Linz in the sign of solidarity: benefit soup dinner for Colombia!

Linz in the sign of solidarity: benefit soup dinner for Colombia!

Linz, Österreich - in Linz the traditional benefit soup dinner took place on Friday for the 23rd time, organized by Governor Thomas Stelzer and Margit Schmidinger, the chairman of the Catholic women's movement (KfB) in Upper Austria. Numerous guests, including Bishop Manfred Scheuer, listened carefully when he emphasized: "Parts are not suitable for populism." The event was part of the Family Fast Day campaign and this year the topic "Together for more climate justice". The devastating effects of climate changes in Colombia, the foremost country of this year's campaign, were discussed. Bishop Scheuer and Schmidinger emphasized that the raw material mining and the West are responsible for the environmental state of the country and that women in Colombia are important impulse providers for change.

The situation of women's rights in Colombia is alarming. According to the observation center for female, 630 women were murdered in 2020, and the extent of sexual exploitation of minors is shockingly high. In a country in which 34 percent of the population live below the poverty line and in rural areas two million are extremely poor, many families see no other way out than selling their children to prostitution rings. The humanitarian crisis in Venezuela has also promoted an increase in human trafficking and sexual violence. The city of Cartagena in particular is the focus of this worrying development, where there are also initiatives such as "La Muralla" who try to offer young people and children protection and to keep them from human dealers. Aid organizations work closely with the Colombian authorities to raise awareness of these problems and to improve the offers of help, such as Frauenrechte.de reported.

The efforts to make a fair and livable future for women and their families were clearly supported by both, Schmidinger and Stelzer. Their message was unmistakable: it requires comprehensive commitment and mutual support to improve the living conditions for all people. While the Catholic women's movement raises awareness through its actions, reality in Colombia remains depressing. The stuck structures not only require local, but also international solidarity to give hope to the families concerned and bring about long -term changes.