New Resource for Refugee Week 20 June - 26 June

Source: J&P Scotland

Justice & Peace Scotland has produced a daily reflection for Refugee Week 20 June - 26 June entitled, "They Have Not Looked You In The Eye". The words were used by Pope Francis when he met with refugees at the Mytilene reception centre on Lesbos, Greece in December 2021. The world is seeing the highest numbers of displaced people in human history, and the causes - war, persecution, extreme poverty and the climate crisis - remain unaddressed.

Refugee Week takes place around World Refugee Day on 20 June. It is an annual festival which celebrates the contribution of refugees to society and enables people from different backgrounds to connect beyond labels, as well as encouraging understanding of why people are displaced, and the challenges they face when seeking safety.

The five reflections in this resource are intended to highlight the experiences and challenges of people seeking asylum. They are designed for use in Catholic schools for Refugee Week, however they are also ideal for personal/group reflection. Each one is accompanied by quotations from Pope Francis, and a short prayer, which could be used for form time or assemblies each morning.

Danny Sweeney of J&P Scotland, who wrote the resource, has said:

"A few weeks ago this government broke international law, and over 70 years' commitment to the Refugee Convention. It now refuses to hear claims for international protection, forcing vulnerable people to choose between returning to the warzones they have fled, or going to Rwanda, a country with a questionable human rights record. Last year, in Mytilene, Pope Francis reminded us that it is only those who have never looked into the eyes of refugees who want to abandon them. We hope this resource means that students across schools can take five minutes each morning to look at the faces, hear their experiences of our brothers and sisters, and pray with Pope Francis for them: the families who live never knowing the fate of their loved ones, and for the change of heart which we need in this country to address the crisis of hospitality which we have allowed to take hold."

You can download "They Have Not Looked You In The Eye" from the Justice & Peace Scotland website: www.justiceandpeacescotland.org.uk/Portals/0/refugee%20week%202022%20reflections.pdf