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MDG Target on Access to Safe Drinking Water Met! March 12th, 2012
“Today we recognize a great achievement for the people of the world. This is one of the first [Millennium Development Goals] MDG targets to be met. The successful efforts to provide greater access to drinking water are a testament to all who see the MDGs not as a dream, but as a vital tool for improving the lives of millions of the poorest people.”
– United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a statement responding to a report released by the World Health Organization and the UN Children’s Fund.
The WHO/UNICEF report concluded that the world has met the MDG target of halving the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water well before the 2015 deadline. However, while they praised this accomplishment, several media outlets and observers (including Stephanie Cappa on the InterAction blog), have pointed out that the related MDG target on sanitation is off-track and unlikely to be met by 2015.
Read the report: Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation 2012 update
Usury is Alive and Well March 11th, 2012
“You would think by now that banks and other financial institutions would have been chastened some by the scrutiny and criticism that they received during the near meltdown of the financial system in September 2008 and its aftermath. Judging by the aggressive path that some have adopted in the payday lending arena, I am sorry to report that some banks have quickly beaten a path back to their old behaviors. Constrained from many of the usual profit making services that were part of their pre-crisis business models, many have been looking at additional fees for such things as ATM withdrawals or late payments and other increased charges to make up the lost income.”
Read the latest Huffington post blog entry from Fr. Seamus Finn, OMI
Oblates and Khasi People Host US Embassy Staff in Northeast Bangladesh March 11th, 2012
Forrest Graham, Political Officer with the US Embassy in Bangladesh visited the Khasi people in the northeast in late February at the invitation of the Oblates. Fr. Joseph Gomes, OMI, Fr. Valentine Talang, OMI, and local Khasis hosted Mr. Graham in visiting the villages near Sylhet in northeast Bangladesh to learn about the culture, language and lifestyle of the indigenous peoples living there, and the challenges facing them.
Khasi Villagers with Forrest Graham and Fr. Joseph Gomes, OMI
Flora Talang, Fr. Gomes, OMI, Forrest Graham and a Khasi friend in Muriocherra
Gathering with Khasis in Muriocherra
Forrest Graham with Khasi Elders in Muriocherra
Forrest Graham in Muroicherra Punjee
Victory in US Senate for Tax Justice! March 9th, 2012
This week, the Senate took a stand against one of the largest revenue drains facing developing nations today – tax avoidance. Members of the Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency (FACT) Coalition, have been speaking out against the abuse of off-shore tax havens. And the Senate listened.
Amendment 1818, the Levin Amendment, passed the Senate last night and is a blow against corruption, secrecy, and tax avoidance that aims to end the use and abuse of off-shore tax havens. These tax havens help large corporations and corrupt individuals avoid paying a fair share of taxes to the nations in which they operate. An estimated $160 billion dollars is lost in tax revenue in developing countries due to the use of off-shore tax havens. The Levin amendment gives law enforcement officials tools to stop financial institutions in tax havens from aiding US tax cheats, and help put an end to developing country tax avoidance.
Jubilee USA and the Oblates are founding members of the Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency (FACT) Coalition. Learn more about tax justice…
Symposium: “Towards Healing and Renewal” March 9th, 2012
A symposium on child protection in the Church, titled “Toward Healing and Renewal,” was held in Rome in February. The Gregorian University, which hosted the gathering, is developing resources for further training that will be available on their website. They propose a 30-hour training in child protection for students and professors from across the world. The content will be in four languages.
For more information, visit The Pontifical Gregorian University Centre for Child Protection. The internet portal offers information and training for all those dealing with child protection in the Church.
