June 20, 2013: Sanctuary and Sustenance, that’s the title of a new exhibition that
has been launched in Rome to commemorate World Refugee Day on June 20th.
The
initiative is being presented by the Jesuit Refugee Service at the Gesù Church in
the Italian capital as well as in New York and Beirut. The photos tell the story of
refugees and asylum seekers from Syria and Congo forced to flee war, persecution and
other human rights violations.
The Jesuit Refugee Service is giving food support
to more than 100,000 people per month in the Middle East and North Africa region,
mainly in Syria, but also in Jordan and Lebanon. Syria and Congo are the “two most
complicated situations at the moment in the world unfortunately,” says the International
Director of JRS Peter Balleis SJ. He adds “in Syria with the President of the Jesuits
and the local Churches we work together with a whole network reaching out with food
, sustenance…but we do together not just with the Christian Churches but we do it
together with Muslim a lot of volunteer people, so there is a term which goes beyond
the compassion which is in all people and also is rooted in all the religions, so
that is very important for us in Syria...” Stressing the importance of education for
Refugees Fr Balleis says it is only through education that generations of refugee
children can have the opportunities offered to others; to rebuild futures, and to
build communities of peace.
As part of the exhibition a 12-minute video depicting
the lives and struggles of refugees in 200 photos will be projected between 9pm and
2am on the façade of the Gesù church until June 21st. The indoor exhibition run at
the Gesù until June 30th