Latest OMI JPIC News
Polaris Project Pushes States to Combat Slavery August 14th, 2013
The Polaris Project works to end modern slavery. An important way to do this is by passing laws at the State level: Laws that explicitly outlaw sex trafficking and labor trafficking; Laws that treat child victims of sexual exploitation as kids, not criminals; Laws that establish vital assistance programs for all survivors of human trafficking.
To encourage greater attention to what needs to be done, the Polaris project has released a tool to measure States’ performance in combatting slavery. Their 2013 State Ratings on Human Trafficking Laws give two states (Washington and New Jersey) perfect scores. Mississippi, Arkansas and Wyoming have made important strides towards that goal. However, they note that a majority of states still lack basic victim assistance protections.
To see how your state rates, scroll down or download the information at www.polarisproject.org/2013stateratings
Please share this information widely.
Oblate JPIC Applauds Court Decision to Uphold Congo Minerals Disclosure August 13th, 2013
On July 23, the DC District Court ruled in favor of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) rules which upheld section 1502 of the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act against the National Association of Manufacturers, Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable. Section 1502 requires companies registered with the SEC to carry out due diligence and to disclose whether or not their products contain conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and adjacent countries. The Missionary Oblates JPIC office applauds this decision as a victory for the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo. For more information, read the investor’s letter (download PDF) or visit www.iccr.org.
Credit: Image from the Puget Sound Business Journal (http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2012/10/11/new-sec-rule-forces-manufacturers-to.html)
‘Ten days for Peace’ – August 6 – 15, 2013 August 11th, 2013
We would like to share the following, which was sent to the US JPIC Office by Fr. Bradly Rozairo, OMI:
Inspired by the peace message delivered by Blessed John Paul II in Hiroshima in 1981, the Church in Japan has designated 10 days between Hiroshima memorial day (Aug. 6) to the memorial day of the end of WWII which is 15th August as a special period of prayer for peace. This period also includes the memorial day of Nagasaki (Aug. 9).
‘Ten days for Peace’ gives an opportunity to Christians to organize various peace programs. People from different parts of Japan and also from abroad come together not only to remember and pray for the war dead, but also to listen to the war experiences of the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
This week I was in Hiroshima to attend some of the peace events. At the Peace Memorial Church in Hiroshima, a well organized Mass for Peace, was celebrated by Bishop Maeda of Hiroshima. The distinguished guests were the Nuncio of Japan Archbishop Joseph Chennoth and Cardinal Turkson who heads the Pontifical Council for Justice & Peace. The Eucharistic celebration was well attended by the Bishops, priests, nuns, Catholics and Christians of different denominations.
At the Peace Memorial Park, it was interesting to talk and listen to some children and adults, who braved the heat to sing, talk, dance and pray for peace. Just to be in the crowd and allow oneself to be bathed in that whole atmosphere in itself is an experience. The smell of incense, the sound of the gong and the offering of flowers make you think of the unforgettable past, remembered here the present while praying for a better future.
For Nuns and Analysts Alike, Bank Commodity Earnings are a Mystery August 11th, 2013
The Oblates are concerned about the lack of disclosure by banks of their commodities market activities. Fr. Seamus Finn, OMI dialogs on behalf of the Oblates with major financial institutions like Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase. He was quoted extensively in a Chicago Tribune article that does a good job of describing the issue. (Read the article)
“Driven by a determination to invest in a socially conscious way, Finn’s group has been concerned about banks’ commodities activities since 2008, when a spike in energy and agricultural products caused food riots in Africa. The issue is whether banks’ trading activities artificially drive up food prices. … While the country’s largest banks are required to disclose their activities in some consumer-facing businesses such as mortgages, there is no similar requirement for them to do so on the commodities side.”
Toolkit for Business on Reducing Child and Forced Labor July 31st, 2013
“Reducing Child Labor and Forced Labor: A Toolkit for Responsible Businesses” is guidance from the US Department of Labor designed for companies to help them make sure they are not using forced or child labor in their operations or their supply chain. It is very clear and comprehensive.
We all know someone who owns or has a responsible position in a business – spread the word! Access the toolkit here….
The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that there are 215 million children in child labor worldwide, 115 million of them in hazardous forms of work. It also estimates that 21 million people are in forced labor, six million of them children.
By utilizing this toolkit, companies show that they are concerned about these grim statistics. Using the tool-kit reduces the chance that their products — and the raw materials they come from — are manufactured, mined or harvested by children who should be in school, or by workers locked in sweatshops or forced into work through false promises or threats.
In order to effectively combat the risks of child labor and forced labor in a company’s operations and global supply chains, it is essential to have a comprehensive and transparent social compliance system in place. The goal of this toolkit is to assist companies that may not have such a system, as well as companies whose existing systems may need strengthening — particularly in the areas of child labor and forced labor.
