AMERICA/BRAZIL - Appeal by Alianza Interreligiosa: Responsibility and solidarity in the face of the pandemic

Saturday, 28 March 2020

Sao Paulo (Agenzia Fides) - "We ask all the governments of Latin America and the Caribbean, as some are already doing very effectively, to adopt responsibly and decisively the necessary measures to protect the lives of all people, mainly of the most vulnerable people, and make the maximum effort to combat this global public health pandemic". This is the appeal launched by the "Alianza Interreligiosa por la Agenda 2030", which is part of the Latin American Episcopal Council,released by Prensa Celam.
The text recognizes "the remarkable gestures of solidarity among the governments of the region" and encourages them "to strengthen regional organizations in order to face the challenges of this pandemic in the best and decisive way", hoping "that the scientific community will soon find the necessary medicines against the virus". They therefore call for strengthening the multilateral efforts of the United Nations "to face this crisis with global solidarity, overcoming the temptation of nationalist isolations".
The Alianza Interreligiosa por la Agenda 2030 was born in 2014 with the aim of coordinating the commitment of communities and religious organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean, to address issues such as justice, peace, the integrity of creation, discrimination, exclusion, poverty, in view of the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals indicated by the United Nations.
In its message, sent to Fides, Alianza recognizes the considerable efforts of the medical and paramedical staff, of the police, of volunteers and solidarity organizations "who take care in particular of the very vulnerable populations, like families in extreme poverty, the elderly, indigenous people and migrants". They therefore ask "the governments of the region to guarantee the food and economic security of these populations, to preserve social rights, especially labor rights", so that the economic crisis, aggravated by the pandemic, does not have further serious repercussions on people in conditions of extreme poverty.
"There is no doubt that this is the moment when we must put our values of responsibility, brotherhood and solidarity into practice", they write in the final part, and in the same sense we must prepare to respond to possible scenarios after the pandemic, to ensure the livelihood of the most vulnerable, and certainly poorest, populations due to the containment measures of the virus.
The statement ends by inviting to promote a day of common prayer, in the various communities of faith, to ask Almighty God to put an end to this evil, and strengthen us "in our commitment to continue to face the fight against this pandemic with solidarity and commitment". (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 28/3/2020)


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