We Cannot Walk Alone
Almighty God,
Millions of our sisters and brothers are on the move around the world,
Not by choice, but by desperation.
For those forced to flee violence,
We pray they find safety.
For those seeking economic opportunity,
We pray they find secure livelihoods.
For those trying to support and protect their families,
We pray they find communities to embrace them.
For those searching for peace and hope,
We pray that we may be bearers of the Good News.
We are called to be prophetic advocates in this world.
To call out injustice and be heralds of Truth and Love.
We pray that all migrants, refugees and displaced persons
May find safe and loving communities
And the opportunity to thrive.
And we pray that we may have the courage to stand and act
In defense of human dignity for all our sisters and brothers in need.
Amen.
Millions of our sisters and brothers are on the move around the world,
Not by choice, but by desperation.
For those forced to flee violence,
We pray they find safety.
For those seeking economic opportunity,
We pray they find secure livelihoods.
For those trying to support and protect their families,
We pray they find communities to embrace them.
For those searching for peace and hope,
We pray that we may be bearers of the Good News.
We are called to be prophetic advocates in this world.
To call out injustice and be heralds of Truth and Love.
We pray that all migrants, refugees and displaced persons
May find safe and loving communities
And the opportunity to thrive.
And we pray that we may have the courage to stand and act
In defense of human dignity for all our sisters and brothers in need.
Amen.
“The human tragedy that is forced migration is a global phenomenon today. This crisis which can be measured in numbers and statistics, we want instead to measure with names, stories, families.”
—Pope Francis
WHO IS A REFUGEE?
A refugee is a person who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, conflict or violence. On World Refugee Day—celebrated each year on June 20—we lift up the lives of millions of refugees and pledge our support for all who have been displaced around the world.
WHY THIS MATTERS
More than 80 million people around the world have been forced to flee their homes because of persecution, conflict, poverty and violence. There are more refugees and internally displaced people now than at any other time in history. This is truly a global humanitarian crisis. In this pivotal moment when COVID-19 is making displaced communities even more vulnerable, we remember that Church teaching encourages us to welcome foreigners seeking the security and livelihoods they cannot find in their home countries.
WHY THEY LEAVE
Two-thirds of all refugees come from only five countries: Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Myanmar and Somalia.
People fleeing violence in Syria form the largest refugee group in the world today. Since the war began in 2011, more than half the Syrian population—13 million people—have been forcibly displaced. Despite experiencing such upheaval, Syrian refugees are rebuilding their livelihoods in their new communities with support from Catholic Relief Services and our partners.
In August 2017, more than 700,000 Rohingya refugees fled Myanmar for neighboring Bangladesh, expanding the country’s refugee population to nearly 1 million.
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| "Truly, I tell you, as long as you did if for one of the least, you did it for me." MT.20: 40 |
The challenges of the past year have exposed the deep inequalities between us, including in housing, income and access to healthcare. But the crisis has also shown how interconnected we are – that the wellbeing of each of us depends on the welfare, safety and hard work of others. We are part of a shared ‘us’.
Martin Luther King may have been speaking during the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, but his words resonate across space and time. It is only by coming together that we will move forward. That when we choose to walk side by side, to share networks and resources, or make space for others to lead, we create deeper and longer-lasting change than is possible alone.
The theme of Refugee Week 2021, ‘We Cannot Walk Alone’, is an invitation to extend your hand to someone new. Someone who is outside your current circle, has had an experience you haven’t, or is fighting for a cause you aren’t yet involved in.
Migration Crisis at our Door
Who is my Neighbor? Where is my Neighbor?
BACKGROUD
The Central American countries of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador are among the world’s most dangerous countries. At 90 for every 100,000 people, the homicide rate is nearly five times what the World Health Organization considers an “epidemic.” People face an insurmountable level of violence, insecurity and lack of economic opportunities. “Join-or-die” gang recruitment policies make life nearly impossible for innocent youth in gang-controlled areas. Business owners face extortion and threats from gangs while corrupt and inadequate policing fails to protect them.
DEALING WITH DROUGHT
Meanwhile, five years of recurring droughts across the Dry Corridor that runs through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua have destroyed corn and bean harvests, the mainstay of the Central American diet. Meanwhile, farming practices like incorrect fertilization and burning and deforestation of hillsides are depleting the land and threatening the livelihoods of tens of thousands of farmers who depend on seasonal rainfall to grow the food that feeds their families. During the last extreme drought of 2018, 2.2 million farmers in the Dry Corridor suffered crop losses, leaving 1.4 million people without an adequate amount of food.
FLEEING NORTH
Struggling with rampant violence, chronic poverty, and failed harvests due to environmental degradation and climate change, entire families have made the difficult decision to leave their homes and flee north. In October 2018, multiple migrant caravans set off from Honduras and other Central American countries—comprising about 10,000 people in total—with the intention of reaching the United States in search of asylum and a dignified life. Since then, tens of thousands more people have made the dangerous trek north, through Mexico, an exodus that highlights the need to address the violence, poverty and other root causes of this humanitarian emergency.
COVID-19
Migrant shelters along the route from Guatemala through Mexico have been in a perpetual state of emergency since the first caravan made its way to the United States in 2018. The context of COVID-19 has only heightened their vulnerabilities. In March, many of Mexico's migrant shelters closed their doors to prevent the spread of COVID-19 but continue to host the people who were already there, even if for much longer than planned. Due to new legal restrictions, migrants seeking U.S. asylum face lengthy, delayed processing in Mexico, where they await word in dangerous border cities. Tens of thousands are stuck in limbo, many without safe shelter, and highly vulnerable to abuse, exploitation and contagion.
In Central America, the virus is leading to massive disruptions to the livelihoods, safety and social cohesion of those already in extremely tenuous circumstances - threatening their limited access to food and education, and their ability to work. The pandemic is increasing the risk of extreme hunger in Central America, a region already experiencing rising food prices and supply chain disruptions. It is restricting people from planting and harvesting crops, working as day laborers and selling products. This means less food for people already living on the edge.
Central America Migration Crisis:
Facts and How to Help
The real facts of the refugee crisis,
and what we can do
Melanie Nezer | TEDxMidAtlantic
“Towards An Ever Wider We”
Pope Francis
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