(ANS - New York) - In his message in honour of the bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga, SDB, launched a fervent appeal to protect the human right of access to water and basic hygiene in order to prevent the deaths of millions of people. Here are some excerpts of his message - published by the Honduran newspaper "La Tribune." He also speaks of the prophetic role needed in every society, as fulfilled by Don Bosco in his time.

There is still need for prophets

Prophetic people are capable of reading the signs of the times and then raising their voices to challenge the community to address the challenges they see. Our world has become a better place every time the prophetic community gathered to plan more clearly for the common progress of all. One such prophetic person was St John Bosco (...). In response to the severe poverty of his time, the lack of protection in the new unregulated industries created by the industrial revolution and the exploitation of young workers, he devoted himself to improving the prospects of a happy and productive life for young people. (...)

In a note from the World Economic Forum, issued at the beginning of this year, 900 experts determined that the lack of fresh water was the greatest single risk facing the world today. The worldwide scarcity of fresh water is a threat to public health, affects food production, adds to the impact of poverty, increases the risk of conflicts within and between communities, and amplifies the effects of the climate crisis.

This year the United Nations has launched an Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is an opportunity to make changes that put the needs of marginalized and vulnerable communities first. Access to water and sanitation should be recognized nationally and internationally as a human right. (...)

Governments must fulfil their obligation to ensure the sustainable use and equitable distribution of supplies of fresh water in the world, if we want to stop the growing threat of drought and water shortages. (...). In 2014, Central America experienced the worst drought in half a decade, leaving millions of people at risk of starvation.

The good news is that these tragedies can be avoided if we take the right decisions. (...). Meeting the need for clean, safe water, essential for life, has become a major part of the work of the Salesians in some of the most remote areas of their missions. (...). Brazil, Cambodia, Ethiopia and India are some examples of this work to provide clean water.

Further details of these projects and the message of the Salesian Cardinal are available on the website of the newspaper La Tribuna.

Published 09/03/2015