The very nature does
not escape hatred between brothers. Fauna, abundant and unique
African disappears, the flora is destroyed and the land was disabled
by mines every year camouflaged that maim and kill children and
women seeking water and firewood to prepare their food or who
are traveling the roads and sidewalks tending their flocks.
Malnutrition and hunger
are all, claiming
many victims of malaria, typhoid decimated the population and
life expectancy are quite low, because the living can not live
with dignity to the poor who are the majority. Because
of malnutrition, disease may end up with any life, because your
body does not have the defenses to combat it.
Resources,
if small, place in an attitude of struggle for the powerful who
are the most voracious and leave the poor among the rocks looking
for food everyday.
The weapons are a very
lucrative business. Did not produce the poor, and
allow their manufacturers and traders bearing a luxurious life
at the expense of the death of many innocents.
Being a country
of war and see the consequences of this, destruction everywhere,
people maimed, disappeared by the thousands, hunger everywhere,
abandoned fields, we always disturbed and shocked.
Why allow that humans are killed, why produce weapons for living
well at the expense of the killing of the defenseless?
The young Angolans want
to contribute to the reconstruction of their country, are eager
for knowledge, they
want to prepare for the reconstruction of the country. In the
parish of Viana, where we are missionaries of Yarumal, is preparing
to young people in systems, in English and French, human rights
and culture of values and requires each couple 10 dollars for
the payment of teachers, but Many young people can not even come
to class because they do not have to pay.
You may think, in light of the Gospel in the pain
of the poor, those affected by war, and offer a prayer for them.
It may take
a couple with 10 U.S. dollars and open the future to those who
want to build, not destroy.
It is our Christian duty
to protect life, human dignity, nature, the planet.
We can not expect everything to be destroyed to lament.
An Indian proverb says:
Only after the last tree is felled, the
last fish has been killed, the last river poisoned, you will
realize that money does not come.
Let us join efforts, fight for
life, defend human dignity in the poorest countries, hunger and
war are a disgrace to humanity. Violent not built, only people
driven by faith, hope and love can give the world the meaning
for which God has created.
Father Luis Carlos Fernández
Javerian Missionary of Yarumal
Experience of lare
Prefectura de Gambela en el occidente de Etiopía Prefectural
Gambela in western Ethiopia
The parish of lare,
on the border with Sudan, has a population of mostly Nuer. People
are very high, thin, coming from Sudan. Are engaged in animal husbandry.
People are friendly and welcoming.
There he worked the Father Melchizedek Sanchez
Villamizar and Lay missionary Jean Juma, a Kenyan in 30 years that
he has delivered part of his life to missions. She is responsible
for the hostel which has a mission in which they live 100 young
people who come from villages, receive their food and there is
an educational and intellectual reinforcement. Since
we are on the border with Sudan is possible to get a permit to
enter the country and visit some small towns. It's shocking
the number of people who are coming to these places, many as refugees
who are coming from Ethiopia, where they had fled because of the
war.
The place is the climate ardent, and the UN
has set some strategic locations with tents where thousands of
people arrive and depart after a few days to their places of origin.
Sudan has greatly changed. A
few years ago everyone was armed, only now the policemen and soldiers,
and have been confiscation of the weapons that had people, but
it is also true that in the presence of the government, major exercise
their authority for personal gain and always the most poor suffer.
The war left indelible marks on people,
and know that southern Sudan disputing what the Arabs of the north
by the amount of oil. In southern Sudan, most people are Christian
or animist, while in the north are Muslims, and always appear as
a religious war,
but in reality it is by the amount of oil we have discovered in
the south.
Speaking of the mission, which people
so welcoming and kind that inhabits these places. People of much
sacrifice, able to walk great days under the sun and inclement
people living
with the bare minimum. They have the ability to live the moment
intensely. If you are happy
they are for real, if they feed enjoy what they eat, without being
in the church as living with passion, if you are in the river,
is a racket, and if they have dislikes can be extremely violent.
Easily find the greatest
kindness and violence more reckless in the same people.
Ethiopia is a country of ancient
culture, all share the biblical story and have characters as the
queen of Sheba, who according to tradition traveled to Jerusalem
to meet King Solomon, to make alliances and bring gifts of the
kingdom. Relations with Israel
are very strong and it is believed that many Ethiopian Jews are
pure.
The Ethiopian
people are very religious, some are orthodox Muslims and others,
and fasting and prayer is very strong. Strikes do as a people
needed to do so fast that people overreact. It's very giving alms
from them and is very common to find in the streets of Addis Ababa,
many people begging.
The Ethiopian people are friendly and go poking at a
pace of development that has to respond to the needs of 80 million
people.
He lived
a communist regime with Mengistu Haile Mariam, who was later ousted
and exiled in Zimbabwe.
Mengistu replaced in power to the Emperor
Haile Selasie, whose name was Tafari. The title that gave him when
he was a prince was ras Tafari, thence comes the name of the famous
rastafarians
of Jamaica, who immortalized the reggae and believed descendants
of the emperor who saw a God. In Addis there is a special place
for rastafarians.
Ethiopia, a country so old, so culture is moving. The Abyssinian
as they are called, have defended its territory and has been the
only African country
to be prevented colony of Western powers.
That is the great pride of Ethiopians, who are famous and fighters
have been able to defend their culture and freedom through the
years.
Father Luis Carlos Fernández
Javerian Missionary of Yarumal