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Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leads High Profile Group to Geneva on Sri Lanka March 6th, 2014
Archbishop Tutu (picture: Wikimedia Commons)
Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa and other human rights campaigners have urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to commit to an independent international investigation in the form of a Commission of Inquiry into human rights violations in Sri Lanka.
The following is the text of their statement:
We, concerned individuals and organisations from around the world, urge the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to use their March 2014 session to pass a resolution that will include a commitment to an Independent International investigation in the form of a Commission of Inquiry. Only this will help to put the country on the path to justice and reconciliation.
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Mannar Bishop and Over Two Hundred Tamil Catholic Priests and Sisters Call For International Investigation of Sri Lanka Human Rights Abuses March 4th, 2014
“…we are concerned about the post war intensification of systematic efforts to destroy the identity of the Tamil community.”
The bombing of the safe zone, March 4, 2009. Some 40,000 Tamils were killed in the final stages of the war.
Two hundred and five Tamil Catholic Priests and Sisters from the North and East of Sri Lanka, including the Rt. Rev. Dr. Rayappu Joseph, Bishop of Mannar and many Oblates, have written to the members of the UN Human Rights Council calling for an international investigation into Sri Lanka’s war crimes and human rights violations. The religious have called for the adoption of a strong and action-oriented resolution on Sri Lanka at the 25th session of the UN Human Rights Council. That session opened this week in Geneva.
Below is the statement in full:
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Sri Lanka Media Attacks Brought to UN Attention June 3rd, 2013
Two written statements on Sri Lanka were presented recently to the 23rd Session of the UN General Assembly for the promotion and protection of Human Rights, Civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights and against all forms of Discrimination and Racism.
Sri Lanka: Systematic attacks on freedom of expression and the media requires specific attention of the Human Rights Council was submitted by the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Download PDF)
Freedom of Assembly in the Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka was submitted by the International Movement against all Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) (Download PDF)
The General Service of OMI JPIC in 2009 spelled out the Oblate commitment to Human Rights, a commitment that was endorse by the present General Administration saying: “We commit ourselves so that all peoples should be respected in their right to life from conception to life’s natural end and to have access to basic human needs as well as enjoy the right to enjoy the free exercise of civic, political, social, religious and cultural rights, and to have a healthy community to live in”.
Another Oblate mission priority under PEACE and RECONCILIATION states:
“Inspired by Jesus who died to reconcile all peoples with God and guided by St. Eugene’s pastoral concern for reconciliation between people in his missionary activity takes us to commit ourselves to promote peace and reconciliation in identifying and acknowledging the nature of the historical divisions and animosity which exists between countries and ethnic groups; also to explore opportunities and learning tools and processes that can make a positive contribution to the peacemaking process”.
New Library Center inaugurated in Killinochchi, Sri Lanka April 12th, 2013
A state of the art library in Killinochchi, North Sri Lanka was officially inaugurated in February of 2013. The library center was a wonderful initiative of Fr. Jeevendra Paul OMI and the Oblates of Jaffna in partnership with Lebara Foundation, UK. It is a vitally important development in the rebuilding of the north after a devastating civil war.
The Lebara Library will maintain an important collection of books, journals and reference materials for the use of the children and adults of the community. A language lab will assist the children and adults to become competent in English as a second language. Other foreign languages will be added according to need.
The I.T. Unit consisting of twenty-eight computers offers access to the Internet and web, an essential element in meeting the demands of a globalized world.
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Oblates Promote Social Empowerment in Sri Lanka December 13th, 2012
“Social inability” is widely recognized and accepted today as a root cause of poverty. Empowering people to think for themselves, and stand on their own, offers a solid and a permanent way out for people from poverty and social misery. The philosophy that it is better to teach a person to catch a fish than to offer him one is the philosophy behind “The Citizen’s Forum”(CF), which is successfully operating in Sri Lanka under the direction and guidance of the Centre for Society and Religion (CSR). CSR is the Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) institution of the Colombo Province of the Missionary of Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI).
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