Intervention of Mons. Jean-Clément JEANBART, Archbishop of Alep of the Greek-Melkites (SYRIA)

Emigration is a universal phenomenon that finds its reasons for being and its downfalls in each society.
The extraordinary means of communication make it so that men encounter one another more and more in their ideas and allow the flourishing of a culture of freedom of expression, which, in the most closed societies, actually paves a path to develop there a culture of freedom of personal choices and of acceptance of the other in his difference and of pluralism.
Practically, I propose that we act on the following six axes:
1) Spread optimism among our faithful as to their future in their countries. Our countries are not lacking in goods and values.
2) Learn to live as friends with our Muslim brothers and to help them to open themselves to us through a well-articulated and diversified dialogue utilizing all available means.
3) To commit oneself to the public, political, cultural and social life of our countries which is susceptible to helping our faithful strengthen their attachment to their country and to their fellow citizens.
4) Offer to our young people with our speech, the minimum needed to allow them to live comfortably, to throw themselves into life and to take root in their countries for the foundation of a foyer.
5) It is a case of of accepting putting goods which are available to us at their service and we must also unite our efforts with different local communities and struggle to find the funds necessary for this wherever we can find them.
6) It would be very useful to establish a center of study and research for this and to work to deepen our reflection on the question in view of paving the path to follow and to find useful and productive strategies allowing the facing of the scourge of emigration and lessening the consequential evil.

[00181-02.06] [IN119] [Original text: French]