On Thursday, November 20, Blanca Garcés, Miquel Essomba and Pere Rodado, among others, joined us in celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Platform of Christian Entities with Migrated People. “We are still far from the desired future”, was the starting point of the talk and the subsequent round table.
Both the commissioner for Social Action, Sonia Fuentes, and the General Director of Migrations and Refuge of the Generalitat de Catalunya, David Moya, as well as Rv. Joan Costa, who attended as a representative of the Church of Barcelona, spoke about the need to collaborate for this common cause. Especially now, given the context of a growing trend toward the far right and therefore greater polarization, which leads to inhumane decisions being made despite people’s rights.
They therefore reflected on how this is the moment to open spaces of inclusion for discriminated people and to demand social integration policies for immigrants, based on cooperation and development. In this way, as David Moya pointed out, “we will be able to reach where the administration cannot”. Far more importantly, we will reclaim our identity, one defined by diversity and community, amid speeches that aim to divide us.
To highlight the essence of this common cause, the words of Pope Leo XIV were recalled: “it is not only a social issue, but a family one: they are our brothers, part of our life, and theirs is not indifferent to us”.