Get artistic and creative to show support for migrants and refugees

Monday, September 30th, 2019

Calling us to create a ‘culture of encounter,’ Pope Francis asks us to reach out with open arms to migrants and refugees around the world and in our communities. In 2017, the Pontiff launched Caritas’ Share the Journey (STJ) international campaign from St Peter’s Square in
Rome.

Last Sunday marked the launch of a key milestone in the campaign – that of the Global Week of Action (GWA19). The week, this year, is themed around all things creative, recognising art as the great connector, in its universal ability to impact on people’s minds and hearts.

Caritas Director, Julianne Hickey says, “Throughout history, humans have been on the move. And they’ve always been creative. We are drawing on art this year to inspire and challenge us to consider our encounters with others in our communities. We are reminded we are all
connected as one human family.”

During GWA19, which runs from 29 September to 6 October 2019, Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is enlarging the iconic 2019 Share the Journey collage and inviting schools, individuals and communities to add their own photos and stories.

The collage will be in the Caritas Office throughout the week, welcoming individuals to bring photos or images from their own families and communities to create a truly cosmopolitan collage including faces and stories from our region. To find out how you can be involved, contact Joanna Viernes at joannaV@caritas.org.nz

The thousands of faces in Caritas’ original STJ collage are those of migrants, refugees, Caritas staff and supporters, of ordinary people from all over the world. Together as a real-life giant collage, the faces form the image of a woman named Nasrin. She works with Caritas
Bangladesh, caring for Rohingya children in the refugee camps they call home.

To learn more about GWA, click here

Supplied: Amanda Gregan at amandag@caritas.org.nz or 027 9399 575

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is the New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ agency for justice, peace and development, and incorporates Catholic Volunteers Overseas. We are working for a world free of poverty and injustice through community development, advocacy, education, and emergency relief.