News Archives » Africa
Politicians Slow to Act, Despite Warnings from Scientists December 6th, 2011
Fr. Sean McDonagh, SSC reflects on why it is so urgent for politicians meeting in Durban, South Africa for the global climate talks to act quickly and forcefully. (Download PDF)
Zambian Oblate Bishop calls for Development in Western Zambia December 6th, 2011
Zambia’s Mongu Diocese Bishop Evan Chinyemba has called upon newly elected members of parliament (MP) from the area to respond to the challenges facing ordinary people. The Bishop outlined the development issues facing people, which include the need to build better schools, improve road infrastructure, rebuild health services and establish a safe water delivery system.
Bishop Chinyemba also addressed the issue of foreign investments. In these projects, local people have neither been consulted nor have they benefitted. He highlighted the need to review investments involved in cutting indigenous trees for export. Bishop Chinyemba also called for the urgent review of an investment agreement between the government Commission and private equity partners involved in managing the national park located near the Oblate parish of Kalabo.
Intel Posts its White Paper on Conflict Minerals to the SEC website December 2nd, 2011
Socially responsible shareholders have applauded Intel Corporation for responding to their concerns and suggestions around conflict mineral policy and transparency. The Company agreed to post the company’s white paper “Intel’s Efforts to Achieve a ‘Conflict Free’ Supply Chain” to the SEC website last week.
Over the past several months, many shareholders affiliated with ICCR (including the Missionary Oblates) have pressed Intel to use its position as a sustainability leader to educate, and influence the marketplace on this issue. Being the first issuer to post a white paper on the SEC’s website is a significant step toward informing a broader audience of real progress being made by industry-wide and multi-stakeholder processes to bring an end to the bloodshed in the DRC minerals supply chain.
Read Intel’s White Paper on Conflict Minerals (PDF)
Faith-Based Investors Call on Pharmaceutical Companies to Join the Medicines Patent Pool November 30th, 2011
In honor of World AIDS Day and the United Nation’s theme, “Getting to Zero”, members of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) reiterate their endorsement of the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) created by UNITAID, and call upon pharmaceutical companies to share their licenses for life-savings AIDS medicines.
“The ‘Getting to Zero’ theme has three main goals,” said Christina Herman of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate: “Zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths: The MPP is an effective and powerful strategy against all three. As investors in pharmaceutical companies who view access to medicines as a fundamental human right, we strongly encourage participation.”
Read the ICCR Press Release on the UNITAID Patent Pool…
A Visit to Mongu, Zambia November 29th, 2011
Early November, JPIC Office colleague Kate Walsh, who works with the TRI-State Coalition for Responsible Investment (CRI) in New Jersey, visited Oblates working in Zambia. She writes about her reflection on the trip and experience in Zambia:
Two weeks ago, I traveled to Zambia to speak at conference co-sponsored by Catholic Relief Services and CAFOD on Extractives in Southern African. My task was to speak about ICCR’s work and run a session on Shareholder Advocacy. However, I had a few days to explore the region, visit, before the conference began.
That first weekend, I went to Mongu in the Western Region. This is the poorest region of the country. After a 7-hour bus ride from the capital, I arrived and went to visit the Diocese of Mongu Development Centre (DMDC).
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