News Archives » North America
Inspiring Cards of Compassion for Migrant Families October 24th, 2014
Cards for migrants families in detention sent by Fr. John Cox OMI and 32 church students.
These cards are for participation in the letters and cards campaign by Catholic Legal Immigration Network, which has been collecting and delivering cards, letters of encouragement, support and prayers to migrant families who are feeling demoralized and hopeless as a result of their current immigration detention in the United States. Students produced the cards on the Feast of Guardian Angels. Other Oblates and associates have also participated in the solidarity action by submitting their words of encouragement. Hundreds of letters, cards, and drawings from local churches and schools were taken to the women and children detained in the Artesia, New Mexico immigrant detention center. Learn more…
Details of the cards for immigrant families.
International Monetary Fund Releases Plans to Stop Predatory Hedge Funds October 6th, 2014
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) released new proposals for preventing predatory hedge funds and hold-out investors from blocking debt restructurings. The paper proposes a series of reforms to debt contracts, including strengthened collective action clauses and a modification of the pari passu clause that hold-out hedge funds used to sue Argentina.
“In the wake of debt restructurings in Argentina and Greece, the IMF is incredibly concerned about vulture funds,” stated Eric LeCompte, the Executive Director of the religious anti-poverty coalition, Jubilee USA Network. “The IMF is advocating a market approach, but we also need a statutory approach. We need to change both the contracts and the laws.”
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Family Detention: the National and Local Catholic Response October 6th, 2014
Family detentions are increasing in number across the United State. Sign up for a webinar offered by USCCB’s Justice for Immigrants campaign: Learn more about these detentions, get talking points and listen to a clear analysis of the current situation and the human rights issues for immigrant families being detained in immigrant detention facilities. Find out how you can advocate with your local law makers as well as assist immigrant families currently facing detention within your community.
Webinar details:
Friday October 10th at 2pm EST
1-800-393-0640
Passcode 996514#
http://usccb.adobeconnect.com/jfiwebinar/
La Vista Celebrates Autumn Equinox September 23rd, 2014
On Saturday, September 20, thirty people gathered at La Vista to learn about the fall Monarch migration and to celebrate the beginning of autumn.
To introduce themselves, participants told about the last time they spotted a Monarch. Maxine Pohlman, Director of the Oblate Ecological Initiative at Godfrey said, “We learned much about one another, our country or state of origin, and the presence and absence of Monarchs in our areas. Our sharing whetted our appetites for viewing the YouTube video “Plight of the Monarchs”, a twenty minute informative presentation filmed in central Illinois. We became aware of the threats to the endangered phenomenon of the annual Monarch migration, such as habitat loss, use of pesticides, and disappearance of the valuable milkweed plant.”
She added, “Next we headed outside to a patch of milkweed that has been cordoned off and allowed to grow throughout the season. As we stood there listening to a reading about the Monarch, one beautiful butterfly showed up to delight us – right on cue!”
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Corn from White Earth Indian Reservation Grows in Washington, DC! September 11th, 2014
![photo[2]](http://omiusajpic.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/photo2.jpg)
Bear Island Flint corn seed from the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota produced this ear of corn grown in Washington, DC
Corn from the White Earth Reservation in northern Minnesota was planted in the garden at the Oblate headquarters in Washington, DC by farmer, Gail Taylor, and has yielded its fruit! Aware of the work of Winona LaDuke, the well-known Native American activist who lives and works on the White Earth Reservation, to preserve native seeds, Gail has been ordering seed for the garden at 391 from The White Earth Land Recovery project, although she wasn’t aware of the Oblate mission presence at White Earth.
The mission of the White Earth Land Recovery Project, which LaDuke founded, is “to facilitate recovery of the original land base of the White Earth Indian Reservation, while preserving and restoring traditional practices of sound land stewardship, language fluency, community development, and strengthening our spiritual and cultural heritage.” LaDuke is also the Executive Director of Honor the Earth, where she works on a national level to advocate, raise public support, and create funding for frontline native environmental groups.
We are delighted to have corn from this special place growing on Oblate land in Washington. It is also nice that the mission to save native agricultural heritage is alive in both places.
Gail Taylor, the farmer at the Oblate property in Washington, DC working in the garden.
