On Sunday, November 5, CADIS International participated in the screening of the film “The Letter: A Message for the Earth,” organized by the Federazione Mornese Padova APS, former Salesian FMA students, and the Parish of San Camillo de Lellis in Padua.
This is the fourth stop on CADIS's journey through the film inspired by Pope Francis's Encyclical “Laudato Si’,” a letter for every person on earth, an invitation to act now to preserve our common home, increasingly threatened by climate change. After Rome, Bangkok, and Messina, CADIS brought its testimony to Padua.
Once again, the testimony of the four voices of the earth sparked reflection and emotion among the more than 50 people present at the screening at the Cinema Teatro Don Bosco in Padua. And so the cry of the young, indigenous peoples, the poor, and nature came together in a single heartfelt appeal: climate change concerns everyone, everywhere in the world, and we can no longer ignore it.
After the screening, P. Aris Miranda, MI, Executive Director of CADIS International, led the reflection starting from personal and work experiences with CADIS, recounting how climate change truly afflicts entire communities around the world. Often, in fact, it is thought that extreme weather phenomena, as well as man-made disasters, affect only the poorest, most marginalized populations with fewer resources. The reality is that recent global events, from COVID-19 to wars to environmental disasters, do not consider the GDP of the population or specific places on the globe, but involve any place.
The difference lies in the ability to prevent natural and other disasters, or to respond with the necessary means to restore the situation to what it was before the disaster. And it is precisely this vision that CADIS has been pursuing for almost ten years: the fullness of life in an eCon-resilient community.
Many participants shared their feelings about the film “The Letter” and the overall perception was that we need to become more aware of what each of us can actually do to reverse the course of climate change.
“We must increasingly take responsibility for climate change, especially to give a voice to those who are unheard. It's not just about protesting, taking to the streets, but becoming aware of what is happening.” This is how one of the first interventions in the room was described.
A lady tries to provoke the audience: “The film struck me, but now it is up to the young people. A film like this should be shown in schools. Young people must become aware. It is very important to help those in need, but we must change our perspective, it is not enough to repair but to act more deeply.”
There was then a reflection with a note on the global nature of the phenomena: “We are truly called to change our mentality. Looking at the floods of these days and recent months in Italy, we have witnessed a great rush of solidarity from the population who literally got their hands dirty to help. When it happens in distant places, we immediately think that those populations do not have the means and ability to overcome the crisis and we try to participate in this way, but empathy alone is not enough.” The reflection continues with a critique of typically Western thinking: “If they don't have the means, it's not simply 'their fault.' We should first of all review our culture, economy, and resources, and make the necessary changes, because today there is a lot of sensitivity in rebuilding intelligently. And even we, at an older age, can contribute by bringing different judgments, and these days we have proof of that.”
A young voice rises, called into question: “I agree with bringing the film to schools, but at the same time it is not only the responsibility of young people; it is everyone's responsibility because not all young people have the power to make decisions and, often, they do not have the space to act. Furthermore, we know that young people are not the majority of the world's population. I think it is important to meet in dialogue and joint action.”
At this point, someone feels compelled to confront the audience with their responsibilities: “Young people suffer from this situation, they are not indifferent. We have left this heavy legacy to them. We must act alongside them, not just urge them to change.”
P. Aris Miranda then concluded: “We must feel the guilt. We must act for ecological conversion. I am convinced that this is the path to follow today. We all want our homes in order. And so our common home must also be in order. Already from Genesis the Lord put everything in order: the sun and the earth, the water and the forests, and so on. To restore order to our common home we must start from our daily lives and we can do it through small daily gestures. We must start from the heart and from our decisions. It is everyone's struggle and we must take this battle for the defense of the earth to heart. If not for us, then for future generations.”
