUGEES 2019
‘’It is not possible to remain indifferent before the knowledge that human beings are bought and sold like goods! The human person ought never to be sold or bought as if he or she were a commodity. Whoever uses human persons in this way and exploits them, even if indirectly, becomes an accomplice of injustice.” March 2014 Continue reading “It is not possible to remain indifferent before the knowledge that human beings are bought and sold like goods!” »
‘’Every human being, man, woman, boy and girl, is made in God’s image.Therefore, we declare on each and every one of our creeds that modern slavery, in terms of human trafficking, forced labour and prostitution, and organ trafficking, is a crime against humanity.” Dec 2014
.png)
