Year 2, Volume 1: Editorial

" If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any towns in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother, but you shall freely open your hand to him,and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks" ( Deut 15: 7-8).

When God created mankind, He set a criterion of equality, justice and equity. When the selfishness of man led to the accumulation of wealth for himself without regard for his neighbor, those ideals vanished. In order to help man restore that same model of civilization, God establishes a series of principles that, if faithfully carried out, will succeed in compensating for the social imbalances.

Unfortunately, the voice of God continues to fall on deaf ears, even those of the most faithful, and statistics continue to reflect the harsh reality of a population which is ever more impoverished and who are unable to diminish the harsh consequences. “According to official data, the city of Buenos Aires has a deficit of 100,000 houses and there are 400,000 people in emergency dwellings. The problem is visible in different forms: slums, squatter houses, derelict buildings and cheap hotels in abominable conditions” (Clarín 03/18/04).

On 09/04/04 we read in the local Santa Fe paper that, “Argentina’s housing deficit this year reached 2 million; currently this imbalance is increasing by 120,000 per year.” But it is important to remember that if we act responsibly, we can modify this state of affairs, and at least begin marking the path for change.

In Habitat for Humanity Argentina, we know that the sum of all our efforts, though they may seem small in the face of so much need, is of vital importance to those who now live in simple, decent houses... and a light of hope for those who wait patiently while we strive to reach them.

José Colacilli
President
Habitat For HumanityArgentina