WelCom June/July 2024
Grace Morton, Advocacy Analyst, Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand
World Refugee Day, on 20 June, emphasises solidarity with refugees. Solidarity is a key Catholic social teaching principle.
At Caritas, we connect solidarity to whakawhanaungatanga – making time for building and strengthening relationships. We are called to show love and support for those often marginalised, eliminate divisions and embrace the unity of one human family.
Solidarity goes beyond empathy or conversation. It means addressing the root causes of refugee crises. We are responsible for advocating for fair and just policies, providing resources and support, and fostering inclusive communities.
Following World Refugee Day, Sunday 23 June is the Day of Prayer for Refugees and Migrants. This year, Caritas is looking at how climate-change impacts are increasingly driving people from their homes and countries.
Climate-change related displacement of people is a major issue in Oceania. The International Organisation for Migration estimates more than 50,000 people in the Pacific are displaced each year due to its impacts.
People displaced due to climate change are not legally recognised as refugees. They are not given the rights and protections refugees are, which increases their vulnerability, leading to a rise in human rights abuses, such as people smuggling, trafficking, and gender-based violence. as people desperately seek safety for themselves and their families.
Caritas invites you to join us in showing solidarity for those most affected by climate-change impacts and promoting the dignity of refugees and migrants in Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world. Go to caritas.org.nz/day-prayer-refugees-and-migrants to find out more.