For children, future of the world

An American proverb says “We don’t inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children”

by Fr. Valerio Bersano

There is a close connection between what our history is and what our future will be. A society is evolved when it knows how to defend its most vulnerable members.

Do we care for our land? Do we feel responsible to defend all children today, that is, the creatures most in need of care?

We have an enormous responsibility to the children and youth of today, because they will be the adults of tomorrow.

There are alarming reports around the suffering of the most fragile and smallest, of children who live on the streets, who are not welcomed into a family, who suffer from violence and war, who receive no care, even though there are many resources in the world.

Why do we forget about those who suffer from hunger?

Today in the world their number has risen to 828 million in 2021, 46 million more people by 2020 and 150 million more people since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic.

These are the figures from a United Nations report that provides new evidence of how the world is moving further away from its goal of ending hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030.

According to new IPC data, the number of children suffering from acute malnutrition has risen to 1.8 million, or 54.5 percent, a 20 percent increase over previous projections, due to the worst drought in 40 years.

There are 513,500 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, meaning one in six in the world is living on hardship

The latest data released by the United Nations shows that families and children experiencing widespread suffering and devastation are worryingly on the rise.

In Somalia, the 2011 famine killed 260,000 people, half of whom were children-a worrisome picture that is also likely to be repeated as a result of the crisis exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine, a country called the “breadbasket” of the world.

Let our prayer be accompanied by correct information and lively solidarity.

If we really want to grow and walk toward true progress, let us move toward the most fragile such as children, for in them lies our
present and especially the future of the world.

(Popoli e Missione, 9/22, p. 62)

Source

  • Popoli e Missione

Image

  • Mauro Camillo (Benin)
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