VINCENTIAN MARIAN YOUTH GREECE
together in FAITH, together in HOPE, together in LOVE for Christ!
WITNESSING: La PEJ 2022, Santiago de Compostela
by Ivy Blaise Palope, VMY Greece National President
I recently participated in the European Youth Pilgrimage in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. It was a very unique and fruitful experience, as I joined the JMV Spain (Juventudes Marianas Vicencianas / Vincentian Marian Youth) a group comprised of youths from different parts of Spain that come together in faith. Along with them, we attended a 3-day catechesis, worships, concerts, and various workshops.
One of the many things that captivated me the most during the event was a workshop by Manosunidas Ong that tackled the topic "Hunger, Inequality and how to overcome them." Not only was the topic interesting but the people along with me who had joined the workshop. They were individuals who either come from countries with a higher percentage of poverty or belonged to minority groups.
We then had an activity where we were shown some photographs of different families and the food each family has for a week. Specifically, the first image was a European family with lots of beers, loads of ham and cheese, plenty of meat/ fish, bread, etc. The second image also was similar but instead, it was an American family with a table full of pizzas, burgers, colas, etc. Lastly, there were two images of a refugee family in a camp and an African family with 3-4 bags of beans, small portions of veggies, and fruits.
"It is sad to say but it is the truth that some are more privileged than others, some have more than what they need, while some have nothing at all, sounds unfair but unfortunately, that is life..."
Ivy Blaise Palope, VMY Greece President (5th from left) & Julia Meneses, VMY Greece Treasurer (1st from left), together with Fr. Javier Antonio Serra Casanova CM, VMY Spain Priest Advisor (2nd from left), and the VMY National Presidents of Spain and Lebanon
When a group before us, who were mainly Europeans were asked what they noticed or what seemed different from the photographs, they answered, the cultural difference or diversity each family in the picture had. While the group I was in with, who either belonged to minority groups or are from third-world countries answered differently. We all noticed the inequality in those photographs for some families from different countries are more privileged and richer than others, while some barely had the minimum to survive for a week.
A quite different answer from the first group right?
This made me realize how the environment where one was raised impacts the way someone sees things in life. Someone who grew up in a more comfortable household, and a country with good economic standing, makes it harder to spot the inequalities in life compared to someone who grew up in poorer conditions.
It is sad to say but it is the truth that some are more privileged than others, some have more than what they need, while some have nothing at all, sounds unfair but unfortunately, that is life...
Ivy Blaise Palope was accompanied by Julia Meneses and were VMY Greece's representative in the recently concluded European Youth Pilgrimage (La PEJ2022) held last August 3-7, 2022 in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.