Jesus’ words about “Welcoming the stranger” have a special resonance for Italian Waldensians. In centuries gone by, their spiritual ancestors were themselves refugees from religious and political oppression. Now Waldensians are engaged in a special effort to welcome sisters and brothers who are attempting to flee various forms of oppression in their homelands.
This article was written by Fiona Kendall, a staff member of Mediterranean Hope, which is the refugee and migrant program of the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy, to which the Waldensian Church belongs. Fiona’s work is supported by the Church of Scotland and the Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ in the United States.
“How good it is and how lovely to live together in unity: Love and faith come together; justice and peace join hands”
These words, paraphrasing Psalms, form part of the liturgy used by the Iona Community to facilitate daily worship. They may seem entirely out of tune in an era seemingly characterized by disunity, indifference, cynicism, injustice and war. Yet unity, and the coming together of love, faith, justice and peace do exist.
For me, that was much in evidence in Ethiopia, where I recently spent time as part of a delegation from the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME), a body to which, among others, the Church of Scotland and the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy belong. We were there at the invitation of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) to participate in the second Africa Europe Ecumenical Forum on Migration.
Although I have been to other African countries, I had not previously set foot in Ethiopia, a country known more for its ethnic conflict and famine than for being the fastest-growing economy in sub-Saharan Africa or for its key role in founding the African Union (the EU equivalent for Africa). Although it is currently too dangerous to travel to the north, where the earliest Christian churches are hewn out of the rock, there is much to see in Addis Ababa, which lies at the foot of the eucalyptus forests of Mount Entoto.
Not that there was much time for sight-seeing! A carefully thought-out program saw us tackling themes such as climate change, externalization, and bilateral agreements between European and African countries, and meeting formally with those developing labor migration policy for the African Union.
Mid-week, we were given the opportunity to see projects relating to migration which are being run by churches and by a UN agency, the International Organization on Migration, in Addis Ababa. I was able to visit two of these, both run by the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus Development and Social Services Commission. We went first to a district called Addis Ketema, an extremely poor area, where the General Secondary School provides an education to over 2,300 students. Unfortunately, people-smugglers circulate in that area, looking to exploit the desperation of young people equipped with an education but with little prospect of local employment. In that context the “Safe from Irregular Migration” campaign is working to raise awareness among young people of the dangers of entrusting their lives to human traffickers.
Using poetry, song and drama, a small group captivated the young folk – and us –as we watched from the playground and the balconies of each floor of the school. The message was simple but powerful, the role-plays focusing on exploitation and death in a manner which no one watching could have failed to understand.
From there we moved to a project in another area where the church is working with women who have returned to Ethiopia, victims of sexual, physical or emotional abuse at the hands of employers abroad. Lack of opportunity leads to many signing on with often unscrupulous agencies arranging “employment” in other countries. These are victims of what many would describe as “legal” (regular) rather than “illegal” (irregular) migration. Notwithstanding the proper permit to work or reside in another country, lack of safeguards and oversight leave these employees entirely vulnerable, often deprived of their travel documents or any means of contacting the outside world. If they do make it back, the trauma suffered by these victims is often compounded by stigmatization and by a deep sense of failure, the victim being aware that any money earned might well have been needed to support family at home. The project we visited therefore not only provides psycho-social support to these women but also seed funding and micro-loans to enable them to start their own businesses in Addis Ababa.
For that reason, our visit took place in “Mothers’ Restaurant”, a business owned and operated by four such women, one of whom courageously told us her own desperate story. The women, who began by baking “injira”, the local bread eaten with stew, now supply other businesses and cater for events such as weddings, as well as providing lunch for 150 people a day. It was humbling to be received in that restaurant, with grass strewn on the wooden floor, and to be welcomed with a typical Ethiopian coffee ceremony and eat the delicious food on offer.
While both projects were a stark reminder of just how close to the margins some people are living, they were, in equal measure, inspiring examples of the direct impact that the church can have in turning lives around. The high-level themes we were discussing do not exist in a vacuum: migration is about individuals, not concepts, and it is important never to lose sight of that.
For Forum participants, this was an opportunity to deepen understanding as well as to strengthen relations between the All Africa Conference of Churches and the Churches´ Commission for Migrants in Europe. We all acknowledge how important it is for those working on migration to be aware of different geographical and political perspectives and, indeed, to work together to advocate for change.
And so, I end as I began, convinced that, despite the odds, unity, love, faith, justice, and peace do indeed exist…if only we use our energy and collective will to bring them about.
The second Africa-Europe Ecumenical Forum on Migration was held March 17 – 21 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This meeting, which was co-hosted by the All Africa Council of Churches and Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe, brought together thirty delegates from eighteen countries across Europe and Africa. Fiona Kendall, the author of this report, represented the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy at the meeting. Fiona is also the Moderator of the Churches’ Commission for Migrants in Europe.