Lord,
Father and Mother of all creatures under the sky,
Of all beings on soils and earths,
Of all who breathe in the waters,
And of us,
Children of the sixth day,
Called to take care of your creation,
To sustain whatever lives and praises you:
Be the moving force in our assemblies,
Which come together
In order to reflect, discuss and stipulate
How another world is possible.
Show us, how we encounter you
In the poorest and weakest,
Who have nobody to protect them
Than you, our Lord.
Let uns understand
That nobody in this world lives for himself or herself,
But that life is interconnected,
That the fish in the water,
The herbs in the fields
And the singing birds
Form the choir of life
To which we belong.
Do not allow us to look away
Where some do not know how to feed their children
And others life in abundance;
Where families say good-bye to their sons and daughters
Who leave their homes
For an insecure future in foreign countries;
Where the destiny of the many
Lies in the hand of the few;
Where human rights are not respected
But the rights of your beloved children
Are sacrificed on the altars of greed;
Where the abundance of diversity
In your creation is being threatened;
Where men and women cannot sustain their families
Which the wage they earn
By the sweat of their brows.
Be with your blessing
With all those who gather
For the 10th World Social Forum,
Who have come from Senegal
And the neighbouring countries,
From your continent Africa and the Near East,
And from all over the World,
People who praise you in many tongues
And by different means,
Giving lauds to your name
Or being close to you
By their spirit of solidarity and engagement
For the world that saw your Son, Jesus Christ.
Lead us all with your good spirit,
Today, tomorrow and the next days,
And when we retun home,
Because the World Social Forum is not finished
After five or six days
But your world is a social forum
Always and everywhere.
We pray today with all our hearts
Especially for our sisters and brothers in Egypt and Tunisia
Who have stood up
For a life in dignity and justice:
Push the door wide open
For a just future in Northafrica.
That we pray in Your name.
Amen.
