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The challenge of a slogan Print E-mail
Written by Fr Sergio Lorenzini   
Thursday, 28 June 2007
The slogan of the World Social Forum (WSF), “Another World is Possible” expresses two important things:

First, that the world, as we experience it today (especially by the large masses of marginalized peoples), is increasingly getting ill. The symptoms are clear:

- The world is producing wealth as never before, yet the poor are getting poorer. They don’t count, they have no voice. Democracy remembers them only before elections.

- The economic policies imposed to us all by the superpowers are destroying our house, the Earth. Some leaders are now worried about global warming, one of many wounds human activity has caused the cosmos beautifully created by God.

- A few super-rich enjoy too much of the world’s wealth destined to all. We (even Christians) celebrate their “success”, our youth want to be like them. We even shed some tears when they do some “charity”, though justice is nowhere to be seen…

- The idea, constantly injected into our brains, that this is the best possible world we can get… that there is no alternative. Anyone saying the contrary is labeled as a dreamer, as naïve, or simply as an ignorant.

- The very African, very human, and very Christian ideal of Ubuntu seems to be fading away, eaten up by consumerism and a “mind your own business” mentality.

Second, and more importantly, the WSF slogan tells us that there is a cure for our world’s illness. Many people, many communities, many NGOs, and many churches are already working for and living as a true alternative for a better world:

- They are creating new relations based on service and communion. They are also translating this into alternative economic and environmental policies and practices.

- There are news ways to understand planet Earth as our common home. Together with this conviction, an increasing number of experiences are already taking place here and there.

- We are discovering the urgency of an economic model more based on solidarity than on mere consume or pure economic growth. The moral value of an economic system is given by what it does to the poor. No few organizations have already made various proposals in that direction.

- Our world has enough resources to eliminate poverty today. This is great news. Humanity has never been in such an exciting position before. This means, among other things, that the dogmatic “There Is No Alternative” is replaced by an evangelical hope.

- Action campaigns, the WSF gatherings and even the large protests in Germany in the past few days at the G8 meetings, have a common goal: to let those in charge know, that we no longer believe that things must remain as they are. They must acknowledge this and start acting accordingly. If they want to be true leaders, they will have to learn to “lead by obeying”.

- In our Diocese, we witness many initiatives of all kinds that contribute to a world more according to God’s plan (Small Christian Communities, initiatives towards poverty aliviation, HIV/AIDS sufferers, etc.). Could you mention one in your Community?

The mission of the Church, in the words of Jesus, is to be Light of the World (not just of the Church!). We know that the New Heavens and the New Earth will surprise and rejoice us all at the end of times. But we shouldn’t expect for the future what we are not willing to build together today.

Billions of people are demanding a change. The WSF is the space where people from all over the world work hard and creatively so that their voices may be heard… and obeyed.

In this blessed time of our Diocesan Synod, let us make sure that the Church plays its role in the making of another possible world.
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 27 June 2007 )