From 24th to 31st March, 2023, 75 delegates representing to movements affiliated to World Movement of Christian Workers, from 25 countries from four continents, met in Lourdes (France), on the occasion of its XIV General Congress.
Under the slogan “Social justice for an economy of life”, we shared workers’ lives of our countries and regions. Using the method See-Judge-Act, we analysed the causes ot the different situations denounced and we decided on the actions to be taken in the global movement and in the local movements.
We have confirmed that the main cause of the dehumanising situations who live workers all over the world is the same one: the unbridled pursuit of profit by the few. This race for money is not only devastating for the human beings, but also it is destroying the environment and depredating the Mother Earth. The whole future of humanity is at stake.
This congress held in France, in the midst of social and trade union mobilisation, we have shown our solidarity with the French workers who are fighting for to respect of their labour rights, threatened by the current government who intends to increase the retirement age and thus to undermine their quality of life,
The migrant situation also drew our attention, especially the youth that, without future in their countries, is forced to leave to other horizons. In these migrations, they are sometimes endagered to die, leaving their families in debt, as happened recently with the tragic fire in a so called “temporary” centre in Juarez City,Chihuahua, Mexico, where 40 Guatemalan migrants died.
We have also highlighted the admirable work of all those people and, particularly of those women, who with their entrepreneurial spirit and initiative are trying to generate independent employment, to find better living conditions in their country.
We also encourage to men and women, driven by their faith in risen Christ, to continue their struggle for greater justice, equality and fraternity. In this sense, we also want to encourage to the youth all over the world to keep fighting for a more just world and to build themselves a future.
Concluding, we have made our own, pope Francis’s words, about “the need to create a new economy of friendship with the earth and an economy of peace”, “to transform an economy that kills into an economy of life”.
May Jesus Worker and Virgin of Lourdes give us light and strength to keep fighting for a social justice and an economy of life,
Lourdes, on 31st March, 2023
