World Day underlines the struggles of migrants, refugees

Today is the 101st World Day of Migrants and Refugees and the Good Shepherd International Foundation

(GSIF), together with the Good Shepherd Sisters (GSS) and partners in mission, share in the belief that those who have fled precarious situations must be welcomed and assisted.

The theme of Pope Francis’ message for this important day is “the Church without frontiers, mother to all, spreads throughout the world a culture of acceptance and solidarity, in which no one is seen as useless, out of place or disposable.” In his message the Holy Father explained that each day hundreds of people leave their homelands with a “suitcase full of fears and desires, to undertake a hopeful and dangerous trip in search of more humane living conditions.”

The GSS are working to ensure the plight of migrants/refugees is at the forefront and that their basic human rights are respected.

Thanks to one GSS project in Bolivia and Chile migrant women are provided with social, economic and physiological counseling, as well as income-generation opportunities.The project also works to prevent migration when possible, support family reunifications and build a coalition of organizations to protect women and prevent human rights violations.

In Lebanon, the GSS responded to the emergency situation and provide basic needs to Syrian refugee families, including health care and education services for the children.

Plus the GSIF’s new membership in FOCSIV, Italy’s largest international volunteer association, means they will work side-by-side with the organization on its advocacy work that includes urging Europe to act on behalf of all the migrants arriving via the Mediterranean Sea and calling on the United Nations to open additional refugee centers.

Main source: fondazionebuonpastore.org...

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