Transcript 'I was a stranger and you made me welcome'

"I was a stranger
and you made me
welcome"
(Matthew24:34-35)
Presented by : Justice and Peace Commission of
the HK Catholic Diocese, April 2011
The International Human
Rights Convention
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According to the Employment and Emigration
Convention, the Convention on Elimination of All
Kinds of Discrimination Against Women, and the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
the government has the responsibility to ensure that
all employees are treated equally in the job market,
regardless of sex and no matter that they are local
or migrant workers.
The Universal Declaration on Human Rights
recognizes the right of every person "to leave any
country, including his own and to return" (art. 13,2)
without however saying anything about the right to
enter another country different from one's own.
Migration is at times the lesser evil.
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The Church defends the human right to
migrate (CCC, 2241), but she does not
encourage its exercise. She knows, in fact,
that migration has a very high cost, and that
it is always the migrant that has to pay. On
the other hand, she also recognizes that
migration is at times the lesser evil.
The Church does everything she can to
assure that the society of arrival considers
migrants not as means of production but as
persons endowed with the dignity of the
children of God with inalienable rights.
Poverty, is the
generator of migration
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Migration today is practically an expression of
the violation of the primary human right to live
in one's own country
These situations are to be corrected through
the promotion of balanced economic
development, progressively overcoming social
inequalities, scrupulous respect for the human
person and the proper functioning of
democratic structures.
Poverty, which is the generator of migration,
requires an urgent solution.
Charity in Truth
(Caritas in Veritate)
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In his latest encyclical entitled, Charity in Truth
(Caritas in Veritate), Pope Benedict XVI refers to
the mass movement of migrant labour around the
world as a fact of modern life to which far too little
attention is paid. He issues a warning that forces
are at work seeking to treat migrant labour as a
simple commodity and as just another production
factor.
“This is a striking phenomenon because of the
sheer numbers of people involved, the social,
economic, political, cultural and religious
problems that it raises, and the dramatic
challenges it poses to nations and the
international community,”
The Social Doctrine of
the Catholic Church
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Emigration workers should not be
disadvantaged in comparison with
other workers of a society in terms
of working rights, nor be an
opportunity for financial or social
exploitation (Laborem Exercens, Encyclical
Letter of Pope John Paul II, on the Dignity of Work,
23).
The Priority of Labour
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In view of this situation we must first of all
recall a principle that has always been
taught by the Church: the principle ot the
priority of labour over capital.
This principle directly concerns the process
of production: in this process labour is
always a primary efficient cause, while
capital, the whole collection of means of
production, remains a mere instrument or
instrumental cause. (Laborem Exercens, Encyclical
Letter of Pope John Paul II, on the Dignity of Work, 12).
World Day of Migrants
& Refugees
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In the Roman Catholic Church, the World Day of
Migrants and Refugees is celebrated in January
each year, having been instituted in 1914 by Pope
Pius X.
In 2011, The theme of the papal message for the
Day "One human family," affirms that all people are
one community, although scattered throughout the
world and, therefore, of different cultures and
traditions, may be one, as the Lord wishes.
Remembering the Holy Family - has always lived
within itself the experience of migration.
International Catholic
Migration Commission
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ICMC was established by the Holy See in
1951 and was further granted public
canonical juridical status in 2008.
ICMC is an international commission of
Catholic Bishops Conferences, and
working with migrants and refugees on
national and regional levels.
Religious Support
Weekly Newspaper: Mubuhay
(Complimentary copies attached with
the Sunday Examiner)
 Political News and the Church
development in the Philippines
 Labor News
 Spiritual Reflection in both English &
Tagalog
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HK Church Involvement
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Migrant Shelter
The Filipino Catholic Association (FCA) which
is located at the Kowloon Rosary Church has the
longest history since Apr 1958.
Jesus Is Lord Church (JIL Church) is a Christian
organization that originates in the Philippines
Mass Service in Tagalog and in English
Diocesan Commission for Pastoral Services to
Filipino Migrants– Bishop John Tong as the
Chairperson since 1994
Caritas HK
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Hotline Service - basic informations on
community services
Counseling services – marital, parent-child
and employer-employee relationship
Education Programs – orientations, labor
laws etc
Training programs – Language, domestic
works
Cultural exchange programs - traditional
festival celebration
Community education for local peoples
How about HKJP?
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Joint Declaration against all kind of abuses
against Foreign Domestic Workers;
Protest action against Levy, wage cut,
exclusion of SMW, Two-weeks rule…
Articles and Newsletter on the Situation of
FDW;
Financial Support
Conducted In-depth research on the
migration
Response on the Human rights situation of
the sending countries.
Say NO to Discrimination
3000 copies of Booklet on “Population
Policy 2003”
 Flyers against the discrimination of
Domestic Workers, and the exclusion
of SMW
 Submission in the LegCo
 July 1st Rally, May Day Rally etc
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The more we involved..
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The more we become involved, the
more we have realized that there are
rampant cases of violation of human
rights, sexual harassment / exploitation,
denial of justice & freedom and there is
an urgent need to act to bring about
change in the present scenario.