“The human being is at the centre of the creation. And to offer him conditions of life in peace, and in respect for his fundamental rights, constitutes an essential task for the State based on the rule of law”: so write the Catholic bishops of the Region of lake Geneva in a letter addressed to their faithful on the occasion of the annual Summit of the G8 due to be held in the spa town of Evian from 1 to 3 June. “In a globalized world write the bishops the human person has become an object, a toy in the hands of an unscrupulous market. We believe, on the contrary, that the human person is the bearer of a project worthy of the attention and protection of the public authorities”. “Amid the violence of economic competition they continue wisdom demands a high sense of social equity. The globalization of charity and justice is not a vain utopia”. In the view of the bishops, “globalization without marginalization is a responsibility worthy of heads of state. Enlarged to 21 members, this assembly [the G8] is not only a demonstration of power by the richer countries: a dialogue with the more disadvantaged countries is necessary”. The Evian Summit will be attended by the heads of state and of government of Germany, Canada, USA, Italy, Japan, Great Britain, Russian Federation and France; China will be present for the first time. The issues on the agenda include solidarity, the problem of drought in the world and security.
