The 2025 G20 Summit opens in Johannesburg tomorrow at a time when the world feels unsettled in ways that touch every household and every community. Polarisation is shaping how nations relate to one another. Conflicts are shifting long-held alliances. Many families are living with the pressure of rising costs and uncertain futures. Climate shocks continue to disrupt people’s lives, from severe flooding to prolonged drought. These aren’t distant issues. They form the landscape in which ordinary people are trying to build stable lives.
For us, these global gatherings matter because their decisions reach the communities we accompany. Our mission calls us to pay attention to the lives of those most affected by economic strain, political choices, and environmental change. Across Europe, Africa and the world, the impact of international agreements eventually arrives in local realities. In schools, in clinics, in homes where families are trying to stay afloat, and in places where hope depends on access to opportunity and safety.
Economic Pressures Felt Close to Home
Across the world, people are living with the consequences of inflation and unstable markets. The cost of food, transport, fuel, and housing continues to rise. Many families, including those we meet in parish communities and outreach work, are making difficult decisions to manage essentials.
The G20 influences these conditions. Decisions on trade, financial cooperation and debt restructuring shape whether economies can find a firmer footing or slip into deeper uncertainty.
Climate Impacts Already Reshaping Communities
Extreme weather has become a lived reality. Flooding across Africa, destructive storms in Ireland, and shifts in rainfall patterns are affecting harvests, livelihoods, and long-term security.
The G20 will discuss climate finance and adaptation, issues that determine whether vulnerable regions receive the support needed to protect land, rebuild infrastructure, and prepare for further environmental pressure. For those whose lives are tied closely to the land, these decisions are not abstract.
Displacement and the Search for Stability
Forced migration continues to rise across the globe. Families are fleeing conflict, persecution, and economic collapse, often arriving in countries where systems are already stretched.
In Ireland, our Sisters accompany migrants and asylum seekers navigating language barriers, isolation, and the uncertainty of starting again.
The G20 plays a role in shaping how the international community responds to displacement — from humanitarian aid to long-term structural support. Strong commitments at this level can ease the strain on families and improve pathways to safety and dignity.
The Realities Facing Developing Nations
Many African nations, where OLA has deep roots, are carrying heavy debt burdens and face limited access to fair global markets. These pressures restrict investment in healthcare, education, and sustainable development, areas directly connected to the well-being of the communities we serve.
The G20 has the ability to influence debt relief, financial justice, and investment in long-term development.
Keeping Human Dignity at the Centre
Behind every policy discussion are people whose lives will be directly shaped by the choices made. Our mission places human dignity at the heart of how we understand global events.
We are attentive to the young woman seeking education that can open a path forward; the mother trying to keep her family secure; the migrant building a new life; the community protecting its environment; the child whose future depends on decisions made far away.
These are the stories that guide our reflection as the summit begins.
A Prayer for Integrity and Courage
As leaders meet in Johannesburg, we hold them in prayer, asking for clear thinking, compassionate judgement, and a genuine commitment to the common good.
May the conversations at this summit lead to decisions that strengthen justice, honour human dignity, and support the communities most vulnerable to global pressures.
The summit will end, but its influence will continue to shape the lives of those we accompany. Our hope is that the choices made will open space for greater stability, protection, and opportunity for all.