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by rebel or by paramilitary mes childrenhave been abu- doing anything for them. He met in Bnissels in 2007 and
groups. h Nora'iern Uganda sed even by family mem- was prompted to orgarffle the next meeting will be in
the local Church is very acti- bers, teachers, church social and cultural activities thePhilippines inOctober. If
ve in resolving the problems people themselves. Of in their own language that you take, for instance, the
caused by the "Lords' course, where you have would allow them to adapt example of the Philippines,
Resistance Army" that has human beings you have also to their new society without 10% of the population-or
kidnapped many young some problems, so we need trauma. The work started 9 miffion people-are
children and brainwashed to continue working in this out with one nationality just working outside the countty,
them for military activities. direction to protect the chil- over one hundred years ago then the magnitude of the
We are hope:fully coming to dren. The Holy See is a andithas now become inter- phenomena becomes
the end of this tragedy. party to the Convention on national in response to the evident.
There is a dialogue between the Rights of the Child and globalization of migrations.
the Government of Uganda its protocols, including the And let us not forget the
and the rebel leaders in view one regarding child soldiers. hi today's world, we have several million refugees
of stopping tbis conflict. By We need to keep on moving more than 200 million peo- around the globe who must
means of this exhibition we in this direction. ple who live and work in be cared for by the interna-
wanted to draw the public's countries other than the one tional community. Uprooted
attention to two things: on where they were bom. And people therefore should be
the one hand, to the peace you belong to a the trend is increasing kept before the eyes of the
process andthe ongoing dia- ce(igious community because of demographic world.
logue to strengthen them working with tnigrants. pressures and the world job
and to show diat this is the Which one is that and market. Ewope is ageing;
way to stop such horrors; what exact[y do you Japan is ageing. There is a
and on the other, to the do? need for manpower. The
ongoing work to recuperate globalization of the econo-
the children and to give My task now is serving in my requires people with

them a chance to resume the diplomatic corps of the skills faster than they can be
normal lives again. Holy See after diverse trained in the areas where
pastoral and educational new developments are The Holy Father Benedict
These children have been experiences related to my taking place. So there is a XVI has shown his esteem
forced to kill. Whether you membership in a small inter- flow of people across the for the United Nations and
want it or not, when you kill national religious communi- globe. How do we protect pointed out some critical
somebody it has an impact ty of approximately 700 the rights of these people as areas of its role: human
on you. How do we help the priests engaged in the care human beings? How do we rights, the protection of all
children to overcome this of people forced to work make them feel comfortable people, the importance of
psychological problem and away from their countg of in the host counhy? The solidarity and peace, the

become as far as possible birth. These are people international comtnunity is protection of the environ-
normal human beings? often at the bottom of the becoming more sensitive to ment. I certainly hope that
There are activities sponso- social ladder confronted the issue. The U.N. held a soon his message and his
red by faith-inspired groups w'th different languages and High Level Dialogue on presence may encourage the
to help the children overco- cultures and in need of a Migration and Development diplomatic community and
me their fears. The exhibit friendly presence during in 2006. The Global Forum the functionaries of intema-
wanted to portray how these their process of adjustment on Migration and tional agencies hard at work
terrible forces ruin young to anewunfarniliar environ- Development has recently here in Geneva.
children by forcing them to ment.
do actions that impact nega-
tively their psyche and their My religious order was
personality. Then, it presen- started in Italy at the end of
ted the process of retuming the nineteenth century at the

the children to a normal time of mass migrations
environment of recreation, from Europe. It is called
school, the feeling that peo- Scalaban, after Giovanni
ple still love them. Love is Battista Scalabrini, the
the power that can provide a bishop who founded it, a
normal life even for abused very dynamic and modern
children. man. He saw the Italian
population emigrating in
Attention to child soldiers huge numbers, abandoned His Holiness PopeEenedictXVlgem ready to address the staff of the
reminded me that someti- to themselves with nobody [7nitedNations in the GeneralAssemblyHalLPhoto credit: UN
Photo/Paulo Filgueiras
26 2 2008 Diva

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