News Archives » North America
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…
2011 WORLD AIDS DAY November 29th, 2011
December 1 is World AIDS Day. The theme is “Getting to Zero.” Launched by the World AIDS Campaign and supported by the United Nations AIDS campaign, the “Getting to Zero” campaign runs until 2015 and focuses on the goals of zero new infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths.
The new UNAIDS 2011 report, entitled How to Get to Zero: Faster, Smarter, Better, shows worldwide deaths from AIDS at their lowest level since 2005, signaling a 21 percent drop overall. According to the report, globally, there were an estimated 34 million people living with HIV in 2010, and since 2005, AIDS-related deaths decreased from 2.2 million to 1.8 million. The report attributed the marked decline in AIDS-related deaths to increased availability and use of lifesaving antiretroviral drugs.
What Can You Do
Pray: Pray for orphaned children who are unable to receive treatment for AIDS. Pray for workers who are bringing treatment to those who are suffering. Pray for churches that are reaching out to those with HIV and AIDS in their own communities. Liturgies and worship resources from past World AIDS Days are available here at Catholic Relief Services website: http://education.crs.org/educational-resources/world-aids-day/
Advocate: Contact your Senators and Representative to urge them to support a 2012 budget that preserves robust help for our most impoverished neighbors. If Congress approves the current proposed 2012 budget, 3.7 million people will not be tested for HIV, and 58,000 pregnant women won’t receive medicine that ensures that their babies are HIV-free.
US bishop links environmental justice with pro-life cause November 17th, 2011
The U.S. bishops’ committee leader on domestic justice said that clean air and environmental stewardship should be serious concerns within the pro-life movement.
“It is hard to imagine a situation that so clearly illustrates this link between the environment and life issues as the impact of mercury and other toxic air pollution on children’s health,” said Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton, Calif., who heads the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.
“Children, inside and outside the womb, are uniquely vulnerable to environmental hazards and exposure to toxic pollutants in the environment.”
Read the Catholic News Agency article…
Action Alert: Let’s Avoid Another Financial Crash! November 17th, 2011
Ask your Members of Congress to increase funding for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Rapid action is needed to get Congressional funding for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission – the agency set up to prevent another financial meltdown. The Senate has found money for other programs, but is severely underfunding the CFTC. Please use the link provided here to email your Senators to ensure that we avoid another financial crisis: http://bit.ly/slq116
Click here to read more »
House Legislation Introduced to Shed Light on America’s Anonymous Corporations November 16th, 2011
WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, Rep. Barney Frank and Rep. Stephen F. Lynch introduced earlier this week, the Incorporation Transparency and Law Enforcement Assistance Act, which would require corporations to provide information about who owns or controls the corporation and benefits from its existence.
This bill, H.R. 3416, is supported by the Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency (FACT) coalition, which includes a broad range of organizations with an interest in seeing the American trade in “anonymous corporations” closed down due to its negative impact on small businesses, human rights, corruption, national security, jobs and critical programs. The JPIC Ministry of the Missionary Oblates is a member of the coalition and is very supportive of this move to generate greater transparency in corporate ownership and activity.
“This legislation is crucial in the fight against corruption and organized crime,” said Stefanie Ostfeld, Global Witness Policy Advisor. “Swift passage of this bill will stop dictators, terrorists and drug traffickers from being able to legally hide their identities, and therefore their dirty money, behind anonymous American shell companies.”
The bill complements bipartisan Senate legislation, S. 1483, introduced in August by Senators Carl Levin and Chuck Grassley.
“Jubilee USA is thrilled to see the Incorporation Transparency and Law Enforcement Assistance Act moving forward in the House and applauds Representatives Maloney, Frank and Lynch for introduction. This Act takes important steps in halting the flow of illicit streams of revenue out of developing nations and away from those who need it the most- the world’s poorest. Morality must be brought back into the global financial system, and the Incorporation Transparency and Law Enforcement Act is one important measure in that goal,” said Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of Jubilee USA Network, an alliance of more than 75 religious denominations, faith- based communities, human rights agencies and community organizations that work on matters concerning global economic justice.
The bill will move to the House Committee on Financial Services.
