Jan 1, 2020 | Non categorizzato
Chiara emphasised a number of times how working to establish relationships of peace throughout the world is something revolutionary. The new decade is set to begin, which also marks 100 years since the birth of Focolare’s founder. “Do you know who the peacemakers are that Jesus speaks about?” With these words Chiara opened her comments on Word of Life for February 1981. Once again today, for the International Day of Peace, these words are aimed at us more than ever. Those who make peace create and establish connections, smoothing out tensions, Chiara explains. Doing so we will discover that there are infinite opportunities to be true peacemakers. https://vimeo.com/333055787
Dec 30, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The relationship built with Focolare members and communities worldwide is one of the most beautiful experiences for us who work at focolare.org. We take the opportunity of this Christmas Season to thank all those who send us news, and thus allow the life of the charism of unity to inspire many. An email we received from Fr. Domenico De Martino, a 36 year old priest from Naples, who is a missionary in Burkina Faso, has really been a great gift. It has brought us closer to people who live in a part of the world where peace, dignity and religious freedom are seriously threatened and where the use of telecommunications is extremely low. Violence by extremist groups, that hit Burkina Faso during the past five years, caused hundreds of deaths, a wave of kidnappings and the closure of many schools and churches. It has also led to a massive and continuous displacement of people who moved from the affected regions to the capital and other large urban centres. According to the latest information by the UN, 486,360 internally displaced persons (IDPs) were registered at the beginning of October, more than twice the number displaced in July. Numbers continue to grow steadily, and there are even reports of one million IDPs. 
Fr. Domenico, a member of the Missionary Community of Villaregia , came to know the Focolare Movement at the age of 12, when he came across the Word of Life, a monthly commentary on the Scriptures in the spirit of the charism of unity. Chiara Lubich started this commentary more than 40 years ago, and Domenico came to know about it during his visits to the missionaries. He related: “When I was 17 years old, I wrote to Chiara Lubich and asked her for a Word from the Gospel that could be a light to guide me in my life. I also wanted to share with her all about my vocation. I still treasure her answer to my letter; I keep it in my Bible and every now and then I read it again. She indicated words from St John’s Gospel: ‘If anyone loves me, he will keep my word and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him’ (Jn 14:23). I always try to go deeper into these very stong and demanding words, to find the meaning of my life. I was ordained priest in 2012 after a year’s experience in Lima, Peru”. For the last two years, Fr. Domenico has been doing missioniary work in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. He is involved in a number of projects that aim at integral human promotion. He told us: “Burkina Faso literally means ‘the land of upright people’; family and a sense of community are among the most treasured values of the Burkinabé people. Most of the 160 students, who attend the school we have started to promote literacy, are girls and young mothers who had no opportunity to study before. We have also set up a project to help women start small businesses to make ends meet. Many present their projects to ask for our support but it is not always easy to choose. The Gospel and the desire to be part of this people guide us in our choices. In recent months, schools in the capital city have started to function again, but unfortunately, it is not the same for schools in other parts of the country. Terrorist groups burnt many schools in the North, North-East and North-West of the country, and at the end of the last scholastic year several teachers were killed. “The tactics used by the bandits or terrorists are always the same; they arrive in the villages, take everything – cattle and crops – empty the small shops, and then they look for teachers and tell them that if they don’t leave, they will be the next victims unless they teach Arabic or what they call ‘the true religion’. I had the opportunity to talk to some teachers, who despite this desperate situation still have to report to work because the state obliges them to do so, but there is great fear. Our area is quiet, but we try to be close to our people and share in their fears and anxieties. Last September, 40 soldiers lost their lives during an attack on a military base. Among them, there were 3 of our young parishioners. We were particularly close to one of them, who was the eldest son of a family we know quite well. When we went to visit this family to offer our condolences, we met the grief-stricken widow and her two sons, and it was extremely difficult to understand why so much hatred and horror. Jean, the soldier’s father, who always tells me: ‘You priests are God’s sign for us; we can ask you everything because you give us God’s word, his comfort and his will’, was also there. This time, I could only shake his weak hand without uttering a word, and make him feel that God is near”. In this serious situation of great instability, one perceives a sign of hope in the communion that continues to grow among different Christian churches and people of other religions, especially Muslims. They get together and unite in prayers for peace. Fr. Domenico spoke about another sign of peace when he related about a project to help with the payment of school fees. To date, 96 children have benefited from it. “We were shocked when we found out that many children do not have a birth certificate; it seems as if they do not exist at all. We encounter various complex situations that require our attention and assistence. It is amazing to discover that placing God at the centre of our activities leads us to deeper understanding and better organization, because we look at the person as a whole. We are trying to get organized about birth certificates, and this will allow us to give back dignity to the children of our neighbourhoods”. It was evident that Fr. Domenico had so many other things to relate. His words full of love for the Burkinabé people brought us closer to this country. He concluded: “Communion helps us to be Church in the real sense of the word; we actually know what is happening around us and we become fully committed to help all God’s children who suffer and are in need”.
Stefania Tanesini
Dec 28, 2019 | Non categorizzato
A non-profit organization that has been operating in the Italian capital for thirteen years. It collects surplus or unsold food, prepares 250 meals a day for the poor and, simultaneously, works to promote social inclusion. 
Over-buying food and consequent wastage are modern-day plagues that affect society in many parts of the world. However, there are also people who, silently, collect food that would otherwise be thrown away and give it to people who are most in need. They do so not only to offer immediate help to people who are hungry but also as a practical means of accompanying people as they rebuild their lives. This is what RomaAmor does. This is a non-profit organization that was founded by Dino Impagliazzo in Rome in response to the invitation of Chiara Lubich, who in 2000, receiving the honorary citizenship of the city, asked others to cooperate in bringing a “revolution of love” to the capital. For 13 years RomaAmor has been offering 250 meals a day to the homeless people around the Tuscolana and Ostiense railway stations and in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. Dino is now 90 years old: serving others still fills him with joy. “There are sometimes many difficulties in helping others,” he explains, “you have to make sacrifices but then you feel a great joy for having done something worthwhile. Christ taught us that the essence of Christianity is to love God and our neighbour, and Chiara Lubich invites us to live for universal brotherhood: this is the foundation of our service to the poor.” Dino received the International Carthage Award in 2018 for his longstanding service to the community because “his work increases public awareness and provides formation thus contributing to the ethical dimension of the city.” The project also “provides valid alternatives to the value attributed to people and material goods.” The following is taken from an interview with Dino. How did RomaAmor begin? It began almost by chance. I started on my own by preparing a sandwich for a poor person I used to meet at the station, and gradually I thought of involving as many people as possible in doing something similar – my wife, people living in my block of flats or from my neighbourhood. We have always regarded our neighbours as our brothers and sisters irrespective of whether they were poor, healthy or sick or in trouble. We try to treat them as members of our family For Food Day 2019, the Pope stressed the need for a return to sobriety in lifestyle and he spoke about the importance of cultivating healthy relationships with ourselves, our brothers and sisters and the whole of the created world… It’s essential that we make this choice. You cannot reason in any other way if you are a Christian and know that each person is your brother or sister because Jesus has told you this very clearly: as a consequence, you live not only for yourself but in relation to others. You cannot think in any other way if know that among us there are people who are healthy and well placed and others who are sick and struggling. You must always be ready to help and do so with joy. The “culture of waste” tends to dominate our society; you choose to serve the poor and needy and so you are going against the tide of public opinion… This aspect of what we do is important, but we don’t just collect the food on its date of expiry, cook it and bring it to people in need. We also try to create relationships with them. That way we do more than just feed them. We try to adapt the meals to the people we help: children, the elderly, women, the sick have different needs, and for our Muslim guests we prepare meals without using pork. Our goal is also to promote inclusion: I invite volunteers to try to establish a close relationship with at least some of these people. When they offer the meal, I ask them to bring two trays, one for the person in need and one for themselves so they can sit down and eat together. Is the group important? It’s fundamental, we do everything as a team – decide the menu, cook and share tasks. One of us looks to see if there are sick people, someone else is busy in maintaining the link with the local authorities and we encourage one another. We spend a lot of time together: we start cooking in the afternoon, we finish at eight o’clock in the evening and then we go out for two hours. We share everything, both the joys and the difficulties. Have any of the people you have helped become volunteers? They certainly have! One third of the volunteers are foreigners who are living in reception centres and are waiting to be recognised as political refugees. Some of them are referred to us by social services. There are also the seminarians sent by the dioceses. We are from different backgrounds but all work for the same purpose. What attracts young people to RomaAmor? There are lots of young people who are volunteers – in fact, the number increases steadily. They come and are so happy that next time they bring their friends.
Dec 26, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Partnership agreement signed between FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) and New Humanity, the international NGO of the Focolare Movement. Objective: to continue to work together to defeat world hunger by 2030.
©FAO/Giulio Napolitano.
Stefania Tanesini
Dec 23, 2019 | Non categorizzato
A Christmas greeting from Maria Voce, President of the Focolare Movement Christmas is, for all of us who celebrate it every year, a long-awaited moment, full of emotion, joy and relationships. But in the midst of such a joyful and happy Christmas atmosphere, we often forget that this feast day is rooted in a mysterious event, I would say an almost scandalous event: the scandal of a God who lowers himself and becomes human; the scandal of the Almighty who becomes a weak child; of the Unlimited One who enters the limits of human flesh. God does not do this only out of solidarity, to be close to us and to share our existence. He enters our human condition to show us, through our own language, gestures and emotions, his own life, the life of God: a life capable of repairing rifts, healing wounds and rebuilding relationships. God did this 2,000 years ago and wants to do it again today. In a month, January 22nd 2020 marks the centenary of the birth of Chiara Lubich, the founder of our Focolare Movement. On this occasion I cannot help but remember the core of her message, of her spirituality of unity: the discovery that Jesus can be born today too, where two or more people love each other “with the love of service, understanding, and sharing in the sufferings, burdens, anxieties, and joys of our brothers and sisters; with the love that covers everything, that forgives everything, typical of Christianity”. Hence we resolve to make all our relationships become the crib, the cradle that welcomes Jesus in our midst, who wants to rebuild our fragmented world today. My wish for Christmas is that this celebration will bring deep joy to all, in the commitment to train ourselves every day to attract, through mutual love, the presence of Jesus among us, thus allowing him to transform the world.
Dec 22, 2019 | Non categorizzato
A top figure in Thai Theravada Buddhism, the Venerable Ajahn Thong died on 13 December at the age of 96. Together with Chiara Lubich, they experienced the highest level of Buddhist-Christian dialogue. Midway through the 1990s, Phramaha Thongratana, a Thai Buddhist monk, had the opportunity to meet John Paul II and get to know the Focolare Movement and Chiara Lubich. He became known in Catholic circles as Luce Ardente. Thanks to him, the great master Ajahn Thong spent some time at the Focolare’s little city of Loppiano together with his young follower. After the early meetings that they had with Focolare’s founder, there was great hope for further dialogue between Buddhism and Christianity in Thailand, which, in the monks words, needed to be accomplished “gently, with exquisite compassion, with much love and caring for it with our hearts.” To this he added a fundamental consideration for dialogue: “These two terms – Buddhism and Christianity – are only two words … it is the good and love that unites all people of every race, religion and language, and helps everyone to meet and coexist together.” From that moment his commitment was decided and at times astonishing even: “As long as I breathe and live, I will try to build true and beautiful relationships with everyone in the world.” Chiara Lubich confirmed these sentiments with an invitation and a prediction: “Let’s continue to prepare the way, living according to the light we have received, and many will follow.” With this background the elderly, venerable monk Ajahn Thong arrived at Loppiano, where he stayed at the Claritas spirituality centre, which regularly welcomes those from religious orders of various congregations, who come for an experience of communion between charisms. Two Theravada monks together with Franciscans, Salesians, Jesuits, Dominicans and others: it was prophetic. Venerable Phra Phrom Mongkol was deeply touched by the welcome he received and, meeting Chiara, he commented, “The fact that you invited Buddhist monks to come here to be among your people is something so beautiful.” This was not just simple formality or politeness, although those are characteristic of the Thai people. These were the early steps of a profound spiritual experience, which the monks were already quite aware of. Chiara’s expectation of that first meeting was one of an attitude of listening aimed at learning, not teaching. “I am happy with this visit in order to learn something beautiful.” she said. “What is the heart of your teaching?” From that point, an unforeseen path unfolded. At the start of 1997, in fact, the Catholic leader was invited to Thailand by these top figures of Buddhist monasticism. It was not to be just a courtesy visit. Chiara was invited to address and share her Christian experience with various groups of monks, nuns and lay Buddhists, both in Bangkok and above all in Chiang Mai. It was there, at the Wat Rampoeng Temple, that the great master introduced her with these remarkable words: “All of you, my followers, might ask yourselves why this mother, who is a woman, was invited. I would like you monks and seminarians to forget this question and not think of her as a woman. Those who are wise and able to point to the correct path for our lives, whether woman or man, are worthy of respect. It’s like when we are in the dark: if there is someone who comes to bring us a lamp to guide us, we are grateful, and it doesn’t matter to us whether that person who came to bring us light is a woman or man, a child or adult.” These few words seem to be a condensed version of the great wisdom of this capable man, together with others, who was able to walk the way of dialogue fearlessly, bringing others along with him on this prophetic experience. Lubich herself, touched by this sensitivity and openness, noticed a higher presence in this relationship and turned to the great master with words that feel like a prophecy: “Let’s continue to prepare the way, living according to the light we have received, and many will follow.” And so it was. For 25 years this dialogue has continued and developed. Even in death, there was something in common between this ancient monk from the thousand-year-old Theravada tradition with a Catholic woman who recently founded a movement in the Church. On 7 December, in fact, the celebrations for the centenary of the birth of Chiara Lubich opened in Trento, including an interfaith event on 7 June 2020.The venerable great master had expressed his desire to attend. Theirs is a friendship now destined to continue in eternity.
Roberto Catalano (Co-director for Focolare Interreligious Dialogue)
A conversation with the Great Teacher Ajahn Thong a service of the Collegamento CH of 13 February 2016 https://vimeo.com/155543298
Dec 20, 2019 | Non categorizzato
During the past 15 years, the Focolare Centre “Nueva Vida” has carried out a very important social action, that supports young people and their families in an area on the outskirts of Montevideo,Uruguay. Luis Mayobre, director of this centre has been interviewed about this activity. “The youth are the driving force of ‘Nueva Vida’. This social action challenges and stimulates us not to lose sight of what is most important: mutual love, which we want as the only law for our centre”. Luis Mayobre said these words at the beginning of the interview. He has been the director of Nueva Vida almost since it was started in 2004, when the Archbishop of Montevideo asked the Focolare Movement to continue a social activity started by a religious woman in one of the suburban districts of the Uruguayan capital. This is how Nueva Vida began. Its objectives are inscribed in its name: it wants to instil hope of a new beginning in all those who go to the centre, which forms part of the CO.DE.SO Association (Communion for Social Development established by the Focolari) and collaborates with the INAU, the institute for children and adolescents, a public entity that manages policies for Uruguayan children and adolescents. Mayobre related: “Violence marked the year 2018 and the inhabitants of Barrio Borro lived in anguish and fear. Their life was at risk due to clashes between two families of rival drug traffickers. Shootings took place day and night, and educators and staff at Nueva Vida, together with the rest of the people, had to face this terrible situation. As families were seeking for shelter, the number of people at our centre almost doubled itself. Many were robbed and their poor homes were occupied by drug traffickers”. How did you manage to cope with such a hostile situation? “We reported the situation to the Minister of Internal Affairs, but we had to wait for a reply, which took quite some time to arrive. So we offered shelter and support to some of these families. Later we obtained state services for them and they were given new homes. One of these families – two of their children participate in our youth centre activities – was being threatened with death. Our coordinator contacted another daughter of this family to ask for help, even though she knew there were family problems between the daughter and her parents. Luckily things turned out well; the daughter provided her parents with a piece of land where a new, more dignified and safe house could be built. I also remember a case of family violence. When our team came to know about the situation, the intervention of the local authorities was sought to safeguard the children and their mother. Regardless of threats and insults, we carried on with our work to help the family regain its peace and security”. Who are the ones that come to the Centre and what services do you offer? “Our three projects are: the CAIF, the Children’s Club and the Youth Centre. Living in an atmosphere of violence made us decide to be builders of peace, hope and, above all, joy, so as to overcome hatred and fear. We have tried to create a pleasant environment where 48 children between the ages of 2 and 3 years and 60 younger ones – from 0 to 2 years – participate in various workshops with their mothers. We also organize educational excursions to create spaces of beauty and harmony. This proved to be a very positive experience in which even the so-called “rival” families participated and relationships improved considerably. In our Children’s Club we take care of 62 school-age children, ranging from the age of 6 to 11 years. We are committed to fight early school leaving and we work to ensure that everyone moves on to the upper classes. In 2004, 36% of the children were early school leavers, now there are only 5%. We encourage children to take part in art and music workshops and in other recreational activities to help them become aware and develop the cultural values of coexistence and attention to others, and also to learn the ‘culture of giving’. We educate to abolish violence from all forms of behaviour. Swimming lessons and outings help to promote education in health care and hygiene. 52 young people, between the ages of 12 and 18, come to our Youth Centre. During this year, about 95% of them have participated in after- school activities. We have been organizing these activities and considering them as part of our programme since the very beginning. 6 of these young people attend high school: quite a big success when you consider that most of the children attend classes only during the first school years. We also organize complementary workshops, such as fabric processing, carpentry and communication, to enhance their formation. All these ativities are prepared by Focolare Members on a voluntary basis.”. What kind of relationship is there between the centre and other associations in this area? “Over the years, a network of all institutions that work in Borro has been set up; we collaborate with all of them and we support one another. We also participate in the life of Our Lady of Guadalupe parish, which.is the parish in our area.The parish priest and another priest come to visit us once a week. There are also volunteers from other countries who come to give a helping hand. Elisa Ranzi and Matteo Allione, the two Italians, who visited us this year, left an indelible impression. We thank heartily all those who come to help us; their collaboration is of great importance to us. Every help, no matter how small, is very precious to us”.
Stefania Tanesini
Dec 18, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The diocesan phase of the causes for the beatification of Chiara Lubich and Father Oreste Benzi, respectively founders of a Movement and a new ecclesial Community, was concluded during the month of November 2019. Many new ecclesial communities, inspired by charisms, were born during the 1968 turmoil, a twentieth century revolutionary phenomenon that affected countries on various latitudes. Founded by lay people, they touched the lives of youth, spontaneously lay down their foundations and spread in society. Even these ecclesial communities stimulated a revolution, an evangelical one, the prayer to the Holy Spirit invoked by the Fathers who participated in the Ecumenical Vatican Council II, which ended in 1965. At the dawn of the twentieth century there were already some new charismatic realities germinating in the Church. Towards the middle of the century, twenty years before the Council, the Focolare Movement was born. The inspiration that brought with it innovations was given to a young lay woman from Trent, Chiara Lubich, born in 1920. The Second World War raged furiously when this young woman of bountiful faith, realized her dream and gave herself to God on December 7, 1943. The preferential love for the poor, the community life sustained by a collective spirituality based on the Word of God, proved to be the place where the charism of unity incarnated and soon spread to the world. Father Oreste Benzi was born in 1927 in San Clemente, a small village near Rimini. He was ordained priest at the age of 24 and dedicated himself to adolescents. The leitmotif of his life was “a friendly meeting with Christ”. He spent the summer months with adolescents at Casa Madonna delle Vette at Canazei, and the Pope John XXIII Community was born there in 1968. It embraced a constant commitment to love the poorest of the poor in close relationship with Christ because: “only those who know how to be on their knees can stand alongside the poor”. He carried out works considered to be unrealizable: from the daily sharing with the poor and the oppressed to the fight against human trafficking. Chiara and Father Benzi were two different people: a woman and a man, a layman and a priest, a woman from a mountainous area and a man from a place near the sea, but they were both founders of works generated by a charism, a light that became part of history. They founded new realities in the Church, that re-propose the old and new message of Jesus, while involving those who adhere to them in a renewed journey of faith and humanity. The adamant witness of the Gospel does not stop at the founders, but extends itself to members. It was also thanks to Movements and new Communities that at the end of the second millennium, the holiness of people started to advance, and continues to be part of daily life. “Sarò santo se sono santo subito”- (I will be holy, if I am holy right away), this six S slogan was devised by Chiara for those who want to follow Jesus on their path to holiness. There are various Focolare members whose causes of beatification have been initiated. In 2004, when Father Benzi’s Association was granted the final recognition by the Holy See, he affirmed that this was: “an inestimable gift” because “the brothers and sisters who are members of the Community (…) can live joyfully and peacefully in the absolute certainty that the vocation of the Community is a sure way of sanctifying themselves (…)”. The cause for the beatification of the Servant of God, Sandra Sabattini, a member of the Pope John XXIII Association has been initiated. On October 31, 2007 Father Benzi phoned the International Centre of the Focolare Movement; he was eager to inform Chiara about the latest initiative organized by his Association and to ask for her support. This was one of his last telephone calls; unfortunately he never heard Chiara’s positive reply as he passed away the following night. Chiara returned to the house of the Father on March 14, 2008. November 2019 marked their two paths, distinct but very close to each other.
Lina Ciampi
Dec 16, 2019 | Non categorizzato
Every little gesture of love, every kind act and each smile we give transforms our existence and fills it with a continuous and fruitful sense of expectation. Children’s Choir Jesus is present in everyone and so, before the Christmas holidays, we decided to visit the local hospital with a group of children to bring some cheer to the patients. We were hoping to sing some carols. We were not allowed to enter the children’s ward but we were given permission to perform in the hospital entrance hall. It was surprising to see the complete change in the visitors: many of them came in with a very serious expression on their face but, as soon as they saw the children singing, they began to smile. Several of them came back to listen together with the patients they had come to visit. Other patients who were not waiting for visitors were brought to the large hall to listen to the performance. Some of them even joined in with the choir. The hospital staff were also very happy about the atmosphere that we created. The management team has already invited us for next year and has promised that we can sing on the children’s ward. (N.L. – Netherlands) In the kitchen I work hard as a cook in a kindergarten school. One day, when I was listening to the school-keeper say that he regarded every child as treasure to be protected, I realised that I had never thought of putting any love into what I was doing. Now, however, I have begun to use my imagination because I have understood that every meal is nourishment for people who, one day, will have the world in their hands. Sometimes I hide a little surprise “treasure” in the dishes I prepare or I arrange the food in a different way. The children show such joy and surprise – you really don’t know the impact a little act of love can produce. (K.J. – Korea) The accident My work at the drug rehabilitation centre had become overwhelming. I was taken up by the thousands of things to do but found no satisfaction in anything. I felt a sense of emptiness within and God seemed always further away. One very wet evening, I was coming home when the car I was in skidded, crashed into a wall and ended up on the opposite side of the road. I was taken to hospital and as I waited in the casualty room, the sight of a crucifix hanging on the wall gave me courage. While the doctors were examining me, I felt a gentle sense of peace: it was a feeling I had not known for a long time. Fortunately, apart from minor injuries and bruises, I was not seriously hurt and so I was discharged quite quickly. I needed to rest in bed for some time but there were always lots of people around me, lots of telephone calls and lots of gifts. I was very touched by the fact that many of the people I know who are suffering from various forms of addiction visited regularly. They said, “You survived because you are doing some good in the world.” My work colleagues were also very supportive and it became obvious that we had built a solid bond. Thanks to that enforced rest, I began to want to pray again; I think I have understood why God has not yet taken me to be with him. (Lucia – Italy) Washing dishes In the parish, we organised a party for homeless people and gave them a hot meal. At the end, there was a lot of rubbish to clear up and pots and pans and dishes to wash. In the kitchen, the parish priest had already begun to tackle the washing-up and was, obviously, happy with the evening. I was struck when he said, “Everything is prayer” and I asked him: “Doing the dishes too?” He said, “Your greatest treasure is understanding that everything has immense value because behind that pot you are washing there is a neighbour who needs you.” From then onwards, my heavy work as a bricklayer, my children who needed to be taken to the nursery and even the light to repair … everything became an opportunity for me to go beyond the action itself and transform it into something sacred. (G.F. – ltaly)
by Stefania Tanesini (taken from Il Vangelo del Giorno, Città Nuova, year V, n.6,November-December 2019)
Dec 15, 2019 | Non categorizzato
The phenomenon of forced migration to Europe remains one of the unresolved issues in the debate between EU countries. Too divided by particular interests to identify a common policy, inspired by the principles of solidarity and sustainability. We talked about it with Pasquale Ferrara, Italian ambassador in Algeria. According to the UNHCR*, 75,522 migrants landed by sea on the European coasts of Italy, Malta, Cyprus, Spain and Greece from January 1st to October 21st 2019. In addition, 16,322 migrants arrived by land in Greece and Spain for a total of 91,844 people, of which 9,270 in Italy, 2,738 in Malta, 1,183 in Cyprus, 25,191 in Spain, 53,462 in Greece. Data that follow a decreasing trend ( in migration) and documents the emergency phase, but are not enough for Europe to start a broad and constructive dialogue on the subject: the prospect of the creation of a European system of flow management remains very remote, and in general the comparison at the institutional level does not take into account the perspective of African countries. In Algiers we joined the Italian Ambassador, Pasquale Ferrara: (2ND PART) It has long been said that it is necessary to formally establish a collaboration with the countries of North Africa, but also with those of transit. Good intentions but few concrete facts… To move on to concrete facts, we must take note of the reality, of the fact that the African countries, especially those of the North we consider transit countries, which are themselves countries of destination for emigration. Egypt is home to over 200,000 refugees on its territory, while in 2018 just over 120,000 people arrived in the whole of Europe. The few hundred illegal migrants who arrive from Algeria are all Algerians, not sub-Saharan migrants who pass through Algeria, because often these migrants stay here. Moreover, these countries do not accept programs aimed at creating “hotspots” for sub-Saharan migrants. Here the Turkish model does not work, where the European Union has given 6 billion euros to manage camps where more than 4 million Syrian and other refugees are accommodated. The operation worked in Turkey because there was war in Syria and because of Turkey’s strategic interests. In Africa the phenomena are very different and other ways have to be found. What forms of collaboration could work? We don’t need asymmetrical collaborations but equal partnerships. We must bear in mind that it is not only we Europeans who have a migration problem, and so it is necessary to respect these countries with their internal needs, including those of migration. Only then can we try together to manage the phenomenon. For example, there are already cooperation agreements between Italy and Algeria dating back to 2000 and 2009 that work well. What do they include? The joint management of the migratory phenomenon in terms of the fight against exploitation and trafficking of human beings, the trans-national criminality that uses the phenomenon to finance itself, the danger of terrorist infiltration. There are also provisions for the agreed, orderly and dignified repatriation of illegal migrants. There is talk that Western countries must support African countries in order to create better living conditions thus discouraging migration. How viable is this? Under the current conditions of the international economy and political culture, I see it as impractical and, all in all, ineffective. Firstly, we are already talking about a billion Africans: no European or world ‘Marshall Plan’ could address such demographic dimensions. Among other things, Africa is very diverse, there are countries in advanced development conditions: Ghana has a higher rate of technological innovation than several developed countries; Angola is a very resource-rich country that is trying to reorganise its economic structure in a more participatory way. We have leaders, such as the new Nobel Peace Prize winner, the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed Ali, who is 42 years old and looks to the new generations. He has already planted 350 million trees in a worldwide reforestation program called the Trillion Tree Campaign. Uganda is experiencing a period of strong development. The problem is rather the dramatic and unfair economic disparities, and here the West can intervene by helping to improve the governance of these countries, so that it is more inclusive and participatory. But let us remember that these are the same problems of socio-economic polarization that we have in Europe: unfortunately, we cannot give many lessons in this field. Reflecting on the migratory phenomenon at an institutional level, the economic dimension is at the forefront, while the human dimension is neglected. What does it mean to put human person at the centre of the migratory problem? Behind every migrant there is a story, a family, a rough journey, the difficulty of obtaining money and perhaps debts with criminal organizations. Of course we cannot allow illegal immigration because everything must be done in accordance with the law, but giving value to the human dimension means taking into account this past and not seeing these people as numbers that arrive on board boats or by land. I was deeply struck by the story of that 14-year-old boy from Mali, found at the bottom of the sea with a school report with excellent marks sewn into his jacket. That is a story that leaves us speechless. And behind it is a family tragedy, a human tragedy, a torn social fabric. I recommend Cristina Cattaneo’s beautiful book, “Shipwrecked without a face. Giving a name to the victims of the Mediterranean”. But let’s not forget also the stories of our Navy – in particular that of the commander Catia Pellegrino – who saved thousands of shipwrecked people. People, faces, real events. * https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/mediterranean (read part 1 of the interview)
Edited by Claudia Di Lorenzi
