The event promoted by the Czech Embassy and the Sovereign Order of Malta
A collection of over 50 photos by the Czech photographer Jan Šibík witnessing some of the most horrendous global humanitarian tragedies of the last 25 years opened to the public this morning at the University of the Holy Cross in Rome. The exhibition “The Devil within us” was inaugurated by the Rector of the University Prof. Mons. Luis Romera and the Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta, Fra’ Matthew Festing.
From the bloody Balkan war to the destruction caused by the Haiti earthquake up to the desperate journey of refugees across land and sea: each photographs exhibited tells an individual story of privation and destitution. “As we approach the First ever World Humanitarian Summit we cannot afford to turn the other way. It is time to make a global effort to end privation and need and put humanity at the centre of decision-making” the Grand Master said after visiting the exhibition together with the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Fouad Twal who participated in conference taking place after the inauguration.
“We live in a turbulent era, surrounded by dramatic violent conflicts causing uncountable humanitarian disasters. 2015 was a year of great instability, and sadly, 2016 seems to be following the same path”, said the Grand Chancellor of the Sovereign Order of Malta, after meeting the Czech Deputy Prime Minister Pavel Bělobrádek, also one of the panellists of the conference.
Albrecht Boeselager illustrated the efforts of the Order of Malta towards the World Humanitarian Summit, the initiative launched by UN Secretary General Ban-Ki-moon to reshape aid and launch a new humanitarian agenda, taking place next month in Istanbul.
The exhibition- which will stay open to the public until 28 April – will then travel to Milan, Bruxelles and possibly Istanbul for the World Humanitarian Summit. It is promoted by the Embassy of the Czech Republic to the Holy See and the Sovereign Order of Malta, by the government of the Sovereign Order of Malta, the European Union delegation to Rome, with the support of the Italian Society for International Organization (SIOI).
