ACTIVITY REPORT 2 0 1 6 the order of malta contents Message from the Grand Master 4. In Germany: Where successful Section 4: Fra’ Mattew Festing ...............................4 integration is a focus. Sebastian The guiding force ................................61 Schilgen ............................................34 Section 1: 5. In Ukraine: Helping IDPs fleeing Caring for the spirituality of the Order’s The large-scale movements of peoples conflict. Pavlo Titko ..........................36 religious members. in our time...........................................13 Grand Commander Fra’ Ludwig Section 2: Hoffman von Rumerstein .....................62 The Sovereign Order of Malta in the In action around the world..................39 wake of the global refugee crisis.........14 Initiation for the cause of beatification of Being hands on and long term. Grand Fra’ Andrew Bertie ...............................64 The Order of Malta in the context of Hospitaller Dominique de global migration ...................................16 La Rochefoucauld-Montbel..................40 Where religion is not an issue: In Lebanon a unique coexistence.............66 The innocent victims of conflicts The Order of Malta and humanitarian worldwide .............................................18 aid. Jonathan Benthall .........................42 Section 5: The Order’s heritage ...........................69 Refugees and IDPs: The issues...........20 The Global Fund for Forgotten 1. Deconstructing myths about People...................................................46 The First World War centenary: the immigration. Steve Killelea..............20 Order on the front lines........................70 2. Religious freedom, human rights and Section 3: the refugee impact. Johannes The government..................................49 The Order of Malta in the history of Heereman von Zuydtwyck ................22 medical aid ...........................................72 3. Refugee crises and increasing State and official visits .........................50 conflicts in our time. Thierry de The Grand Magistry launches the Beaumont-Beynac............................24 Strengthening healthcare and support Visitors Centre......................................74 4. Human dignity and global services: Cooperation agreements......54 displacement. Amb. Marie-Thérèse Section 5: Pictet-Althann ..................................26 Regional and international voices: Aid across five continents ...................77 Conferences around the world ............56 Refugees and IDPs: The reality ..........28 In Africa ................................................78 1. In Iraq: Life in a refugee camp. Oliver Sovereign Council and government In the Americas ....................................86 Hochedez ..........................................28 bodies ...................................................58 In Asia Pacific .......................................96 2. In Lebanon: Where one in four is a In Europe ............................................102 refugee. Paul Saghbini .....................30 Diplomatic relations worldwide ...........59 In Middle East.....................................116 3. In Italy: First aid at sea off southern coasts. Maria Grazia Mazza .............32 List of Order of Malta organisations worldwide ...........................................120 3 CONTENTS A message from the Grand Master Fra’ Matthew Festing In these recent times we have seen the greatest movements of peoples since the Second World War. They are fleeing from civil conflicts, from wars, from poverty, dis- was elected head of the Sovereign ease, famine or the fallout from natural catastrophes. The consequences are that Order of Malta in March 2008 there are millions of refugees seeking asylum and millions of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in many countries across the world. This publication focuses on this great crisis of our age and describes the work un- dertaken by the Order of Malta in many countries to give succour to those in peril. It presents, too, a review of the ongoing works of the Order across the world in 120 countries, works of care which continue everywhere every day. We see that the movements of peoples cause great distress, for those who flee and for those who host them. We have seen the refugee camps in Lebanon as that coun- try bravely tries to support an unprecedented influx of people escaping the war in Syria. The number of registered Syrian refugees in Lebanon at the end of September 2015 was over one million. The Lebanese population has increased by a quarter since the start of the war in Syria. We have witnessed the chaos in Iraq as persecution of those with religious beliefs ter- rorizes and drives out populations which have lived together peacefully for centuries. The Grand Master attends the Order of Malta’s International Summer Camp for We have seen the desperate plight of the people arriving in Southern Italy – and Young Disabled each year these are the lucky ones! They are the survivors of nightmare journeys in uncertain seas in the Mediterranean. But thousands of others have died in those seas in their bid for freedom. And we have seen the upheavals in Ukraine, where the ECHO recorded at the end of September 2015 that the Ukrainian Ministry of Social Policy totals for registered in- ternally displaced persons were 1.41 million and noted that many IDPs do not reg- ister with the authorities. Most have left home due to security concerns and the hu- manitarian impact of the conflict (lack of water, food, medicines). These, our fellow men, are in need of support of many kinds. First, humanitarian aid, ensuring survival - food, clean water, medical care. Then, psychological support as so many are traumatised. And then the long road to the rebuilding of lives and livelihoods. The Order of Malta has aid projects running in all of these theatres, as well as sup- 4 porting refugees and IPDs in Mali, South Sudan and Pakistan. SOVEREIGN MILITARY HOSPITALLER ORDER OF ST JOHN OF JERUSALEM OF RHODES AND OF MALTA Fra’ Matthew Festing visits the works of We observe that the world is in great need of help right now. In my meetings with po- the Order of Malta in Kenya litical leaders and heads of state, these concerns and our needs to respond are in- creasingly discussed. In these pages you will find just some of the many examples of assistance the mem- bers and volunteers of the Order of Malta carry out to alleviate the conditions of so- ciety’s marginalised, including eyewitness accounts from Iraq, Southern Mediter- ranean, Germany, Lebanon, Ukraine. As well as attending to current crises, the day-to-day work of the Order of Malta con- tinues tirelessly all over the world. The extensive range of activities includes the run- ning of soup kitchens for the homeless in many countries in Europe and the Ameri- cas, the provision of dispensaries and mobile clinics in far-flung regions in Africa and the Middle East, the creation of disaster reduction programmes in Asia Pacific. As well, there are projects to help prison populations, to help those with HIV, to sup- port victims of leprosy, to give medical care and community care to society’s disad- vantaged in many countries, programmes to educate children, programmes to train in hygiene and basic health and income generating skills in many regions where these measures save lives every day. And then there are the daily acts of support and kindness which do not attract great attention but which are the acts of love and help of man to man, in the great tradition of our Order. They are the ongoing commitment to care with a Christian inspiration which is completely impartial in its application. For as long as poverty, disease, lone- liness, exist we will be there. 5 A MESSAGE FROM THE GRAND MASTER LEBANONFLIGHT TO NEIGHBOURING Over one million Syrian refugees are registered in Lebanon. Escaping war and violence at home, they are now one quarter of the population. Resources are at breaking point. Some villages of 200 people are hosting more than 2,000 refugees. The Order of Malta strives to meet the most urgent needs of refugees and alleviate pressure on a strained health service through its mobile clinics and permanent health centres. (p 30) 6 SOVEREIGN MILITARY HOSPITALLER ORDER OF ST JOHN OF JERUSALEM OF RHODES AND OF MALTA 7 LOREM - IPSUM 8 SOVEREIGN MILITARY HOSPITALLER ORDER OF ST JOHN OF JERUSALEM OF RHODES AND OF MALTA MIGRATING ACROSS THE MEDITERRANEAN In the first ten months of 2015 more than 600,000 refugees and migrants crossed the Mediterranean in overloaded boats headed for Europe. Not all arrived. The Order of Malta is on duty 24/7 patrolling the sea on Italian navy vessels. As the crisis escalates, rescuing survivors of this perilous journey has become a daily duty for the Order's emergency doctors. (p 32) 9 LOREM - IPSUM 10 SOVEREIGN MILITARY HOSPITALLER ORDER OF ST JOHN OF JERUSALEM OF RHODES AND OF MALTA DISPLACED IN THE DEMOCRATIC CONGOREPUBLIC OF Women bear much of the trauma and hardship of unrelenting violence in the east of the country. Thousands of women live with and flee from sexual violence, over 2.8 million internally displaced persons struggle to survive. The Order of Malta provides psychological and medical treatment for assault, rape and other atrocities committed in the conflict-ridden zones. (p 80) 11 LOREM - IPSUM SECTION 1 THE LARGE-SCALE MOVEMENTS OF PEOPLES IN OUR TIME The first years of the twenty-first century are seeing the movements of peoples in the greatest displacement since the