People on the Move

A letter from Ryan and Alethia White, co-regional liaisons for Northern and Central Europe

Spring 2024

Subscribe to our co-worker letters

Dear friends,

What comes to mind for you when you think of “home.” If “home” is not a safe place, think about a place, real or imaginary, that is safe. Close your eyes for a moment, what images or feelings come to you? What does that place offer you? And what would it take for that safe place to become unsafe?

At the end of 2023, the UN estimated that 114 million people were forcibly displaced from their homes. The figure is projected to rise to 130 million people by the end of 2024. Those figures are so large that it is difficult to comprehend. But each one is a person with a face and a story who has been forced to leave home.

In collaboration with colleagues involved with migration in Central America, Mexico and Eastern Europe we developed a workshop that I (Ryan) helped co-facilitate at the Matthew 25 Summit in Atlanta, GA from January 16-18. The theme was looking at the effects of militarism as a root cause of migration and the increasingly militarized response to border enforcement.   

Unfortunately, in the current context, the weapons manufacturing industry has an oversized presence, seeking profit through the sale of weapons and technologies that are used and exported in contexts that increase displacement, then earning a double profit when those technologies are purchased and used in border enforcement. The huge lobbying power of these corporations also labels migration as a security issue, fueling a narrative that sees people seeking safety as a threat.

We see and hear the effects of this at the borders of Europe and the U.S. and in the political discourse around immigration. Instead of migration being seen as a human right and natural response when home is not safe, it is viewed as a crisis that can only be managed by a militarized approach to border enforcement. The problem is that this approach does not address root causes and therefore will never be a long-term solution. Instead, major political parties are playing a game to stay in power while increasing profits for the lucrative weapons industry, all at the expense of fellow humans who bear the image of the divine.

Reflection from Alethia on the Rome Consultation: People on the Move

I (Alethia) landed in Rome on a sunny early morning in late January, meeting PC(USA) and other denominational colleagues. We were about to greet guests and welcome partners from the Middle East and Europe for three full days of consultation around “People on the Move.” Our guests were not just practitioners – those dealing with the root causes of migration or the receiving of refugees – some were themselves in the process of being on the move or had now settled in Italy and were active in supporting and advocating for fellow communities of migrants.

As part of the planning team, I can say we felt our challenge was to create an atmosphere that simultaneously made space for the voices of those from countries where citizens are actively fleeing, from countries focused on how to receive newcomers, and from those who are in this moment considered refugees. The concept around this consultation was a big one. We wanted to have concrete proposals at the end to go forth with including points for advocacy with governmental representatives in the U.S. and at the EU parliament level.

The content of the consultation was driven from within by the participants themselves as the majority were also panel presenters or led various reflections during the time together. We were a collective of sorts, propelling each other toward new ideas, perspectives and action. Often the best way to learn is through the stories and experiences of others. The Southern Europe Partnership Network, a collaboration of U.S. Presbyterian congregations and European partners, was also represented and this presence helped to strengthen the relationships with our partnerships.

At the end of our time, we were reluctant to bid our goodbyes. A part of our hearts was left in that meeting space, around the coffee tables, and in the hotel dining room where we listened to each other’s voices and stories and tried to draw a bit closer together in solidarity. Our challenge now is looking forward together. The next steps for this group require some sorting out, but a strong preference was heard for a new network of practitioners, activists and journeyers. Root causes are hard to shift, but advocacy and understanding in our own spheres go a long way in supporting each other. If you have an interest in learning more or in being connected with the Southern Europe Partnership Network, please feel free to contact us.

We thank you for continuing to journey with us in prayer and financial support of World Mission, enabling us to hear these stories and share them with you. It is through these encounters that we each learn the interconnectedness of our communities and that issues as big as migration cannot be addressed in isolation. Please pray for the many who have left their homes, for the many waiting on our borders and the many more displaced inside their own country, and for those who have found a new home in your communities and in Berlin.

Ryan and Alethia