PRESS RELEASE: Sister-led Dialogue on Migration

Rome, 7^th July 2023 – An international network led by Sisters from all over the world, with the aim of building partnerships and responding to the urgent and complex challenges of our age: this was the focus of the Sister-led Dialogue on Migration, which saw USIG Sisters meet with new partners to create a space for dialogue on migration needs and opportunities, according to Sister Patricia Murray, Executive Secretary of the International Union of Superiors General. “These Sister-led Dialogues allow us to put different, cross-cutting experiences and skills on the same table, in order to support vulnerable communities in facing some of the most urgent development challenges of our time, such as those relating to the issue of migration. By sharing different viewpoints and promoting a rich exchange of reflections, through these events we are able to spotlight necessities, requirements and experiences from all over the world, shaping the international development conversation around the needs of local communities.”

Monday’s Sister-led Dialogue on Migration, held at the UISG headquarters in Rome, brought together Sisters from all over the world, representatives of the United Nations and third-sector organizations, academic experts and communicators.* Part of the UISG initiative Sisters Advocating Globally, delivered in collaboration with the Global Solidarity Fund, the event represented a valuable moment of encounter. The discussion focused on three key themes: root causes of migration in a global economy; humanitarian assistance and human rights; and finally, integral human development and social cohesion. The day ended with a visit to the project Chaire Gynai (from the Greek Welcome, woman), which provides shelter and integration opportunities for refugee women with children and for migrant women in vulnerable situations. Originally envisioned by Pope Francis and then embraced by the Scalabrinian Foundation of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of San Carlo Borromeo, the project is coordinated by Sister Janete Ferreira, member of the Board of Directors of the Scalabrinian Foundation and one of the Sisters involved in UISG’s dialogue on migration.

“Only four months after the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Francis visited Lampedusa on the 8^th of July 2013, following a shipwreck that tragically ended hundreds of human lives in the depths of the Mediterranean – recalls Sister Carmen Elisa Bandeo, Coordinator of the International Migrants & Refugees Network at UISG. – Ten years on, that small island continues to rescue and welcome dozens of people every day, representing a beacon of hope for those fleeing atrocious suffering or journeying in search of a better future. This poses questions that cannot and must not leave us indifferent, to which sustainable, replicable answers must be found. In this perspective, our goal is to develop a network among all Sisters, to build broad communication channels and a common path, sharing experiences and testimonies and creating a space for reflection and community. Migrants, refugees and asylum seekers bring a profound human experience that they can share with all of us, enriching our lives. To make this possible, we need to free ourselves from prejudice and fear and stand alongside the most vulnerable; only then we will be able to build a world that does not exclude anyone.”

UISG aims to propose concrete answers to this era-defining phenomenon: a policy brief containing recommendations from the dialogue will be presented and published in September, shared with Sisters around the world as a working tool, and disseminated to partners as a reference document.

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