Pastoral Commitment and Humanitarian Rights

Pastoral commitment and humanitarian rights, this is the central theme of the ongoing training session led by Father KAMBALE KAHONGYA Thierry, Assistant General, for religious of the African Province of the Assumptionists of 25 years of vows and over. This is a second, since the beginning of the mandate of Father MUSANGANIA KOMBI Jean-Paul in June 2024. The first focused on our sense of responsibility as elders in the Province! At the end, despite the isolated cases of counter-testimony for younger children, the observation was generally positive: "As he gets older, he is still bearing fruit!". Scheduled for two days, Thursday January 29 and Friday January 30, 2026, at the Orantes de l'Assomption reception center in Kasongomi-Butembo, the first day will have dealt with humanitarian protection. According to the speaker, it was an introduction to invite us to share on the management of humanitarian crises in our apostolates. Furthermore, for him, given that humanitarian law is the subject of times of distress resulting from armed conflicts and their corollaries, there exists at the heart of the humanitarian mission, an emergency mission with a view to human dignity, the relief of suffering and the saving of lives. In this humanitarian perspective and pastors find themselves in the same mission, but in different modalities. Both, faced with situations of recurring wars and massacres, for example in North Kivu, the effects of these situations: impoverishment, psychosocial trauma, internally displaced persons, etc. they do not remain indifferent. But their modes of action diverge. By all addressing the same target population, they can use conferences and training circles to raise awareness with a view to ending the crisis! However, in their mode of action, humanitarians seem to have a penchant, working only for a specific cause and a limited duration, with the enormous resources made available to them and exorbitant salaries and risk premiums. Pastors, for their part, being part of the wounded population, deploy themselves in the humanitarian mission with a spirit of sacrifice out of love. They volunteer, with the means at hand and above all by involving the same population. They are pastors of both victims and those who are considered their executioners. All things considered, when faced with a humanitarian situation, an emergency situation, emergency solutions are necessary for humanitarian protection. Faced with a situation of internally displaced persons for example, before thinking about lasting solutions, it is appropriate to raise awareness among the faithful or populations about solidarity for shelter, food, clothing, etc. Started at 9:30 a.m. under the presidency of Father KASEREKA KIBANDA Wilfrid, Assistant Provincial in charge, among other things, of ongoing formation, the first day of discussions on the management of humanitarian crises in our apostolates ended with the return of the crossroads at 4:00 p.m. This day saw the participation of around twenty religious people aged 25 and over, two of whom participated by videoconference. Next meeting, tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.!