| Directly from the UN website: Sovereign Military Order of Malta Rev. Father Gerard T. Lagleder, OSB Head of Delegation [Text: English] [Video: English] |
[Mr.
President of the World Summit,] Madam Chair,
Your Excellencies, [Heads of State and Government,]
Distinguished Heads of Delegations and Delegates,
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
We are
all seeking the best possible solutions for sustainable development. Development
and its sustainability though, must not be seen as an independent aim detached
and idolised, but it must always include and focus on the human person, who is
to be developed, and on the human person who develops programs, systems and
society.
No. 46 of the “Draft plan of implementation” of this World Summit
quotes the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, which states that
human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development.
Human
development therefore, must be our first concern in order to develop the human
family.
This educational process will only be sustainable if we try to achieve it
through a holistic approach, developing the whole human person: body, mind and
soul.
A
perfectly educated brain in a healthy body though may become a threat to
humankind, if it is not part of a morally and spiritually well-balanced
personality.
There are developments taking place in our scientific world where
the sacrosanct nature of human life is disregarded and crucified:
The very matter
of humanity, human life, is threatened through the practise of abortion and
active euthanasia in many countries.
Life is degraded to become merchandise
where human life is generated, harvested and (ab)used and where human
life, not meeting the criteria, is disposed of in the trash bin of [gene
technology] laboratories.
Where development is not based on a morally sound foundation and where it is not
embedded in synergy with our creator, technological progress may be misled and
jeopardise the aim of development: the holistic well-being of humankind.
I am not here, to preach morals to you, but I am humbly and urgently requesting, that all governments may do all in their power, to protect human life from conception to its natural end on earth.
If development wants to be sustainable, it must develop the human person towards respect for life, maturity, responsibility and care – or in religious terms, towards faith, peace and love.
Only a respectful, mature, responsible and caring person will have the right attitude towards the environment that “mother nature” provides for all of us.
We have the knowledge and technology to
save and to destroy our earth.
What we have to do and what this World Summit
wants to facilitate, is to use all our most wonderful resources, abilities,
talents and knowledge to develop the earth and all its people and ecology to
make it an even better place for everybody.
The
Sovereign Military Order of Malta has always subscribed to sustainable
development according to our very modern, but ancient motto “tuitio fidei et
obsequium pauperum” (Protection of faith and service to the poor).
As the oldest
regular relief organisation of the occident and the oldest hospital order of the
church, we proudly boast more than 900 years of history, working for sustainable
development through programs and activities implemented in many countries all
over the world by our national and
international associations and
organisations
to
In my
capacity as the president of the South African Relief Organisation (www.bbg.org.za)
of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, I am happy about the emphasis of this
World Summit on sustainable development for Africa.
I
am particularly proud that the foundation of our South African Relief
Organisation was not a satellite initiative from a foreign entity, to develop us
Africans, but an idea and program entirely made in South Africa for South Africa
by people living in South Africa.
We are Proudly South African!
Our main focus are children, youth and adults infected and affected by
HIV/AIDS,
providing child care and
hospice care,
HIV/AIDS education and
community
development to eradicate HIV infection caused by dangerous ways of income
generation as a result of poverty.
The Sovereign Military Order of Malta highly appreciates the “(Draft) plan of implementation” of this World Summit [, especially its chapter II on “Poverty Eradication”, chapter VI on “Health and sustainable development” and chapter VIII on “Sustainable development for Africa”] and publicly renews its commitment to remain actively involved in sustainable development on an international level.
May this World Summit bear fruit a hundredfold and may God bless us all to achieve it.
Thank you!
Rev. Father Gérard T. Lagleder O.S.B.
Text inserted at time of delivery is printed in Italics and text [omitted] at time of delivery is put in [brackets].
|
Holy See H.E. Archbishop Renato Raffaele Martino, Head of the Delegation [Text: English] [Video: English] |
 Sovereign Military Order of Malta |
 The Sovereign Military Order of Malta and the United Nations |
United Nations |
This page is also part of the Newsletter No. 22 of the Brotherhood of Blessed Gérard
This page was created on 9 July 2002 and last modified on Montag, 22 März 2021 19:07:09
