Caritas Bolivia Laudato si' webinar on water

Marcela Rabaza Valverde

Source: CAFOD

In his encyclical Laudato Si', Pope Francis invited us to look after all that surrounds us: animals, plants, rivers, mountains - all part of creation that God has given us. During this Laudato Si' anniversary week, Caritas Bolivia, with support from CAFOD, is hosting an international webinar, to look at water as a source of life and gift for all.

Caritas Bolivia is inviting us to reflect on how we can share this vital resource more equitably and sustainably, and how a law to regulate the use of water could help meet the needs of Bolivia.

Pope Francis has explicitly stated that we can't separate care for our common home from political situations, and Caritas Bolivia are demonstrating how the Church can hear and respond to the Cry of Earth in this space.

Marcela Rabaza Valverde, Director of Caritas Bolivia says that the Church must hold local and departmental authorities to account, advocating for the right to water.

On Friday, friends and colleagues from across the globe, from the Caritas family, as well as those with detailed knowledge of existing global trends, the Bolivian reality and local legislation will meet as part of a webinar to identify and name the gaps and encourage us to see how the church is called to protect our common home so that we can live in harmony with each other and with nature.

Water is mentioned 46 times in Laudato Si' and, in Friday's webinar, we shall be invited to reflect on water as a fundamental right and source of life.

Marcela says that that Laudato Si' is often thought of as the 'climate encyclical'.

However, she reminds us of the interconnectivity of all things and, in Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis goes on to encourage us to " "Dream [….] as a single human family, as fellow travellers sharing the same flesh, as children of the same earth which is our common home, each of us bringing the richness of our beliefs, each of us with our own voice, brothers and sisters all." (FT 8)

Marcela is filled with hope for our world by Caritas Bolivia's network of young volunteers whose commitment, she says, comes from the heart, dedicating hours of their time to looking after the environment, whether as lawyers or working with children in schools:

"When we see private companies exploiting natural resources indiscriminately, and we see that there are young people who are committed and want to change things, this gives us the energy and the motivation to continue fighting."

To learn more about Caritas Bolivia's work on protecting this precious source of life, global and local reflections on water access and a theological reflection on the significance of water in Laudato Si', please join the webinar on 21 May from 3-5.30pm (UK time) : https://cafod.zoom.us/j/99542223955?pwd=ZDJlK1oyVEl4ZXBHakZndVRLNFAyQT09 ,

Access code: 058550. English-Spanish interpretation will be available.