The Famvin Homeless Alliance (FHA) is excited to announce its second international Conference. This time the type of homelessness addressed is that of refugees, internally displaced people and victims of human trafficking. It will be held in Seville, in Spain and online from 7th-9th June.

The FHA Conference in Seville resonates with the 108th World Day of Migrants and Refugees’s theme, announced for this year by Pope Francis: ‘Building the future with migrants and refugees‘, in which migrants and refugees represent an essential resource for the development of human society on a social, cultural and economic level.

During the Conference, honourable guests will reflect upon the theme announced by the Holy Father including Msgr. Robert Vitillo (ICMC) who will talk about the social and historical response of the Church to refugee crises and displacement, as well as Rev. Fr. Fabio Baggio (C.S.) who will enlighten us about how we can put into practice the teaching of the encyclical ‘Fratelli Tutti’ in response to homelessness.

The Conference will also address other topics including the refugee crises in Tigray, Syria and Ukraine, human trafficking and how we can guarantee victims’ rights to work, health and housing, the climate crisis in the Pacific Islands and the devastating repercussions on women, men and children.

The speeches and debates held at the Conference represent an occasion to remind ourselves that homelessness and displacement can happen to anyone: as Pope Francis rightly reminds us, it is not just about ‘migrants themselves’, but the whole ‘human family’ that must take care of itself: we must in fact help each other, in a spirit of brotherhood, without excluding anyone.

In all its simplicity, Pope Francis taught us that: ‘Migrants and refugees are not pawns on the chessboard of humanity. They are children, women and men who leave or who are forced to leave their homes for various reasons, who share a legitimate desire for knowing and having, but above all for being more’.

The FHA therefore wants to learn from the Holy Father’s message and put it into practice by inviting members of the Vincentian Family from all over the world to come together to reflect on the themes of hospitality and brotherhood, but also of advocacy in order to draw up points of action to support refugees, displaced people and victims of trafficking to be presented to the United Nations.

The main event will take place in Seville, hosted by the Daughters of Charity, and there is still time to register online, as many sessions will be broadcast live-stream to give everyone the opportunity to participate. If you are interested in participating, contact the FHA at the following email address: fha.info@famvin.org, alternatively you can directly fill out the online registration form on their website: https://vfhomelessalliance.org/  by 27^th May.

The FHA hopes that this Conference will represent an opportunity for sharing ideas and expertise between Vincentian brothers and sisters in the light of the teachings of St. Vincent de Paul and Saint Louise de Marillac: “I know that you are combining all your efforts so that you may be of but one heart and one will and may thereby act only with the desire of accomplishing the will of God”.