GENEVA, JUNE 13, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Solidaristic globalization must begin by giving jobs to the world’s young people, more than half of whom are without employment, says the Holy See.
The Vatican’s proposal was expressed by Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, permanent observer to the U.N. offices in Geneva, when addressing the 93rd International Labor Organization (ILO) Conference last Tuesday.
“There is a sense of urgency to find a response to the fact that globally less than half of the youth available for work had jobs in 2004 and that an estimated 59 million young people aged 15 to 18 years are in hazardous forms of work,” the archbishop noted.
Quoting Pope John Paul II’s address to the ILO in 1982, the Vatican representative said: “Can we tolerate a situation in which many young people may find themselves without any prospect of one day getting a job and which, at the very least, could leave them with lifelong scars?”
“The road towards decent work for a decent life in a world where the globalization of solidarity is an active agenda starts indeed with young women and men and the promotion of their employment,” he said.
Truly human life
Archbishop Tomasi called for a global commitment to put an end to the situation of “at least 12.3 million people who are victims of forced labor worldwide.”
In the era of globalization, the prelate said, “the future that challenges and confronts the international community and individual countries is marked by an increasing awareness that only together can we make progress and find the right path toward a truly human life.
“The rapid pace of change may give rise to doubt and to the temptation of isolation and momentarily derail the move forward. But the process of globalization continues: making it inclusive and removing the obstacles that obstruct its beneficial impact for all is the commitment that emerges from this 93rd International Labor Conference.”
