Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation » Global

Fortnight For Freedom

christina — Sat, 19 May 2012 17:30:05 +0000

On April 12, the Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a document, “Our First, Most Cherished Liberty,” outlining the bishops’ concerns over threats to religious freedom, both at home and abroad. The bishops called for a “Fortnight for Freedom,” a 14-day period of prayer, education and action in support of religious freedom, from June 21-July 4.

Bishops in their own dioceses have been encouraged to arrange special events to highlight the importance of defending religious freedom. Catholic institutions are encouraged to do the same, especially in cooperation with other Christians, Jews, people of other faiths and all who wish to defend this cherished freedom.

The fourteen days from June 21—the vigil of the Feasts of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More—to July 4, Independence Day, are dedicated to this “fortnight for freedom”—a great hymn of prayer for our country.

Please see the USCCB website for more information on organizing a special event in your parish.

Tell Congress: End Too-Big-To-Fail. Make Banking SAFE

christina — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:21:46 +0000

The top five banks now control 52 percent of the financial industry’s assets; they had 17 percent in 1970. The six largest banks control assets equal to 62 percent of the nation’s gross national product. They may be not only too big to fail, but also too big to save.

The biggest of them, Dimon’s JPMorgan Chase, has $2.1 trillion in assets and more than 239,000 employees. The bank’s recent bad bet that now amounts to $3 trillion, is a clear indication of the need for serious reform.

Sen. Sherrod Brown and Rep. Keith Ellison have introduced a measure to cut too-big-to-fail banks down to size. The SAFE (Safe, Accountable, Fair and Efficient) Banking Act would put in place an important element missing from the financial reform legislation of two years ago: a cap on how big banks can get. The bank lobby defeated all efforts to include a limit on their size.

Now the six largest banks – led by JPMorgan Chase – are collectively larger and more concentrated than they were before they blew up the economy, with the assets they control growing from $6.1 trillion before the collapse to more than $8.5 trillion today, according to Federal Reserve data.

Wall Street lobbyists have successfully delayed and diluted regulations that were supposed to flow from the Wall Street reform bill. And the big banks have ways to push their way around any barriers.

We need a fail-safe. If a bank can’t be too big, then it can’t be too big to fail.

Among the provisions of the Safe Banking Act are that no bank could hold more than 10 percent of all of the insured bank deposits in the country, nor could a bank holding company have non-deposit liabilities greater than 2 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product.

By the standards in the SAFE Banking Act, four existing banks are currently above the size cap—JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo—and would have to shrink. This would be a major step in making banking sober—and boring, as it should be—once again.

Click here to tell Congress: Break up the big banks! Pass Sen. Sherrod Brown and Rep. Keith Ellison’s SAFE Banking Act.

Thanks to the Campaign for America’s Future for the information on this bill.

Corporate Social Responsibility and the Churches

christina — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:03:11 +0000

Thanks to the European Africa Faith & Justice Network for the following information:

Bishops call for increased corporate transparency

Catholic bishops urge the European Union to legislate on extractive companies

While a group of EU member states, including Germany and the UK, are attempting to water down new EU transparency legislation, Catholic bishops from around the world urge the EU to push forward and require European Union-listed and large unlisted extractive companies to publicly disclose the payments they make to governments worldwide. In a joint statement, they say less stringent laws will fail to turn the curse of resource-rich developing countries into a blessing.

More information…

European Union Transparency Directive may have a positive impact on the lives of poor people

Mgr Joseph Banga from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) says the upcoming revision of the EU Transparency and Accounting Directives could have a positive impact on the lives of poor people living in resource-rich developing countries. If EU companies are required to report on a country-by-country and project-by-project basis on their financial dealings with host governments, citizens will be able to monitor the management of their natural resources.

Learn more…

Watch the video interview Mgr Joseph Banga from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) [in French with English subtitles]:

World Religious leaders protest against attitudes of mining companies

In many places around the world, religious leaders are protesting against mining companies and projects. What are their complaints? In Chad, that revenues intended to ease the pain of poverty are nowhere to be seen; in the DRC and in Nigeria that mining feeds devastating conflicts; in Ghana that mining in forest reserves threatens animal and plant species. The underlying story is one of broken promises, of powerful companies whose God is profit and of a wounded planet whose resources are despoiled harming the people who live nearby. On April 24, bishops, preachers, and advocates gathered at the Washington National Cathedral to explore how they might join forces both to draw attention to the harm that bad mining practices wreak on people and land, and to point to practical, positive ways to move forward. The Missionary Oblate JPIC Office was instrumental in organizing the conference.

Faith Groups Call for Increased Poverty-Focused Foreign Assistance

christina — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:44:30 +0000

The Missionary Oblates joined 35 multi-faith U.S.-based religious institutions in urging Congress to pass a faithful budget that increases funding above current levels for poverty-focused international development, humanitarian assistance and global health programs in the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. The letter points out, “Using less than one percent of the federal budget, poverty-focused foreign assistance saves lives, lays the groundwork for economic growth around the world and fosters global human security. Its programs alleviate hunger and malnutrition, help communities access clean water and sanitation, facilitate rural development, educate children, combat deadly but preventable diseases and promote global health.”

Read the full letter (Download PDF)

Oblate CSA in Godfrey Hosts Open House

christina — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:39:44 +0000

Inside the greenhouse at LaVista CSA Farm; Photo by Kevin McLaughlin, OMI

The La Vista Community Supported Garden, a project under the Justice, Peace/Integrity of Creation Ministry of the Missionary Oblates, hosted an Open House on Sunday, May 6th for new and returning shareholders. The farm is located on the Oblate property in Godfrey, Illinois and has been operating successfully now for over a decade.

More information about the CSA is available here…

Fields ready for planting. Photo by Kevin McLaughlin, OMI

The Greenhouse at the LA Vista CSA Farm; Photo by Kevin McLaughlin, OMI

UNCTAD Mandate on Debt Relief Sustained

christina — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:08:27 +0000

Eric LeCompte, Jubilee's Executive Director at UNCTAD meetings in Doha, Qatar on April 23-26

Jubilee USA is celebrating passage of the Doha Accord, a major step forward in developing solutions to the international debt crisis. The Missionary Oblates is a member of the Jubilee USA coalition and has a seat on the Board. Last week during tough and divisive negotiations in Qatar, Jubilee USA – working with governments and international partners – secured a strong mandate on debt and responsible lending and borrowing.

This United Nation’s consensus-built accord means the work of the United Nations Committee on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) will be renewed for the next four years. UNCTAD has served a vital role in consensus building on debt relief initiatives such as HIPC and MDRI that have resulted in more than 100 billion dollars in debt relief. Currently Jubilee serves as an expert to UNCTAD and has helped develop principles on responsible lending and borrowing – an actual solution to the international debt crisis. UNCTAD’s renewed mandate will allow them to build an international consensus on responsible lending and borrowing.

However – winning the new mandate was hard fought and hard won. A week before negotiations began on UNCTAD’s renewal, there was a release of negotiating documents which illustrated that some developed countries were seeking to weaken and even eliminate UNCTAD’s mandate on debt, financial reforms and continued consensus building on principles of responsible lending and borrowing. It seemed likely that there would be a North/South divide and the support of this effective UN body would end – but with the mobilization of significant pressure and the strong support of the Chinese – Jubilee and their allies won.

Jubilee USA staff were in contact with decision makers at the White House, Treasury and State Department during negotiations in Qatar and were able to meet with US government negotiators. Please read their thank-you letter to President Obama for joining Jubilee and ensuring a strong mandate for UNCTAD on debt relief and promoting financial reforms.

Eric LeCompte, Jubilee USA Executive Director, was hosted for these negotiations by UNCTAD to moderate a panel with 11 financial ministers and treasury heads from around the globe to speak in support of UNCTAD’s principles on responsible lending and borrowing. You can watch and hear this panel here and see UNCTAD’s press release here.

Impacts of Mining Exhibit at the UN hosted by VIVAT International

christina — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:34:32 +0000

The Missionary Oblates and VIVAT International will host a multi-media exhibit on the impacts of mining operations on people and ecosystems around the world on May 8th at the United Nations. This unique exhibit will be up for viewing from 11:00-3:00 pm in the Chapel at the Church Center for the United Nations. May 8th is the second day of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the theme of which is the Doctrine of Discovery. The exhibit organizers have reached out through their global faith-based networks for stories and images from local communities affected by mining operations. If you are in New York on May 8th, please attend!

Goals of the exhibit include:

Bearing witness to the suffering of the Earth and its peoples as a consequence of extractive industry abuses;
Underscoring the necessity of industry standards in preventing mining abuses; and
Revealing the courageous resistance of peoples all over the world to inadequate extractive industry standards.

At 2:30, there will be a special 15 minute commemoration of those who have been murdered around the world as a result due to their community resistance against the consequences of extractive industry on their communities.

Event details (Download PDF)

Banks Targeted in Divestment Campaign and by Faith-Based Shareholder Activism

christina — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 03:32:28 +0000

Churches and faith-based shareholders alike have been taking action against big banks that have failed to respond to the plight of homeowners and others seriously affected by the financial crisis. The Missionary Oblates have been actively engaging the big banks and financial institutions in an effort to deal with some of the underlying problems that have caused so much pain to so many.

Recently, members of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) facilitated the participation of VOICE (Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement) in the Detroit AGM of GE Capital. VOICE is a faith-based community organization representing people who have lost their homes or whose houses are threatened by the on-going foreclosure crisis. GE Capital holds some of these mortgages and has been resistant to negotiation of the mortgage terms.

A recent article in Catholic News Service looks at the growing divestment campaign and some of the other activities of church groups vis a vis the big banks.

UNCTAD Meeting Overcomes Serious Disagreements

christina — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:22:46 +0000

At a contentious meeting of the UN Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) ending Thursday in Doha, Qatar, the role of the UN organization in examining trade and development was confirmed, but not after a week of hard debate. The Doha Mandate, adopted by consensus by the member States, requests that UNCTAD continue its work along the three pillars of consensus-building, policy research and technical assistance. “UNCTAD remains the focal point in the United Nations for the integrated treatment of trade and development, and interrelated issues in the areas of finance, technology, investment and sustainable development,” reads part of the agreed text.

Profound discord between industrialized nations and developing countries threatened to ruin the UNCTAD meeting in Doha, and endangered the survival of this United Nations body that defends the interests of the developing nations of the South. Disagreements between the blocs, broadly identified as countries of the North and of the South, have arisen mainly from differing views of UNCTAD’s mandate and different visions of development and how it relates to social, environmental, economic and financial variables.   One important area under discussion involved giving UNCTAD a mandate to investigate the current global financial crisis and its effects on the real economy, something for which developing countries and NGOs pressed, but which industrialized countries rejected out of hand.

On Saturday April 21 at the conference’s inaugural session, 37 international and 137 national NGOs sent a message to participating governments, titled “Strengthen, don’t weaken, UNCTAD’s role in global governance”, highlighting the important role played by UNCTAD “in identifying the key causes” of the global crisis originating in 2008.   UNCTAD has assisted developing countries in seeking solutions to the impacts of the crisis, and has advocated the reform of global economic and finance policies in order to prevent similar crises from recurring, the NGOs said.   ”UNCTAD is well known for having predicted the crisis in advance, a fact that is to be commended, particularly given its paucity of resources compared to institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which failed to do so,” the message says.   Signatories of the message to the governments at the UNCTAD meeting include ActionAid International, the African Trade Network, the Arab NGO Network for Development, CIDSE (an international alliance of 16 Catholic development agencies), the European Network on Debt and Development, and Friends of the Earth International. The Missionary Oblates JPIC Office joined the Hemispheric Social Alliance, the International Trade Union Confederation, Oxfam International, Public Services International, the Third World Network, the Transnational Institute and the World Council of Churches in signing the declaration.

In the negotiations of the conference’s outcome document, China and the Group of 77 (G77) defended UNCTAD’s role. The Group of 77 (G77) is the developing world bloc that was formed after the first UNCTAD conference, held in Geneva in 1964. Today, it is made up of 132 member countries. In addition to the EU, the JUSCANZ (JZ) group, consisting of Japan, the United States, Switzerland, South Korea, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway and Liechtenstein, represented industrialized countries at the Doha conference.

UNCTAD Director Supachai’s views clashed with that of the industrialized country groups, and his report, presented to the conference on Saturday, warned against the dangers of globalization and development processes driven by international finance.   The disagreements between developing and industrialized countries are even more acute in the debate about the accords reached at the previous UNCTAD session four years ago, held in Accra, Ghana.   The G77 wanted to reaffirm and strengthen the Accra Accord, so that UNCTAD can continue with its present work, following the direction laid down by its secretariat.   But the JZ wanted all reference to reaffirming the Accra agreement eliminated from the outcome document, and proposed that the accord be reviewed.   In the end, the Accra Accord was confirmed. China was considered largely responsible for the success in holding firm against the demands of the EU and the JZ countries.

The industrialized countries also wanted to reject paragraphs about the management and resolution of national debts, the responsibilities of lenders and borrowers, and an orderly solution to the debt crisis.   Yet, the UNCTAD meeting kick started an endorsement process to adopt voluntary principles on sovereign lending and borrowing. The Jubilee USA Director, Eric LeCompte, attended the meetings as this is an area of particular concern to Jubilee USA, of which the Missionary Oblates is a member.

Read the Jubilee principles on responsible lending and borrowing.

Holy Father Denounces Human Trafficking For Sexual Exploitation And Organ Harvesting

christina — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:15:28 +0000

The Holy Father has written a message for the seventh world congress on the pastoral care of tourism, which began on April 23 in the Mexican city of Cancun. The message is addressed to Cardinal Antonio Maria Veglio, president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, and to Bishop Pedro Pablo Elizondo Cardenas L.C., prelate of Cancun-Chetumanl.

“Tourism”, the Pope writes in the English-language version of his message, “like other human realities, is called to be enlightened and transformed by the Word of God. … Tourism, together with vacations and free time, is a privileged occasion for physical and spiritual renewal; it facilitates the coming together of people from different cultural backgrounds and offers the opportunity of drawing close to nature and hence opening the way to listening and contemplation, tolerance and peace, dialogue and harmony in the midst of diversity.

“Travelling reflects our being as ‘homo viator’; at the same time it evokes that other deeper and more meaningful journey that we are called to follow and which leads to our encounter with God. Travelling, which offers us the possibility of admiring the beauty of peoples, cultures and nature, can lead to God and be the occasion of an experience of faith, “for from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator”.

“On the other hand tourism, like every human reality, is not exempt from dangers or negative dimensions. We refer to evils that must be dealt with urgently since they trample upon the rights of millions of men and women, especially among the poor, minors and handicapped. Sexual tourism is one of the most abject of these deviations that devastate morally, psychologically and physically the life of so many persons and families, and sometimes whole communities. The trafficking of human beings for sexual exploitation or organ harvesting as well as the exploitation of minors, abandoned into the hands of individuals without scruples and undergoing abuse and torture, sadly happen often in the context of tourism. This should bring all who are engaged for pastoral reasons or who work in the field of tourism, and the whole international community, to increase their vigilance and to foresee and oppose such aberrations”.

“I would like to highlight three areas which should receive full attention from the pastoral care of tourism. Firstly, we need shed light on this reality using the social teaching of the Church and promote a culture of ethical and responsible tourism, in such a way that it will respect the dignity of persons and of peoples, be open to all, be just, sustainable and ecological. The enjoyment of free time and regular vacations are an opportunity as well as a right. The Church, within its own sphere of competence, is committed to continue offering its cooperation, so that this right will become a reality for all people, especially for less fortunate communities.

“Secondly, our pastoral action should never loose sight of the ‘via pulchritudinis’, “the way of beauty”. Many of the manifestations of the historical and cultural religious patrimony are “authentic ways to God, Supreme Beauty. … It is important to welcome tourists and offer them well-organised visits, with due respect for sacred places and the liturgical action, for which many of these works came into being and which continues to be their main purpose.

“Thirdly, pastoral activity in the area of tourism should care for Christians as they enjoy their vacations and free time in such a way that these will contribute to their human and spiritual growth. Truly this is “an appropriate moment to let the body relax … in order to grow in personal relationship with Christ””.

“The new evangelisation, to which all are called, requires us to keep in mind and to make good use of the many occasions that tourism offers us to put forward Christ as the supreme response to modern man’s fundamental questions”.