Every person has a dignity that no circumstance can erase. This is the principle at the heart of AVSI’s new Tents Campaign, inspired by the words of Pope Leo XIV in his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas:
“Every human person possesses an infinite dignity, inalienably grounded in his or her very being, which prevails in and beyond every circumstance, state, or situation the person may ever encounter.”
Let's safeguard it is the Campaign’s invitation: to recognise the worth of every person and care for them through presence, listening and relationships in which everyone can contribute through who they are and what they can give.
Safeguarding our shared humanity is a very practical matter, rooted in closeness to others — just as AVSI’s projects are — and in mutual relationships that sometimes emerge in unexpected ways.
An act of mutual care
Last summer, Sheila Berti, an AVSI staff member, was in Venezuela in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, helping oversee the launch of emergency projects. As she focused on a distribution of essential goods, with a long queue of people waiting in the sweltering heat, a Venezuelan woman who had survived the earthquake approached her. She looked at Sheila and asked how she was and whether she was feeling very hot.
When Sheila said she was, the woman took off her hair clip and gave it to her. “This way, you can tie back your long hair and get some relief from the heat,” she explained.
Sheila was taken aback by this simple gesture of care. She had come to help, to stand alongside a population made vulnerable by the disaster, yet she found herself being cared for in return.
It was a simple gesture that revealed something essential: every person retains the capacity to notice another, to offer something of themselves and to build a relationship. Even in the most difficult circumstances, care can be reciprocal.
Safeguarding our humanity, together
This attention to the person lies at the heart of AVSI’s work. In emergencies and throughout longer-term development processes, AVSI accompanies people and communities through projects that promote education, vocational training, the development of rural communities and reconstruction in the aftermath of crises.
Each journey takes shape through encounters with people, recognising their dignity, abilities and aspirations. The Tents Campaign invites everyone to take part in this shared commitment, so that care can become a lasting presence and open up new possibilities for the future.
Every person is of infinite worth. Let's safeguard it.
