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Threat to Water from Mining in Peru Mobilizes Masses February 5th, 2012

Thousands of Peruvians from the Amazon to Lima have mobilized against a serious threat to the water in the Cajamarca region of Peru. Residents there, mostly indigenous peoples, are deeply concerned about the threat to their water from a proposed mining development by the American company, Newmont Mining. Oblates in the US have engaged Newmont about the impact of their operations on communities where they have mining operations. The Yanacocha mine has been a priority in those conversations though the recent turmoil in the Cajamarca region is related to the proposed development of Minas Congas and extension of the Yanacocha project. The Oblates in Peru are supporting the March for Water that has been organized by civil society in the impacted areas.

The movement claims “the right to be consulted, to be respected and heard in decisions about its development model, for socially-just participation in economic growth, the prohibition of mining in the headwaters of rivers, and a stop to mining with cyanide and mercury that is causing so much damage to land and water.” The marchers are proclaiming their human right to water, and drawing support from churches and civil society alike in a several day march from Cajamarca to Lima. The Great National Water mobilization began on February 1st and will conclude with a convocation in Lima on February 9-10.

Read a full description of the mobilization (in English translation):

“SMALL STREAMS MAKE THE GREAT RIVER OF LIFE”: THE GREAT NATIONAL WATER MOBILIZATION”

Materials in Spanish are also available under News in the Spanish section of this website

 

Recrearte 2012: A Significant Experience in the Peruvian Jungle February 3rd, 2012

Oblates in Peru are working with children of the indigenous kichwa in the Amazon, whose communities are threatened by intensifying economic activity: oil exploration, increased illegal logging, pollution related to informal gold mining, commercial fishing operations, and the social ills that follow, including an increase in drug dealing. There is an increasing lack of teachers at all levels. Read the encouraging story of their recent RECREARTE Project.

Click here to download the PDF

 

Bangladeshi Conference on Indigenous Peoples and the Environment a Great Success January 27th, 2012

Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), Bangladesh Environment Network (BEN) and Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) sponsored a successful major conference on Indigenous Peoples and the Environment in Sylhet, Bangladesh January 12-14, 2012. Amidst cultural exhibitions and art displays, hundreds of participants attended workshops on environmental, social and economic issues affecting the indigenous peoples and the tea plantation workers of the Sylhet region in Northeast Bangladesh.

BAPA works closely with the Adivasi and indigenous efforts to protect their land and livelihood. The conference emphasized the importance of the need for enforcement of their rightful ownership of land and of access the courts to defend their rights and limit harassment. In light of government statements in the past year that have failed to recognize the presence of indigenous peoples in Bangladesh, the conference was also a bold statement to political leaders and government authorities about the reality of indigenous peoples in Bangladesh, the dignity of their culture and traditions, and their rightful ownership of land.

Click here to read more »

Oblate Parish in Roma, Texas Celebrates National Immigration Week January 18th, 2012

Parishioners at Our Lady of Refuge Parish in Roma, Texas commemorated National Immigration Week (Jan 8-14) with a homily on immigration and prayers for refugees and immigrants. The parish staff also used the bulletin insert provided by the USCCB and encouraged everyone to take it home and use it in prayer all week. The issue of immigration is a story close to home for many of the parishioners at Our Lady of Refuge. The parish is very close the Rio Grande River and members include large landowners, local government officials and immigrant families whose relatives may have faced detention and deportation issues before. Thanks to Fr. Bob Wright OMI for leading the parish into celebrating National Immigration Week.

Catholics and Faith-Consistent Investing January 8th, 2012

Learn about the possibilities available to help individuals develop a “faith-consistent” stock portfolio. In an article in Our Sunday Visitor, titled Investing with a clear conscience: Catholics don’t have to sacrifice big financial returns to invest in line with their ideals, Scott Alessi interviews Fr. Seamus Finn, OMI and others about the importance of active, faith-consistent investing.

“Church teaching clearly emphasizes the importance of placing one’s faith above financial gain. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that economic success should never come at the expense of human dignity and that “a theory that makes profit the exclusive norm and ultimate end of economic activity is morally unacceptable” (No. 2424).”

Read the article…

 

Reflections on Business and Human Rights January 1st, 2012

Read Fr. Seamus Finn’s latest Huffington Post blog on the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights recently endorsed by the UN Human Rights Council. The principles were developed to offer guidance for the implementation of the “Protect, Respect and Remedy” framework, first introduced by Special Representative John Ruggie in 2008. They provide very practical and concrete recommendations on how to operationalize the framework, which was built around the following three central pillars:

• States have a responsibility to protect against human rights abuses by third parties, including corporations;
• Companies have a responsibility to respect human rights;
• Victims of human rights abuses must be free to access effective remedies.

Learn more…

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