Charting Paths to “Care is work, work is care”: insights from the Extended Advisory Committee meeting (1 March 2024, Global)

1st March 2024

This article presents an overview of a virtual meeting of the Extended Advisory Committee of the FOWLS Project, which served as an occasion to bring together partners from all over the world and agree on the most pressing challenges related to the world of work. The meeting was conducted using a Common social discernment methodology and provided an opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of the partners to “Care is work, work is care” approach.

In November 2023, the Extended Advisory Committee of the FOWLS Project convened for a two-day session, featuring six panels under the theme: “Strengthening the next steps of the FOWLS Project and ensuring a synodal approach to promote the Care is work, work is care’ approach”. The discussions centered on Common social discernment approaches, insights from a meeting in Chicago and the Synod, and contributions around the five topics identified by “The Future of Work – Labour after Laudato Si’” (FOWLS) network, including decent work in food supply chains, extractive industries, social justice, protection of migrants, and just environmental transition.

First day: Conversation in the Spirit

Topics discussed: Common social discernment (CSD), Decent work in food supply chain, sustainable farming, and access to food, in the context of climate change and geostrategic crisis & Extractive industries, decent work at the local level, impact on local communities while engaging in just transitions

The first meeting on Wednesday, November 22, featured opening remarks by Msgr. Robert J. Vitillo, the Secretary General of the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC), and Pierre Martinot-Lagarde from the International Labour Organization (ILO). Their remarks highlighted the journey, progress, and commitment of the FOWLS Project towards promoting social justice in the world of work, with a focus on the “Care is work, work is care” approach, and the method of Common social discernment (CSD).

We learned from Paolo Foglizzo (Aggiornamenti Sociali) and from Fr. Clete Kiley (Chicago Federation of Labor, UNITEHERE International Union & Archdiocese of Chicago) that initiatives like the Synod and the Chicago Hospitality Charter highlighted the importance of collaboration “unlikely allies,” dialogue, and integrating diverse perspectives to address social justice issues in the world of work. One of the most important takeaways from this conversation was the importance of the methodology. The methodology of the Synod was “conversation in the spirit,” which is not immediately translated into more secular content. It resonated very much with non-western experiences, and this helped to integrate people from diverse cultures.

With regard to food supply chain, solutions and recommendations were shared, such as securing land tenure rights, promoting agroecology, and advocating for policy reforms to address environmental degradation and promote decent work.

Johannes Moravits (Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union – COMECE) discussed specifically two challenges related to decent work in food supply chains and sustainable farming. The highly industrialized food consumption in Europe, which is produced outside of Europe and is linked to additional issues, such as poor working conditions, exploitation, and land grabbing. Legislation projects, such as the European Green Deal, lack transparency in their processes that favor big industries. This results in alienating farmers, who should be natural allies in the transition to sustainability. In his remarks he invoked references to Laudate Deum:

“The indispensable need to move beyond that paradigm, so damaging and destructive, will not be found in a denial of a human being, but include the interaction of natural systems with “social systems.” (27)

The meeting ended with remarks from Msgr. Anthony Ekpo, Undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Human Integral Development. He expressed the Dicastery’s interest and support for the work being conducted in the FOWLS Project. He expressed interest in the accompaniment in the FOWLS Project’s journey. Msgr. Ekpo emphasized the relational aspect of human nature and the importance of dialogue on important topics related to work and in advancing social justice:

“We are intrinsically relational, each of us, and I think it is only in that relational and dialogical interaction that we can see and discover and discern what is good for the entire human family, especially with regard to work.”

Second day: Giving Voice to the Voiceless

Topics: Social Justice, dignity, and inequality & Protection of migrants, including vulnerable groups

Sir Samuel Zan Akologo (Caritas Africa & FAITH in Ghana Alliance) highlighted the intersectionality of social justice, dignity and inequality that exists with the concept of work and care. He highlighted the importance of legal frameworks, such as those provided by the ILO, in ensuring justice and protection for workers, especially those who are in vulnerable positions. He also discussed the importance of Catholic social teaching (CST) in providing a framework for understanding the dignity of work and labour. Lastly, Zan advocated for giving “voice to the voiceless” and listening to those who are being impacted by social justice issues, especially in the spirit of Synodality.

Marla Asis (Scalabrini Migration Center in Manila – SMC) underscored the persistent complex and multifaceted challenges surrounding the protection of migrants and refugees, including their vulnerable legal status, lack of access to dignified work, and lack of access to legal protections in host countries. She also emphasized the importance of initiatives and networks aimed at supporting and advocating for the rights of migrants.

Msgr. Robert J. Vitillio (ICMC) also addressed the significant challenges in the global response to migrants and refugees. He shed light upon the barriers to dignified work, the shrinking advocacy space for non-governmental organizations in the United Nations, multi-lateral, and national arenas, and increasing nationalism and prejudice against migrants and refugees such as using terms like “illegal” claiming that all but “political refugees” are “economic migrants.” Attention was also brought to the externalization of asylum claims to other countries or regions of the world, which is not in conformity to the Geneva Convention. Msgr. Vitillio highlighted the good practices and networking initiatives strategies employed by the ICMC and its partners to address some of these challenges. The ICMC actively engages in global forums like the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) and the Global Refugee Forum to advocate for migrant and refugee rights, focusing on themes like climate change, integration, and cultural impact.

Unity in Action: Forging Pathways to Justice and Dignity

Closing the meeting, participants reflected on the discussions and identified collaborative approaches essential for addressing the interconnected challenges of the topics discussed. There was consensus on the need for collaboration, breaking down silos, and understanding the connections among the various challenges, as well as the importance of Catholic-inspired organizations (CIOs) operating at the local level, and the value of understanding Catholic social teaching as the guidance of their work.

These meetings not only strengthened the FOWLS collaborations but have laid the pathway forward to our Global Consultation in Rome from 8th to 10th May 2024, coordinated between the ICMC, the FOWLS Project and the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development. During this consultation, we will continue to deepen these discussions and build a roadmap for the period 2024-2026 to build on outcomes when it comes to social justice in the world of work.