In 1960, Abbé Pierre spoke of the three bombs which, according to Einstein, were then threatening humanity. First, the atomic bomb, a real threat at the time, during the Cold War; then, the demographic bomb, an uncontrollable increase in the world population, with its famines, unemployment and conflicts; and finally, the most formidable and unexpected one: the information bomb…

When Abbé Pierre was speaking, we were still several decades before the Internet, before the computer revolution, before the invention of mobile phones, all technologies that have increased communication skills exponentially. His argument: any information, from any part of the world, would become accessible to the whole planet; as a result, almost anyone could know what was happening elsewhere, and, more importantly, compare his or her situation with that of others: a very threatening and potentially subversive global village.

But there is another side effect or collateral damage of this bomb that was not apparent in 1960: the information overload that now overwhelms us every day. Much of this information is in the form of images that strike our sensibilities, causing a "shallow distress"[1]. These emotionally charged news reports that reach us in the comfort of our own homes are causing us to live in an absolute schizophrenic state between the contents of the images, a real kaleidoscope, and our personal situations. We are therefore saturated with emotions that are upsetting and that are replaced daily, one after the other: today, it’s floods; tomorrow, "the arrival of migrants"; then it will be a typhoon in the Philippines, a landslide elsewhere, attacks in Turkey... What do we do with all this information? What do we do with all these emotions? What effect do they have on us?...

According to Pope Francis, "some people are well-informed; they listen to the radio, read the newspapers or watch television, but they do so mechanically and without engagement. They are more or less aware of the tragedies afflicting humanity, but they have no sense of involvement or compassion"; and as a result of this information overload: "today’s information explosion does not of itself lead to an increased concern for other people’s problems (...) and can numb people’s sensibilities and downplay the gravity of the problems." This surplus of emotions, coupled with our inability to influence events, can make us often indifferent to what we are witnessing through the media, crippling our ability to think. Thus, like a perfect vicious circle, we delegate our responsibility to the government or to the international community, and they in turn are just as helpless as us, citizens, who rely on them. Decisions are made but they do not address the root of the matter.

A consequence of this information overload is that these messages that evoke "the tragic consequences" of violence eventually lead to an "indifference that has ceased to be a purely personal matter and has taken on broader dimensions" and the refusal to commit to "solidarity" at all levels. The commitment requires us to go beyond our emotions and to contemplate the situations in their complexity in order to make fair decisions.

On the subject of migration, we must deconstruct the prejudices conveyed, through the media, by some xenophobic leaders who maintain fear and racism. We must also question national and European migration policies which, despite their failure, aim at protecting certain people instead of welcoming everyone, especially the thousands of people whose presence may be an opportunity for both the development of the economy and the renewal of societal (cultural and faith-based) values.

"It is the spirit that gives life"[2]: more than ever, we need a spiritual surge calling on mankind’s intelligence and capacity for wisdom: Homo Sapiens, not just Homo Faber, intoxicated by technical prowess, trying to understand the complexity of our present-day planet and its future.

To the best of its ability, in Brussels, through a living together shared between co-residents and migrants, some forced into exile, others free in their movements, the Josefa House wants to bring, by reflection as well as action, its contribution to the joint venture that is the ethical and sustainable construction of a world better fit for everyone. In such challenging times for migration, Josefa would like to be a transitory informational gateway that promotes ethical decisions and sustainable commitments so that people can walk together, in trust, with purpose, in the service of peace in our common home: our humanity.