Chapter 8

What is Solidarity?

What is Solidarity?

Concern for our neighbour transcends the

confines of national communities and has
increasingly broadened its horizon to the
whole world. The Second Vatican Council
rightly observed that among the signs of our
times, one particularly worthy of note is a
growing, inescapable sense of solidarity
between all
peoples.State agencies
and
humanitarian associations
work
to promote this, the
former mainly
through
or
Whatsubsidies
is Solidarity?

Solidarity and Immigration

The ultimate resolution of the problems

associated with forced migration and illegal
immigration lies in changing the conditions
that drive persons from their countries of
origin. Accordingly, we urge the governments
of the world, particularly our own
government, to promote a just peace in those
countries that are at war, to protect human
rights in those countries that deny them, and
to foster the economic development of those
countries that are unable
to provide for their own peoples. We also urge
the governments of the "receiving" countries
to
welcome these immigrants, to provide for
Solidarity and Immigration
their

Solidarity and Immigration

Solidarity and Immigration

"Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning
to breathe free, The wretched
refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless,
tempest-tost to me, I lift my
lamp beside the golden door!
From the poem, The New Colossus
Solidarity and Immigration

Solidarity and Peace

Solidarity and Peace

There are a number of skills

we can
use to help us deal with a
conflict situation. These skills
do not
have to be used in any
particular order. They can be
used individually or in
combination. Many people
will use different
combinations of skills to
deal with a conflict situation
depending on:
their experience and
comfort with that skill
or method
who the conflict is with
the extent of conflict
occurring
the desired outcomes

Solidarity and Peace

Solidarity and Peace

Civil disobedience is the public act of willfully disobeying the law

and/or the commands of an authority figure, to make a political
statement. Participants expect to be arrested, and are frequently
charged with crimes such as trespass, failure to disperse, or failure to
obey an officer. Civil disobedience is generally understood to be
nonviolent, although some have argued that violent acts can also be
considered a form of civil disobedience.
The purpose of civil disobedience is to convey a political message,
which is accomplished through
increased media coverage of the
issue. Also, if the law broken is
the law being protested, it sends
the message to authority figures
that people consider the law so
unjust, they are willing to openly
disobey it.
Woolworth sit-in Greensboro, NC
February, 1960

Solidarity and Peace

Solidarity and Peace

Absolute pacifists Someone who refuses to kill

whatever the circumstances. Even in self-defense.
Conditional pacifists Someone who generally
opposes war, but may accept there are times when it is
necessary, for example, when youre country is invaded
and you are defending your family and country.
Selective pacifists Someone who will decide whether a war is
morally justified or not. For example, they may refuse to fight for
their country if they feel that their country is engaging in an unjust
war. Selective pacifists may particularly oppose war using weapons
of mass-destruction, e.g. nuclear weapons, biological weapons.

Solidarity and Peace

Discrimination: An Offense Against Solidarity

Racism is a sin: a sin that divides the human family,

blots out the image of God among specific
members of that family, and violates the
fundamental human dignity of those called to be
children of the same Father. Racism is the sin that
says some human beings are inherently superior
and others essentially inferior because of
races. It is the sin that makes racial characteristics
the determining factor for the exercise of human
rights. It mocks the words of Jesus: "Treat others
the way you would have them treat you." Indeed,
racism is more than a disregard for the words of
Jesus; it is a denial of the truth of the dignity of
eachDiscrimination: An Offense Against Solidarity
human being revealed by the mystery of the

If you want peace,

work for justice.
Blessed Pope Paul VI
1897 - 1978

Discrimination: An Offense Against Solidarity