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Presenter Information

Marco Tavanti Ph.D.

Abstract

Marco Tavanti examines the causes, consequences, and problems of global migration, and particularly forced migration, as human rights issues. We owe caritas, “human-divine love,” to migrants and must therefore treat them with a hospitality founded on justice and dignity. In the Abrahamic religions, hospitality is “generosity and graciousness” extended to friends and potentially dangerous strangers alike as a “service to God and humanity.” Such hospitality is “based on the needs of the guest, not the benefit of the host.” Hospitality was central to early Christianity and remains an imperative for today’s Church. Social justice’s role in hospitality is explored, especially as exemplified in the Jesuit tradition. The Jesuit Refugee Service operates on the principle of accompaniment, seeing the world from refugees’ perspective. Respect for dignity is the cornerstone of hospitality in the Vincentian tradition. This entails collaborating with poor persons to meet their needs and establishing reciprocal relationships with them, an essential aspect of charity. Charity as an extension of justice is discussed. The United Nations’ guidelines for policies on migration are included in this article. Also included are the U.S. and Mexican Episcopal Conferences’ principles for migration policy that protect the rights of migrants and host countries.

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