The MISEREOR Lenten Campaign 2020

When I hear news about wars breaking out, about violence, death and destruction, I feel sad, angry and powerless. Why do we human beings not learn from history? What role do religions play, with their potential for both violence and peace? What are the names of the girls and boys, the women and men, the victims of war, who are left behind or forced to flee? What part do we play in wars as individuals, as a society and as the Church? What is our contribution to peace? These are the questions we want to ask during the Lenten Campaign 2020.

In Syria and Lebanon, MISEREOR is focusing on two countries characterised not only by great ethnic, religious and cultural diversity, but also by numerous conflicts. The conflict in Syria alone, which has gone on for more than eight years, has cost 500,000 people their lives. Since the war began in 2011 more than six million Syrians have been forced to leave their country in search of safety and refuge. Twelve million people in Syria are dependent on humanitarian aid. The living conditions of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and of the Lebanese population are becoming more and more difficult. 

In a setting of persistent violence and insecurity, MISEREOR's partner organisations the 'Jesuit Refugee Service' and 'Pontifical Mission' help people regain strength to cope with the challenges of everyday life.  Education and psychosocial support are integrated in a way that enables them to lay the foundations for peaceful coexistence. 

Let us join together during the Lenten Campaign 2020 in developing prospects for people with different backgrounds and identities to live together. Join us in strengthening the engagement of people in Syria, in Lebanon and in Germany for a free, open and just society, so that peace may grow.

Jörg Nottebaum

Desk Officer, Lenten Campaign

Let us take a look at the MISEREOR Lenten Veil created by Lilian Moreno Sánchez: ‚You have set my feet in a broad place – The power of change‘. The artist was born in Chile and has been living in Germany since 1996. The veil is a triptych, in other words, it has three sections. Black lines trace the X-ray image of a foot with multiple fractures. The foot belongs to a person who was seriously injured by the police during a demonstration in Santiago de Chile. Since October 2019, many people have been demonstrating in Santiago‘s Dignity Square against unjust conditions in the country. Thousands of demonstrators were brutally beaten by security forces and jailed. This foot, with its obvious injuries, represents all places where people are broken and downtrodden.

For more information, click here

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

Starting on Ash Wednesday, we will be welcoming MISEREOR partners from Syria and Lebanon.
Click here for more information (in German) about the individual guests