No to extradition
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A press conference about Paolo Persichetti who had just extradited to Italy was held in a packed room of the Human Rights League. |
Paolo arrived in France in 1991. He demonstrated he was a brilliant student. He had obtained a scholarship for higher education. He was a researcher, a much loved and appreciated professor and he openly lived like any other citizen. President Mitterand, and his prime-ministers, had set a clear judicial precedent: France refuses all extradition, if the refugees have broken away from armed violence.
| It is a disgrace to France to deliver Paolo. France gave its word and reconciders it. |
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It is also a dishonor to Paolo. His career is broken. His
life is tumbling.
The Italian refugees at the conference fear also that it will
be their turn to be extradited. "France, they say, is using
us to show it is fighting against terrorism".
We are many, lead by lawyers and university professors, to defend Paolo against the injustice made to him.
- The Humanity festival
Like every year, I enjoyed going to the gatherings organized by the communists where we meet with people from every part of France. We mingled with the crowd. I was next to José Bové, the little sisters of the Gospel, the youths from the Christian Young Workers and people I simply did not recognize. 
I appreciated that an important place in the exhibitions and the debates was given to the Palestinian cause and to the illegal refugees.
More precisely, I participated in a debate about illegal refugees. In front of a large gathering, I emphasized the importance of building a European convergence of all actions for the illegal refugees and of aiming to the reinsertion of their fights into that other social conflicts.
We must go on fighting with them for the respect and enforcement of fundamental rights and not for security, legal or repressive reasons. This is why, within organizations, we are not asking to meet with the Minister of the Interior but with the Minister of the Social Affairs, Labour and Solidarity.
Finally, how is it not possible to return to the causes of emigration ? The illegal refugees are women and men who have been forced to what is essentially an economic emigration. They come from countries despoiled and plundered by colonizing countries and transnational companies. Which is well resumed in a the german slogan of illegal refugees : "We are here because of you ".
In the Netherlands
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I had the pleasure to be with about ten Spiritans in retreat who, for the most, are preparing to take their vows et to become deacons. Native from Angola, Australia, du Nigeria, Portugal, Ireland, Poland, Martinique and France, they were demonstating a joy of life as well as a profound faith. At the table, they had quite an appetite! |
These young Spiritans have a feeling for their mission. They have been called to be sent away. They experience the intrepid beginning of the disciples of the Gospel. They do not know yet in what country they will be sent one day. It doesn't really matter to them.
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What is important to them is to be sent to the poor people. They will go towards He who waits for them. It will be their turn to head for the open sea in this great adventure for the Gospel. |
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A new book |
| It was inevitable for me to come back to writing. This time it was in Zurich. In writing each month my log-book on the Partenia site, I was far from imagining that a book directly in German would come out of this experience! I was prolific and pleased in writing, sometime putting a few words in German. Out of courteousness! |
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To write a book is an adventure. I was measuring all the work that the publisher Katharina Haller and her team had to accomplish. The printing of a book is but one step, an important one indeed. Then there is the promotion of the book, week after week, in conjunction with the medias and the distribution agencies. I want to express my sincere gratitude to Katharina and her team for the implementation of this work so close to their hearts in the secret hope that the book will make worthwhile and give weight to the ordinary of our daily life.