As part of the fortieth anniversary of the signing of the “Cartagena Declaration” (1984), one of the most important legal instruments of recent decades in terms of protection and solutions in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Embassy of Chile to the Holy See has organized a conference to give a voice to refugees and displaced people. On Tuesday the 2nd July 2024, at the Palace of San Calixto, together with several Catholic organizations, such as the Jesuit Refugee Service and Caritas International, they addressed the challenges of the migratory context and formulated recommendations for governments in the development of the Action Plan of Chile 2024-2034.

A virtual meeting was held by members of the Animation Committee of the General Office for JPIC on 24-27 June 2024. Present at this meeting were Br. Daniel Rodriguez Blanco OFM, Br. Francesco Zecca OFM, Br. Taucen Hotlan Girsang OFM, Sr. Mary Wangare Sebastian LSSJ, and Mr. Tomás Insua.

Ecological conversion requires a “reversal of direction” of everyone’s conscience, because Creation is intimately connected to a revolution of the spirit: this is the heart of the conference presenting the Pope’s message for the World Day of Prayer for Creation, held today in the Vatican Press Office. The reference to the upcoming Jubilee and the need to involve young people in protecting the environment, also through social media, is central.

From Friday the 14th to Sunday the 16th June 2024 the Chapter of the Mats was held in Taranto, entitled “A sea of fraternity. The Franciscans for a new humanism of the Mediterranean”, in which friars, Poor Clares and lay people belonging to the Franciscan family participated.

On the morning of the 4 th June 2024, the main streets of the Salvadoran capital, San Salvador, the same ones where the saint and martyr Oscar Arnulfo Romero walked, were painted brown, yellow, green and white.

On behalf of Franciscans International and its International Board of
Directors (IBD) I am pleased to present the annual report of our work in defense of the rights and dignity of all and care for creation” (Br. Michael Perry, OFM)