Bogota (Fides Service) - "To examine the impact of globalisation on the phenomenon of migration and the right to asylum in America, so that the Church, working closely with civil society bodies, can find effective responses to improve the quality of life of migrants and refugees". This is the purpose of a first continental meeting for migration pastoral, organised by the Council of Latin American Bishops Conferences CELAM, which will be held 7-9 May in Bogota, Colombia.
The meeting with bring together the Churches of Latin America to examine in the light of the Social Doctrine of the Church, the effects of globalisation on migration in order to identify tendencies and challenges in view of new evangelisation. The meeting will be enriched with the presentation of testimony and experience realised in this pastoral field, which will permit participants to identity certain common lines of work. The 12 sessions of the meeting will be structured to favour active involvement of the participants. Conferences will be followed by discussion, personal reflection and work groups, divided by region and also mixed groups. The questions for reflection include: the impact of globalisation on migration: tendencies and challenges; trafficking in migrants and refugees; pastoral criteria in the light of the Social teaching of the Church; experience in the field of migration pastoral; leading criteria in the light of human rights; leading criteria for migration pastoral in the context of globalisation". See programme in Spanish at www.fides.org. RZ (Fides Service 28/4/2003 EM lines 21 Words: 256)