Urban Way of the Cross: Refugees at the Border

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them with food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 10:17-19

Reflection: A Communal Response to the Refugee Crisis



"Since October of 2018 during the various phases of our American refugee crisis we have been driving every other week to bring El Paso shelters your donated supplies and money. We connect folks here with folks there. We are a drop in the ocean of need...

The migrants used to come to us, now we go to them, responding to the cruel 'Remain in Mexico' bottleneck in Juarez. We bring donations of antibacterial wipes and cash to 'Seguimos Adelante,' who helps families in 15 Juarez shelters who must live with danger, standing water and failing heating systems.

We agree with Fr. Richard Rohr that “we cannot carry the pain of this reality on our own, nor can we only look out for ourselves. The pain is communal and so too must be the response.” 
 
Prayer (Adapted from Catholic Charities)
read by Carla Lanting Shibuya

"God of Mercy, we pray for all who flee their homes seeking safety and life. To you we lift up their hopes, their needs and their fears. Grant them protection. Grant us the tireless courage and fortitude that inspire world leaders to honor the human dignity and rights of asylum seekers and refugees around the world.  God of love, we pray that all of our sisters and brothers seeking refuge will be welcomed and supported with generous compassionate love and action. Amen."

[Glenn Rosendale and Linda Swindle for years have worked closely to support refugees and asylees at the U.S.-Mexico border, often in cooperation with Annunciation House in El Paso. They are founders of Francis Catholic Worker House in Albuquerque

Carla Lanting Shibuya,a member of the Shrine of the Little Flower, was co-director of Albuquerque Interfaith’s Asylee Welcoming Sites in 2019] .

Writing about the Crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa on World Food Day 2003

Food emergencies are dramatically compounded when large groups of people flee their homes to escape persecution, armed conflict, environmental degradation or famine, often in combination. 

In 2002, the World Food Program's entire $1.2 billion global budget was needed in Africa, largely because of the Ethiopian famine and the political crisis in Zimbabwe.  With escalanting conflicts in Liberia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and food emergencies in Angola an South Africa, an appalling system of triage has developed. As hunger spreads, crises are weighed against one another, and contributions from donor governments are always behind the curve.

Image adapted from Open Clip Art

Who remembers Albuquerque's now-defunct afternoon newspaper The Albuquerque Tribune? This great newspaper, like many newspapers around the country, was a victim of the changing times: a decline in readership, rising costs and other factors. All of a sudden, there was no room for two newspapers in Albuquerque.

For Jack Ehn, editor of the Insight & Opinion section, the voice of the community was very important. He would often ask representatives of various community organizations to put together Op-Ed pieces on a variety of issues to publish every week.

Here is a joint piece that UNM Prof. Jennifer Moore and I wrote on World Food Day in 2003 Thirteen years ago, we addressed the famine in Ethiopia, a political crisis in Zimbabwe, and a refugee crisis in sub-Saharan Africa. "The needs of sub-Saharan Africa will be best served if we come together as a global community to find long-term solutions to multiple problems in the region," we said in the Op-Ed piece.

So has the situation changed in 2016?  Famine subsided in Ethiopia, but climate change and drought have once again put the East African country in peril. Zimbabwe remains in a state of economic and political crisis. What about the refugee situtation?  This piece in The Washington Post sheds light on the most recent refugee crisis in sub-Saharan Africa where refugees are fleeing from dire conditions in their country to dangerous places. According to the report,  43,000 South Sudanese refugees have fled to Darfur and 100,000 Ethiopians and Somalis traveled by boat to Yemen, and nearly 5,000 citizens of Congo were seeking refuge in the Central African Republic.

So let's repeat what we said in 2003.  "The needs of sub-Saharan Africa will be best served if we come together as a global community to find long-term solutions to multiple problems in the region.

Here is the Op-Ed that Jenny and I wrote in 2003. 

Advocating for Refugees (including Education for Children)

Photo: Embrace Refugees

There are an estimated 21.3 million refugees around the world, and many find themselves in limbo for years, denied the rights they need to become self-sufficient and restart their lives. More than 50% of all refugees are children.

One effort to help refugees is designed primarily to support refugees who come to the United States. The Embrace Refugees Campaign encourages Americans to welcome and connect with refugees who have been recently relocated to the US by learning more about the resettlement process and the people it serves, as well as by finding out more about volunteer support networks in their area

"The US has long been a leader in helping people who are fleeing violence and persecution find a safe place for their families to live,," said the campaign. "For decades, citizens and policy makers have come together to make this happen. In fact, five of the nine agencies that help refugees find homes in the US are from a variety of faiths. Americans from all religions and political leanings believe that helping refugees is the right thing to do."

Last year, over 34,000 people were forced to leave their homes every day due to violence, persecution, and conflict.

Mercy in Motion: A Jesuit Campaign
Refugees need practical and fast paths to integrate into new societies. This begins with quality education. Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS) launched its Mercy in Motion program in December 2015 in conjunction with Pope Francis' declaration of a Year of Mercy. The goal of the campaign is to provide 100,000 refugee and displaced people with access to education by the year 2020.

As part of the campaign JRS is raising $35 million to provide refugees with the tools to contribute to their new communities, and to rebuild their own ones. Mercy in Motion will expand the educational projects of  JR , spanning from primary school to university, and including vocational and teacher training.

"Schools provide the stability that children need to cope with the loss, fear, stress and violence experienced during times of crisis," said JRS. "Being in school can keep children safe and protected from risks, including gender-based violence, recruitment into armed groups, child labor and early marriage."

 When speaking out on the current refugee crisis, Pope Francis has said the world is suffering from a “globalization of indifference,” ignoring those who cry out for mercy.  It is time to change that. “We can no longer take the suffering of others for granted,” he said. We must come together and mobilise our compassion to make a globalized difference. It is the role of each one of us to ensure those who have lost their homes do not lose their hope.

Photo: Jesuit Refugee Services

Eleven Concerts
Performing artists are also involved in the JRS effort to raise awareness and funds for programs to help refugees. Five of America's most popular musical acts are coming together for an 11-stop concert tour this fall to raise awareness of the unprecedented worldwide refugee crisis.

"Lampedusa: Concerts for Refugees" will be headlined in North America by Grammy Award-winning artists Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Patty Griffin, Buddy Miller, and The Milk Carton Kids. The concerts will take place in Boulder, Kansas City, Lincoln, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Toronto, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Read accounts from Emmy Lou Harris and Patty Griffin about their work with refugees.

Calls and Petitions
The ONE Campaign has also mobilized its supporters to act on behalf of refugee children  On Sept. 6 to 16, members of ONE were asked to call The White House to advocate for school-aged refugees to have the opportunity to attend school. ONE also made  a petition available online.

The calls and the petition advocated for the US government to promote education of refugees at two summits sponsored by the United Nations in New York. On Sept. 19, the UN General Assembly called for a summit at the Heads of State and Government level on large movements of refugees and migrants. The summit was dubbed as  a historic opportunity  for the UN to come up with a blueprint for a better international response.

A day later, on Sept. 20, US President Barack Obama hosted the Leaders' Summit on the Global Refugee Crisis. The purpose of the summit was to to galvanize significant new global commitments to: 1) increase funding to humanitarian appeals and international organizations, 2) admit more refugees through resettlement or other legal pathways, and 3) increase refugees’ self-reliance and inclusion through opportunities for education and legal work.

World Refugee Day: Celebrating a Culturally Diverse Albuquerque

The United Nations' (UN) World Refugee Day is observed on June 20 each year. This event honors the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are forced to flee their homeland under threat of persecution, conflict and violence. In Albuquerque, organizers (Lutheran Family Services, Catholic Charities and Bernalillo County) have scheduled the annual celebration on Saturday, June 18, 11:00 am-2:00 pm at Cesar Chavez Community Center 7505 Kathryn SE (map)

The event, which celebrates diversity in Albuquerque, will feature  music, dancing, art activities, and free food and drinks and performances by special guests Sol de la Noche and Basade (Bells & Shakers African Dance Ensemble).Traditional attire is encouraged and celebrated. The festivities begin at 11am with a Naturalization Ceremony. For more information, please contact Tarrie Burnett (tarrie.burnett@lfsrm.org).

Bono Commends Illinois Congregation for Efforts on Refugee Crisis

 "In a globalized world, the definition of neighbor is not what it used to be, but the principle hasn’t changed ... We as believers are called to take a stand," -Bono (quoting Matthew 8:20 and 25:42-46 to explain the importance of  responding to the current global refugee crisis).

Bono sent a video message to Bill and Lynn Hybels, pastors at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, to commend and inspire the congregation on this year's Celebration of Hope. "Bill Hybels told the congregation that he and Bono stay in touch, joking that whenever Bono needs song lyrics, he's there for him. When Bono found out that 4,000 runners were participating in a "Run For Refugees" 5K to help refugee women and children receive therapy to recover from the trauma they've endured, he wanted to send a message to the congregation," said Sherry Lawrence in the online site @U2.  Read full piece