News Archives » 2011 » August
Oblates Benefit from VIVAT International Workshop in India August 26th, 2011
Seventeen Oblates from Asia (India, Jaffna, Colombo, Bangladesh, Japan) participated in a VIVAT International workshop held in Indore, India from August 8 to 11, 2011. Also present were Daniel LeBlanc, OMI from the UN in New York and Camille Piche, OMI from OMI JPIC in Rome.
Participants experienced the many social action activities of the SVD and SSpS, and Adorers of the Previous Blood, and heard the heart-breaking story of an Eritrean Comboni sister working amongst the Bedouins in Israel-Palestine who told of the daily bulldozing of Bedouin and migrant houses. It was very inspiring to listen to the bold direction of the SVD and SSpS to opt for social action amongst the Dalits and Tribal peoples instead of work in parishes.
The VIVAT workshop invited the participants to go a step further and through advocacy, work for structural change by taking on the issues and injustices suffered by the poor, and deal with the root causes of injustices by empowering the poor to take these issues to local, provincial, regional, state, UN, EU etc. levels where decisions are taken regarding the poor. Everyone found the workshop to be very worthwhile.
A Workshop report giving a short summary of the proceedings is available. Daniel LeBlanc, OMI, Sr. Mary John, SSpS and Fr. Richard Quadros, SVD formed the drafting committee.
Read the VIVAT International Workshop Report (Download PDF)
Faith Advocates for Jobs Can Help the Unemployed and Their Families August 23rd, 2011
The Faith Advocates for Jobs website is up and running: www.faithadvocatesforjobs.wordpress.com. Please check it out.
It contains all you need to know about FAJ and how you and your congregation can participate in their campaign to support the unemployed and the underemployed. Advocate for policies that will put people back to work and help transform our nation’s struggling economy! The unemployed and their families need you.
Celebrate Faith, Work and Justice on Labor Day! August 23rd, 2011
Labor Day 2011 is quickly approaching!
Interfaith Worker Justice and many congregations around the country are preparing for their annual Labor in the Pulpits/on the Bimah/in the Minbar program. Since 1996, Labor in the Pulpits/on the Bimah/in the Minbar has been an intentional way for religious communities to celebrate the sacred link between faith, work, and justice over Labor Day weekend.
For Labor Day 2011, IWJ is focusing on two specific areas of worker justice: unemployment and state campaigns to secure workers’ rights. Whether through legislation, the media, or personal stories, these issues have been on the minds of many people this year. Labor Day weekend is an important time to lift up these issues and connect them to IWJ’s Faith Advocates for Jobs and Keeping Faith with America’s Workers, two campaigns that target unemployment and state-based workers’ rights, respectively.
Visit IWJ’s website to:
For more information, contact Ted Smukler at 773-728-8400 x. 39 or e-mail tsmukler@iwj.org
Thanks to Interfaith Worker Justice for this information.
Environmental Health Activists at Oblate Parish in Pacoima Take Action August 19th, 2011
Members of the Oblate parish of Mary Immaculate in San Fernando, California and interested residents of the area were given a tour of the All America Asphalt Company last week. The San Fernando residents were concerned by noxious odors in the area surrounding the plant and wanted to determine if there were air quality issues that could affect the health of the community. This brief report is from the members of the parish environmental group who organized the plant tour:
“We want to thank all the people who attended the tour to the All America Asphalt Company. This was an important step on our efforts for a better quality of air in our communities. We were able to understand how the company processes the asphalt and were confirmed that there will be an inspection by an industrial hygienist paid by the owner of the asphalt plant. One of the following steps is to wait for the report from the industrial hygienist.”
