New Books Tell Migrant Workers’ Stories, Outline Person-Centered Responses To Labor Migration
The International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) is publishing two books with research findings on migrant workers’ experiences, testimonies from migrant workers themselves, and examples of person-centered responses to labor migration.
The books Driven by the Depth of Love and Towards a Better World are the result of a multifaceted three-year research project on labor, demography and migration. They are based on research, reporting and photojournalism to provide an in-depth look at the realities of migrant workers worldwide.
The research report Towards a Better World explores different aspects of migrant experiences in the world of work – why people decide to migrate or not, the challenges and opportunities they face along the way, their living and working conditions where their journey takes them. Best practice examples show how Catholic and other faith-inspired organizations serve internal and international migrants in various places throughout the world.
Migrants themselves are given the floor in Driven by the Depth of Love. The 180-page photojournalism work highlights the living conditions and daily challenges of migrant workers in India, the Ivory Coast, Mexico and the United States. Seventy-six portraits of migrants and their living spaces put a human face on the phenomenon of migration. The book is authored by Christian Tasso, an award-winning photographer and documentary director whose work seeks to raise awareness of human rights issues, particularly concerning underrepresented groups.
A website featuring the full content of both publications is available at www.icmc.net/FutureOfWork
“ICMC is pleased to share these research findings, reflections and collection of good practices as well as testimonies of migrants about the challenges and opportunities they have faced during their journeys,” says ICMC’s Secretary General Msgr. Robert J. Vitillo. “We hope they will contribute to creating fair migration policies that promote decent work for all and uphold the dignity of every human being.”
“We are deeply grateful to the migrants and refugees who shared their stories, to the funders and partners of the Future of Work, Labour After Laudato Sì initiative and to the professional migration research centers and faith-based organizations that contributed to these publications,” adds Msgr. Vitillo.
The Future of Work: Labor Migrants in the 21st Century
ICMC led the research project as part of the initiative The Future of Work, Labour After Laudato Sì, which brought together Christian business associations, international movements, local communities, Conferences of Catholic Bishops, Jesuit Social Centers and universities and organizations from other religious traditions. The initiative promoted responses to the evolving labor market and migration in the spirit of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato sì (On Care for Our Common Home). ICMC, the International Labour Organization and the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development worked together on this project.
