This money comes from the so-called '8 per mille', the 8/1,000 on tax returns devolved to the Catholic Church by tax payers on a voluntary basis. It aims to raise the public opinion's awareness on the plight of migrants and fund projects in the countries of origin and transit as well as in host nations, in particular to help children and women fleeing war, famine and violence.SIR, the Italian bishops' news agency, reported that the website will talk about the stories and projects of people involved in the campaign, focusing on both the promoters of the activities and the beneficiaries.A large map on the home page of the website enables to click on different locations to discover the projects and resources employed in the areas.The news section on the website focuses on the impact of the initiative as reported by the protagonists and those - from members of CEI offices to associations, dioceses and local communities - who are working on projects.The website, available in English and French, also publishes all reports on the issue released by the SIR agency, newspaper Avvenire, RadioinBlu and TV2000.
Saying 'migrants should be helped at home' means ignoring problem
The campaign urges to deal with the migrant crisis and has as central theme the right to freedom, which is key for peace and justice.Taking the stance that ''migrants should be helped at home'' implies ignoring the problem, according to the campaign's promoters.Father Leonardo Di Mauro, who is in charge of CEI's charity services for Third World countries, said that, ''nobody should be forced to live in a place where they can't have a dignified life or where there is violence.
At the same time, everybody has the right to move because the land belongs to everybody''.He added that the campaign also aims to promote the concept that the freedom to leave a country and emigrate applies to everybody.Pope Francis, the website notes, has listed four verbs to define a method and strategy that abides by the church's social mission.1 The first is hosting, acknowledging the desire that migrants have to build a dignified life for themselves and their families and to contribute to improve the situation in their home countries - recognizing their desire for a better future.2. Protecting implies sharing and preserving the path migrants take so it is free and not exploited by traffickers. It means building a protected path, a humanitarian corridor that is free of danger. The freedom to leave needs to be protected.3. The autonomy of migrants must be fostered by promoting their abilities, studies and family ties.4. Finally, migrants represent an added value and a treasure for cities and towns and must be helped to integrate. Integration implies a new citizenship, the possibility of participating, of being part of an association, of making their dreams come true.The complexity of such a process requires training, dialogue, the participation of everybody, inclusion, far-sightedness and migrant projects that take into account the specific nature of different communities and areas.
The right to return home and not to flee
The right to leave a country, according to CEI, must not contrast with the right a migrant has to stay in their host country or to return home. On the contrary, CEI believes that promoting integration is the best step to help those who want to go back home return to their country to build a future of freedom and development. Such a choice depends on the personal ability of migrants but can also be helped through small as well as big projects supporting people in their homeland, favoring social and healthcare infrastructures by directly involving participants in proposals and initiatives.One of these projects concerns Mali and the possibility of training in Italy to promote projects in that country that can have an impact on the local community through social, political and economic change. Under this project, which is promoted by the association Associatione Rondine Cittadella della Pace, six youths from Mali will take a master's degree or graduate in courses on the management of conflict, reconciliation and communication to contribute to the peace process in Mali, a country still characterized by instability and insecurity.
