People on the Move
Monday, August 5, 2024, 12-1pm Eastern
Following up from a regional consultation held in Rome this January, please join us in this webinar to hear from colleagues at Lesvos Solidarity (Greece) and Green Valley-Sahuarita Samaritans (US/Mexico border). Global trends in migration policy including externalization of borders, deterrence mechanisms and capricious immigration legislation rise to the surface as we gather and exchange stories among partners and draw thought-provoking comparisons between our contexts of mission and service. The implications of these trends have a direct impact on vulnerable people on the move caught in the crossfire of conflicts and thwart humanitarian aid efforts. In this webinar we will discuss these trends, the implications, and how church folk and people of goodwill are seeking to meet the moment to act with compassion and justice despite a rapidly changing world. Webinar co-sponsors include the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy (FCEI), the Reformed Church in America, and Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ.
Moderated by Luciano Kovacs, PC(USA) Area Coordinator for the Middle East and Europe Office, our confirmed speakers will be:
Liza Papadimitriou
Since 2015, Liza Papadimitriou has been working on humanitarian affairs and advocacy in the field of forced migration in Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Italy and Lebanon with Doctors Without Borders and Lesvos Solidarity. She holds a BA in Political Science and History from Panteion University and a MSc in Middle East Politics from SOAS, University of London.
Rev. Dr. Randy J. Mayer
Randy is an ordained United Church of Christ minister. Deeply influenced by his time studying and living in Latin America, Randy and his family moved to the Borderlands 27 years ago so he could serve as Senior Minister of the Good Shepherd United Church of Christ in Sahuarita, Arizona—35 miles from the US/Mexico border. As immigration and border issues have become more and more intense, Randy and his congregation have been key leaders in the work of humanitarian groups in Southern Arizona. In 2005 they founded the Green Valley/Sahuarita Samaritans—a group of 200 people that give food, water, and medical care to migrants in the desert—for no one should be dying in our deserts. Randy has been a passionate advocate for border communities and immigrant rights, speaking at universities, seminaries and churches.
Register in advance for this webinar: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UFxmUhtNSPakgojEvueLSg