Misereor Lenten Campaign 2023

Fasting means asking ‘What makes my life worth living? What are we advocating for? What can we share?’ During the Lenten Campaign we try to find answers to these questions. We stand together against global injustice and the destruction of creation. We get involved with campaigns, donations and our political voice.

Every year during Lent, the season between Ash Wednesday and Easter, which culminates on the 5^th Sunday of Lent, the most important campaign of Misereor – the German Catholic Bishops’ Organisation for Development Cooperation – takes place. Each year, the Lenten Campaign has a different theme linked to a country of the Global South and selected Misereor project partners. In 2023, the theme of the Lenten Campaign is Gender Justice, the country of focus is Madagascar and the motto is “Women. Create. Change.”

The motto: Women. Create. Change.

The motto of the Misereor Lenten Campaign 2023: Women. Create. Change.

Social change thrives on participation. This requires that women be permitted to take part in societal decisions on an equal footing with men. During the Misereor Lenten Campaign 2023, women from Madagascar will illustrate the importance of their participation for social change by telling us their stories. Malagasy society is characterised by a structural discrimination of women. Misereor partners in Madagascar are committed to changing these structures and to empower women. They help women to reach their own decisions regarding their land and household tasks and are dedicated to building a bridge to formal primary schools through the operation of informal preschools. They thereby enable children to read and write and contribute to the promotion of teachers and village communities. In this way, they strengthen the role of women in a predominantly male-dominated society.

Fasting

Today’s hectic lifestyle leads us to rediscover old traditions like fasting. We encourage you to use the season of Lent to think about your own lifestyle. For example, traditions such as Friday abstinence from meat are being practised again in more and more canteens or educational centres, even on days other than Fridays. Today, we can make use of these ancient traditions to gain a different understanding of quality of life and contribute to a more climate-friendly world. What will you do without during Lent?

Stand up and take action for greater climate justice: let us share the resources we have been given in a responsible manner.

Let us take a look at the Misereor Lenten Veil created by Emeka Udemba: ‚What is sacred to us?‘. A world torn into pieces: This scenario is reflected in the current Misereor Lenten Veil, a collage of many pieces of torn newspaper. News, information, facts and fakes – layer by layer the artist tears the newspapers into small pieces, glues them together and makes them into something new. From afar, the earth on the Lenten Veil sparkles like a jewel in turquoise green and blue. Four arms reach into the warm, red space surrounding the earth: judging by their shape and colour, the arms belong to people of different gender and ethnic origin. Together, their hands gently touch the globe, but also give it room to move. Truly a torn world, wounded and fragile. Is it still protected or has it already been abandoned? Does it move? Will it tilt like our climate?

For more information, click here

Learning and getting actively involved together, collecting ideas and donations. For more information on this in German, click here