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Bring Back Our Girls! May 13th, 2014
Nigerian Oblate Father Ali Nnaemeka Cornelius, OMI writes about the plight of the abducted schoolgirls in Nigeria, prays for the return of the abducted girls and urges for more actions to free them. In the article Fr. Cornelius says, “There are therefore certain reasons that brought us to where we are today. What the world maybe has not known before is that Boko Haram has been causing much other serious havoc in Nigeria over the years. The only problem is that for many reasons we have been dying in silence.”
Read the article at the weekly blog publication of the US Missionary Oblates JPIC office
OIP joins Domini and other Shareholders in urging Google to pay its fair share of taxes May 11th, 2014
Many companies claim they are forced by shareholders to dodge taxes in order to maximize profits, but what would a company do if its shareholders insist that it actually pay its fair share in taxes?
A group of Google shareholders, headed up by Domini Social Investments, may soon find out. The group has filed a proposal for consideration at the shareholder annual meeting asking the company to adopt a set of principles regarding taxes. The shareholders are recommending that the principles include consideration of any “misalignment between tax strategies and Google’s stated objectives and policies regarding social and environmental sustainability.”
The proposal comes after several widely publicized stories about Google’s aggressive tax planning which moves billions of dollars annually to offshore tax havens. In 2012 alone, Google dodged an estimated $2 billion in income taxes by shifting an estimated $9.5 billion to offshore tax havens.
Continue reading this story from Citizen’s for Tax Justice…
IMF Must Consider Consequences for Poor and Social-Political Stability in Ukraine April 30th, 2014
IMF Reputation and Prospects for 2010 Reforms at Stake: Oblates join call for the IMF to consider the impact of their loan conditions on the people of Ukraine
Today, the IMF’s Executive Board of Directors is scheduled to review a $16.8 billion loan for Ukraine, which was endorsed by IMF staff last week. The IMF-Ukraine deal will impact the future of both Ukraine and the IMF.
The IMF deal comes with several conditions, including a move to a flexible exchange rate. Ukraine, with IMF assistance, made this change in February 2014. This has led to a 29 percent drop in the value of the Ukrainian hryvnia – making it even more difficult for Ukraine to pay its debt. Unfortunately, the IMF deal does not include any debt relief or “haircuts” – requiring creditors to accept a loss. Instead, the debt burden will carried by Ukraine’s citizens, almost a third of whom already live in poverty, according to an April 2014 UN Report.
“IMF-Ukraine negotiations have neglected the consequences for the citizens of Ukraine, and in this vein have disregarded how loan conditions will impact political and social stability in Ukraine” said Jo Marie Griesgraber, the Executive Director at New Rules for Global Finance, a DC-based NGO that pushes for responsibility in global financial institutions. “This is short-sighted and we strongly urge the IMF Executive Board to take this into consideration.”
Click here to read more »
Missionary Oblate JPIC Lauches New Blog April 30th, 2014
The OMI JPIC Office has launched a new communications vehicle – the Missionary Oblates JPIC Blog – as a way to highlight interesting aspects of our work, and provide a venue for reflection. The goal is to reach out to and engage a wider audience on JPIC issues. A team of Oblates and associates have committed to write articles and reflection pieces on a regular basis.
Please visit the new blog and let us know what you think! Click here to access the blog..
Spring/Summer 2014 Issue of JPIC Report Available On-Line April 28th, 2014
The Spring/Summer 2014 issue of JPIC Report is now available on line as a PDF. It will soon be available in print form.
Please contact Mary O’Herron in the JPIC Office if you want to be added to the mailing list.
You can find all issues of JPIC Report on this website in the Resources section. (Download a PDF of the latest issue)
