After the Spring?

"Although it is crucial to resist the temptation to reduce" this "complex phenomenon" of the Arab Spring "to generalisations and stereotypes "in the different national contexts", it should be acknowledged that "the struggle against oppression was founded on the same core values: human dignity, freedom from arbitrary violence, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, distributive justice, equal citizenship, equal access to public goods and services and national pride". The phase is contained in the final statement of the international workshop "The Arab spring one year later", of the Conference of European Justice and Peace Commissions (30 national commissions) held September 14-16 in Malta on the impact and the consequences of the Arab spring, a year later. A common ground. According to participants in the meeting, these common values "need to be protected throughout the long and difficult task of constructing a new foundation for the nation", while "there are already clear warning signs" that, for some, "hope is giving way to disappointment and frustration". The delegates reflected on the "positive contribution" that Europeans could give to political processes. They pointed out: "we cannot assume they could simply be transplanted to other national and cultural contexts"; they "are not working for all members of our society" and "our core values appear to be giving way to extreme individualism". Thus, as Europeans, we need to respect the right of other nations to define democracy in accordance with their traditions and religious beliefs". At the same time, "we cannot ignore the need to protect human dignity and rights". The speakers thus referred to "Caritas in veritate", in which Benedict XVI argues that "cultures and religions should be evaluated on the basis of what they do for the whole person and all people". A key to this process is "is the establishment of dialogue and interaction founded on mutual respect", states the final declaration, that equally conveys gratefulness for the welcome received by the Muslim community in Malta and hear from Imam Mohammed Elsadi on the challenges that Muslims "face in living according to their values in European societies". Participants said: "We could find common ground in our shared concern about respect for religious symbols and the challenge of communicating our values to young people in an increasingly secular society".Europe’s responsibility. The declaration tackles also the theme of North-African migration to Europe whereby Spain, Italy, Greece and Malta (the latter owing to its dimensions and high population-rate) bear the heaviest burden of migrant arrivals to the continent, a "burden which, to date, has not been shared equally by other European countries". Delegates visited three centres for migrants run by national and ecclesial bodies. There, they said, they saw first hand "the challenges faced by the staff of the closed centre, attempting to care for traumatised people" "having experienced violence, exploitation and starvation", arrived after "terrifying journey across the Mediterrannean sea, a journey not all will survive". Most of them, the statement affirms, considers Malta as "a further step on the journey towards continental Europe". For this reason other European nations "cannot allow geography to distance them from their responsibilities". According to the Justice and Peace Commissions delegates, European legislation, notably the Dublin regulation, which determines that asylum applications must be processed in the country of arrival, "is placing an unfair burden on the Maltese and increasing the suffering of the migrants affected". Furthermore, "neither at the level of the EU or the UN is there any provision for a form of asylum to be granted on the basis of economic reasons, even where people are coming from situations of extreme poverty".The example of the youth. "One of the most important messages of the Arab Spring", highlights the final statement, was "the power of young people united against oppression. This was recognised by Pope Benedict in his recent visit to Lebanon, in which he called on the young people of the region to set an example by showing how "Muslims and Christians, Islam and Christianity, can live side by side without hatred, with respect for the beliefs of each person, so as to build together a free and humane society". The participants in the workshop planted a tree dedicated to their memory in Hastings Gardens in Valletta, in memory of of all those who have dedicated their lives to the work for justice and peace in the Mediterranean region. A special thought was addressed also to the victims of the recent attacks in embassies and the "devastating loss of life in Syria". European Justice and Peace Commissions are currently campaigning for a strong and binding Arms Trade Treaty, "aimed at making a safer world for all".