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Displaced Tamils Still Can’t Resume Normal Life January 21st, 2011
This article was taken from the e-news digest, CathNews Asia.
More than 320,000 citizens suffer from being displaced, while 190,000 former refugees, returned home after stays in refugees camps – in the latest phases of civil conflict, which ended in May 2009 – urgently require protection and assistance: Jesuits from the Jesuit Refuges Service (JRS) tell Fides, working in the north and east of Sri Lanka, monitoring the situation on a daily basis, which “today is very stressful, given that it has already lasted more than two years,” they state.
The Jesuits explain to Fides that, despite the apparent peace, “in the north and the east of the Country there are still Zones of High Security in place and the citizens of those places continue to live precariously, not knowing when the emergency and the military presence will end and when they may return to a peaceful way of life.”
The JRS state that even today, after peace was reached, “the Government is investing a considerable amount of the national budget for military spending and allocating little funds to the assistance and systemisation of the refugees in the conflict. At the same time humanitarian aid agencies who should be providing aid to the displaced persons, experience serious limitations and restrictions on their operations”.
One of the outstanding problems is the clearance of whole area, which, during the war was strewn with deadly explosives. Currently these areas constitute a serious danger to the people: aid agencies are asking the government to urgently allow the refugees to return to their homes, giving highest priority to remediation. But given the situation of stalemate, access to food, social services, education, and transportation in many provinces remains blocked, the resumption of normal civilian life is prevented. Even in refugee camps set up by the government, NGOs in the field note, the general living conditions “are unacceptable”, marked by poverty, lacking the basic necessities and health services.”
SOURCE:
Support urged for refugees and former Tamil refugees (Fides)
8th Day Center E-Newsletter is a Good Resource January 21st, 2011
Stay connected with the 8th Day Center for Justice in Chicago by signing up to receive their electronic newsletter sent on the “8th Day” of each month. The e-newsletter will provide you with up-to-date information on the work of 8th Day, including actions, events and reflections.
To sign-up to receive the e-newsletter, contact Beth at beth@8thdaycenter.org.
Oblates Support Need for Immigration Reform January 16th, 2011
On 29 January, a March and Rally for Immigration Reform will be held in Pacoima, California, a city in the San Fernando Valley near Los Angeles. The event, organized by the Justice for Immigrants coalition in San Fernando Valley, will consist of a march which will proceed to the Oblate parish of Mary Immaculate. There, a rally will be held featuring speeches by community leaders encouraging elected officials in Congress to fix the broken immigration system and remind them of its impact on families.
Read the Press Release by Justice for Immigrants Coalition /San Fernando Valley.
In a separate but related action, the Oblate JPIC Office has joined 45 other faith-based organizations in issuing a declaration in support of Migrants. The Resolution on Migrants was developed in observance of National Migration Week, declared by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’, and recognizes the difficulties facing immigrants in the United States today. The diverse array of faith groups signing onto the statement are united in their concern for the plight of immigrants and the current negative political atmosphere in many communities. Most of the faith-based organizations endorsing the Resolution represent individuals and communities who live among and serve the immigrant population and are witnesses to the daily struggles of immigrants.
The U.S Migrant Resolution shows that a diverse faith community remains committed to immigration reform despite the current lack of political leadership. We hope that Congressional leaders can reach across the divide on this issue in the same way that the faith community has come together.
Read the U.S. Migrant Resolution 2011 (Download PDF)
New Haven Declaration on Corporate Financial Transparency Brings Together Unique Coalition of Asset Management Firms and Civil Society Organizations January 16th, 2011
A unique coalition of asset management firms and civil society organizations issued a statement on January 11th committing to call on governments and relevant multilateral institutions to establish a country-by-country financial reporting standard for multinational corporations. The “New Haven Declaration on Corporate Financial Transparency” establishes links between corporate accountability, business practices, and economic development and poverty alleviation.
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate was among the initial signatories of the declaration, alongside groups like Trillium Asset Management and Wealth for the Common Good. The signatories together represent $20 billion in combined assets under management.
Click here to read more »
January 11th – Human Trafficking Day January 12th, 2011
January 11th is Human Trafficking Day, so we encourage you to spend some time learning about slavery in the modern economy.
Human trafficking — the buying and selling of human beings — is far from a thing of the past. Free the Slaves estimates that over 27 million men, women, and children are enslaved in the world today, being forced to labor in fields, factories, sweatshops, brothels, battlefields, and private homes.
People are trafficked within countries and across borders, and they are trafficked to and from almost everywhere in the world — the Polaris Project estimates that 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked into the United States every year, in addition to thousands of citizens being trafficked within the country.
In early January, President Obama declared January to be National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Today, January 11th, is Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
Read more on the Care2 blog or check out our website page on human trafficking for a host of links and resources on human trafficking and modern day slavery.
