(ANS - Madrid) - "The human capital of a continent cannot be allowed to disappear, drowned in the waters of the Mediterranean, while Europe looks the other way." This is one of the premises of the #StopNaufragios campaign launched by the Salesian youth NGO Jóvenes y Desarrollo, denouncing the inhumanity of the trips made by thousands of migrants to reach Europe. It aims also to raise awareness of cooperation and education among Southern countries, in order to eliminate the extreme poverty that forces people to flee their homeland.

It is not just "a problem of safety at sea, nor of the mafia who engage in trafficking and get rich on the suffering of others," says Manuel De Castro, President of Jóvenes y Desarrollo. This a problem that "will be solved only when, through the development of these impoverished countries, their inhabitants can reach a sufficiently dignified life and will no longer need to leave their country."

He goes on to say that, "while Europe fails to reach an agreement on how to resolve this situation," the Salesian Youth NGO is launching a campaign that will include various activities to raise awareness and financial support for educational projects run by the Salesians in countries like Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Guinea Conakry, Congo, Senegal, Mali, Togo, Ghana, Niger, Burkina Faso, Gambia and Sierra Leone.

In particular, Jóvenes y Desarrollo will put in place a plan for training and awareness of the most disadvantaged young people in Ethiopia, informing them of the danger of travel and providing alternatives for their future through education.

"The human capital of a continent cannot be allowed to disappear, drowned in the waters of the Mediterranean, while Europe looks the other way. Cooperation for development is critical,” insists the organization. It also recalls that, in 2014, according to data released by the High Commissioner of the United Nations for Refugees, about 3,500 migrants died in the sea.”

More information about the campaign is available on the website of Jóvenes y Desarrollo

Published 10/05/2015