The Community of Sant'Egidio joins the Day of Fasting and Prayer for Peace, particularly for the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, that was called by Pope Francis for Friday, February 23. In fact, a vigil will be held at 8 p.m. in the basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere in Rome. This will happen simultaneously in many other Italian cities where the Community is present.
The two African countries, for which the Pope has asked people to pray and fast, are dominated by violence, poverty, and political and ethnic divisions. They must return to the concerns of the international community and of all those individuals who believe in the necessity and urgency of building peace.
The South Sudanese refugees’ conditions are serious; indeed, millions of them have had to flee their homes because of the civil war. Now, they are living in refugee camps that are located in Uganda, Ethiopia, and Kenya. In Nyumanzi, which is situated in the Northern part of Uganda, the Community of Sant'Egidio opened the "School of Peace" in 2014. This has guaranteed education to thousands of children, hundreds of women, but also job opportunities to many South Sudanese refugees, who were teachers before the war. Along with the basic education, peace teaching is also fundamental in the "School of Peace".
Moreover, the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is a country rich in natural resources, is plagued by conflicts and injustices that affect the weakest sectors of the population such as the elderly and children. The democratic process is at risk. Sant'Egidio, which is present in Congo, especially both in the capital and in the interior cities, has for years set up the Schools of Peace with children who are facing problematic situations in the suburbs. The Community is even attentive to the difficult living conditions of street children for whom there are active projects of social reintegration. For those individuals who are suffering from AIDS, which is a disease that is still viewed as a stigma, the DREAM program for the prevention and treatment of the disorder is also active in Congo. This program has made possible, specifically in 11 African countries, the birth of over one hundred thousand healthy children whose mothers are HIV-positive.
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A hospital in the heart of Africa (Repubblica. it)
The prayer as a cry against wars (by Andrea Riccardi)
