The spiritual retreat of Pope Francis that could inspire the presidential candidates in Argentina

This has just happened in the Vatican: the dad Francisco gathered in a spiritual retreat to the warring parties in the civil war of South Sudan, a country whose Argentines – let's be honest – do not have any information.

Let's go over: its region is twice as large as the province of Buenos Aires and is in central Africa, surrounded by Congo, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya and the Central African Republic.

When he became independent from Sudan in 2011, he had 20 million inhabitants, but 5 years ago a civil war broke out. Please read these numbers with your heart:

* 400,000 people are already dead.

* 6 million have crossed the border and fled to neighboring countries, including Ethiopia.

* Another seven million have abandoned their homes and are roaming their own territory in search of areas where they do not kill them.

The drama of South Sudan has been reflected in a documentary on French television (South Sudan, the accursed land) by Charles Emptaz and Olivier Jobard, issued by France24.

The image of the child covered by flies, at 6 minutes, is heartbreaking. As much as that of the young woman who gives birth when she runs away in a truck at 4.30 pm.

Underdevelopment condemns the people of South Sudan, a country paradoxically rich in oil reserves, but in which nearly three out of 10 young people between the ages of 15 and 24 are illiterate.

Let's go back to the news today.

The pope accepted the proposal presented by the Most Rev. Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterburyof organize a spiritual retreat at the Vatican, in the Domus Sanctae Marthae, and gather the leaders of the opposing armies.

Others included Save Kiir Mayardit, President of the Republic, and four of the five vice-presidents named: Riek Machar Teny Dhurgon, James Wani Igga, Taban Deng Gai and Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabior.

After two days of retreat and reflection, and Under the slogan "Find what unites, overcome what divides", everyone and others have made the commitment to seek peace.

Will they succeed? We do not know it. It is difficult.

One day we were told that peace – more than just an ideal goal – is a path that is built every day.

The big company manufacturing and selling arms needs wars. War conflicts are the necessary market for weapons, which must be sold to those who will use them. And one of the great manifestations of hypocrisy is that of countries that are at the same time talking about peace and providing weapons to the warring parties of the planet.

This Vatican attempt only appears as a possibility. Minimal, unlike reality, may be doomed to failure. But he is a bearer of hope in a world in which – as the Pope has repeated – The Third World War has already begun, fragmented into conflicts that appear everywhere.

According to the Council of Foreign Relations, there are 25, including ideological, religious, anti-drug and ethnic struggles.. Somalia, Afghanistan, Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Ukraine, Cameroon, Venezuela, Nigeria, Burma, Turkey, Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad Colombia, the Philippines, Pakistan or Mexico are examples.

I leave to the experts in international politics the causes and the evolution of all these conflicts. My intention is to tell you what these wars are causing right now.

And I do not say it, but the UNHCR, which is the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees:

* Every two seconds, somewhere in the world, a person is forced to move as a result of armed struggles.

* 68 million and a half people forcibly moved to other countries.

* Another 40 million people are internally displaced persons seeking to settle in other parts of their country.

* 10 million people became stateless because their place of origin lost a national entity.

* 44,400 people a day are forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution.

* International organizations estimate that 25 million refugees have had to leave their country.

* 85% of refugees are in developing countries, while developed countries do not admit them into their territory.

* 57% of refugees come from South Sudan (2,400,000 people), Afghanistan (2,600,000 people) and Syria (6,300,000 people).

Concerned about the country's problems and their particular political situation, the presidential candidates of Argentina never mention these problems.

It's like they were not aware of the wars that are deploring the world today. It seems that they are not aware of the suffering of millions and millions of people.

In fact, it also obeys the reduced vision that the Argentineans in general, and not only our politicians in particular, have the world. It has often been said that our ombligism prevents us from even comparing our problems to those that shake the rest of the international community. This simple exercise would allow us to weigh our difficulties with less rigor.

By the way, we might ask how they see us in the world. If we accept and accept reality, we should accept that we have a faded image.

Beyond the individual respect that Ginobili, Piazzolla or the biologist Sandra Diaz of Cordoba deserve, we have a bad reputation. It's painful, but it's also true.

Argentina – not the government, neither this one nor the one who comes – must improve its image in front of the world.

I think to get there, presidential candidates should start talking about peace in the world. They should be aware of everything that's going on. And join those who have a firm activity in this direction.

For example, it would be good for one of the candidates to say: "If I reach the government, I will try to bring refugee contingents to my country".

And if all the candidates did, writing and signing a common document?

For him Cardinal Mario PoliArchbishop of Buenos Aires, it would be a very pleasant surprise. Finally, we would devote the phrase-this time, without the clbadical irony that always accompanies it. "Argentina, generous country".

And we would like to join this group of countries which, as UNHCR statistics say, welcome refugees despite their own economic constraints, while the big developed countries turn a blind eye.

An inveterate national custom blurs initiatives. All, no matter what it is. That is why I imagine the negative comments that this suggestion might generate.

I simply propose that the heart speak. And I remember that in the 70s, a researcher called Antonio Cosentino, creator of the "Map of Hope of Argentina", told us:

– In Argentina, almost all of Europe has 300 million inhabitants. We have to populate the country because that would allow us to have high productivity and consumption.

If we examine the history of our country, we will see that the great moments of growth were those in which there were significant population displacements, both from abroad and from within.

But apart from this economic and geopolitical speculation, Argentina has the great opportunity to present itself to the world as what each of us is in reality: sensitive and supportive people.

We have it in our DNA because our grandparents have lived it and we have inherited it.

Whatever it is, I am sorry to have given up my usual columnist status and get into problems that exceed my abilities. But at least watch the documentary on French television, if they have not done so yet.

And at least, thank Argentina.