By Arnold Neliba
PARIS, JUNE 23, 2023 (CISA)-Rt. Rev. Wilybard Lagho, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Malindi, Kenya, has called on global actors to open channels of dialogue with children and involve them in decision-making processes in the fight for global financial justice.
In his keynote address in a Child-Led Side event on the theme “Let Justice Reign: Children Define Global Finance Justice” during the ongoing Summit for New Global Financing Pact, the bishop noted that children carry the most substantial burden in the World dominated by many forms of injustice due to global financial inequalities.
“True to the principle of the universal destination of goods, we affirm every child, regardless of their place of birth, should have equal access to opportunities that shape life,” read his address in part.
Children he said are “the epitome of our hopes and dreams for the future,” hence should be recognized as “active change agents, not merely passive beneficiaries of our actions. Their unique insights and experiences are priceless in molding the world we aspired to.”
While rooting for rectification of imbalances that prevent children from achieving their full potential, Bishop Lagho told the justice advocates that their quest for equity and justice around the world should be guided by the principle of human dignity in the Catholic social teachings which says “each person, regardless of their social or economic status, is worthy of respect and must be treated as such.”
Just as Pope Francis stresses on importance of fostering a culture of fraternity and social friendship in his encyclical “Fratelli Tutti”, and his call to create a culture of encounter that brings together all in a common effort, the bishop of Malindi asked players to place children’s voices at the forefront, acknowledging their potential and right to actively shape their futures.
“I am confident that their contributions will guide our understanding of global financial justice, pointing our path towards a more equitable world,” he reckons.
Out of their deliberations at the side event, Bishop Lagho insists that they will form the child-led declaration on global financial justice for a new global financial pact, and a message to the main summit highlighting the critical importance of children’s perspectives in global financial policymaking.
The two day Summit for a New Global Financial Pact held in France ends today June 23. The summit aimed at restoring fiscal space to countries facing short-term difficulties, promoting private sector development in low-income countries, encouraging investment in green infrastructure for the energy transition in emerging and developing countries and mobilizing innovative financing for countries vulnerable to climate change.
