JRS initiative tells stories of mercy in motion

(Vatican Radio) Starting this Friday, September 16, each week it will be possible to watch and listen to some uplifting, encouraging, sometimes sad or dramatic – but never despairing stories of refugees from across the globe on Vatican Radio’s English-language Facebook page. The Jesuit Refugee Service's “Mercy in Motion” campaign has produced the series of videos, with the aim to contribute to a better understanding of who “refugees” are and why – as Pope Francis has said many times – it is important to build bridges and not walls. The article below contains more information and links to the video, which is the first in the series.

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As human beings, we are at the mercy of nature, at the mercy of governments, at the mercy of leaders, at the mercy of war. We are at the mercy of forces beyond our control. These forces have caused an unprecedented 65 million people  – mothers, fathers, sisters and children – to flee their homes. Imagine 65 million people taking trucks, rafts, footpaths and trains to seek a new land in search of a safe place, peace and a decent, better future.

Building bridges and not walls, as Pope Francis said many times, means communicating, opening our hearts and minds to a two ways dialogue. It also means to be humble and ready to understand that we can always learn from one another, and that inclusion and integration are not a threat, a loss of identity or a potential impoverishment of our cultures, but instead they can be a true God’s send: an opportunity for growth and enrichment. It is a long and lengthy process, but it is also the only process we can put in place to avoid conflicts and inequalities.

Mercy in Motion - Open Minds, Unlock Potential is a new Jesuit Refugee Service series of videos, produced by the campaign Mercy in Motion , and it is an opportunity to trigger that process. By sharing the true stories of the refugees served by JRS, by having them telling their life, their past, what forced them to flee their homes, and what they aspire to, this series hopes to open the minds and the hearts of the viewers.

JRS International Director Fr Thomas Smolich SJ said, “We need to reinvent our way of being together. We must show mercy to and accept one another, and this act of mercy must be mutual and concrete. Opening doors is not enough; we must open our souls to unlock our potential as a society.”

Each video of Mercy in Motion, is a testimony of how access to quality education allows refugees better fulfil their own potential and fully contribute to the growth, strength and stability of communities, finding dignity and new hope. Knowledge is the one thing that no war or disaster can seize. Let’s educate ourselves and learn from one another. Let’s take the opportunity to mobilise our compassion and put our Mercy in Motion.

The JRS Mercy in Motion campaign aims to provide 120,000 additional refugee children and youth with access to education by the year 2020. The campaign was launched on 8 December 2015 with the Holy Year of Mercy. To know more please visit www.mercy-in-motion.org

Link to Video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziz9a-2Zhvs