News Archives » Global
Ask Congress to Pass the DREAM Act! November 18th, 2010
The United States Congress could be voting on the DREAM Act at any time during the week of November 22.
Take Action Here: Tell your Senator and Representative to pass the Dream Act now.
The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, also called the DREAM Act is bipartisan legislation that would create a path to citizenship for thousands of young undocumented students who were brought to the United States as children and graduated from American high schools. It would give them the opportunity to earn legal status by completing two years of college or military service.
The Majority leadership in the Senate and the House have pledged to bring up the DREAM Act during the lame duck session. Last Tuesday, President Barack Obama reaffirmed to Democratic Members of Congress that he wants the DREAM Act passed in this session. DREAM Act legislation is supported by religious leaders – such as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops – along with University presidents and Administrators, military leaders and the business community. According to the recent survey results, seventy percent of Americans support passage of the DREAM Act.
More information about the DREAM Act may be found at: http://omiusajpic.org/2010/09/14/ask-cong-to-support-dream/
Canada Endorses UN Indigenous Rights Declaration November 17th, 2010
The Government of Canada formally endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on November 12.
“We understand and respect the importance of this United Nations Declaration to Indigenous peoples in Canada and worldwide,” said the Honourable John Duncan, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-status Indians. “Canada has endorsed the Declaration to further reconcile and strengthen our relationship with Aboriginal peoples in Canada.”
Nobel Laureates Urge End of Nuclear Weapons November 17th, 2010
The Dalai Lama and other Nobel Peace Prize laureates from the last four decades gathered last week in Hiroshima to urge the end of nuclear weapons. The Nobel laureates issued an appeal on November 14th for China, the United States, Egypt, Iran, Israel and Indonesia to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) without delay.
Read the story by IDN-InDepth NewsAnalysis…
Oblates Engage in COP10 – Biological Diversity Convention in Japan November 16th, 2010
Bradley Rosario, OMI sent a brief report on collaboration between the Oblates, Spiritans and the Society of the Divine Word to engage with the COP10 held last month in Nagoya, Japan, The “Conference of the Parties” Convention on Biological Diversity takes place roughly once every two years. The common theme of COP10 was “Toward the Harmony of Humans and Nature”.
During COP10, VIVAT International and the Institute for Social Ethics of VIVAT’s affiliate Nanzan University, organized a side-event, namely a symposium on “Integrating Religious Values and Greater Stakeholder Participation into Environmental Governance”.
Read the report (download PDF)
Seamless Garment Video Available on You-Tube November 15th, 2010
The Seamless Garment, previously only available on VHS, is now up on You-Tube. The first four interviewees are Eileen Egan, who first coined the phrase “seamless garment”; Juli Loesch Wiley, who founded Prolifers for Survival, precursor group to the Seamless Garment Network (now Consistent Life), journalist Nat Hentoff discussing rights for disabled people, and Hispanic activist Consuelo Beck-Sague. These among many others make the case in the late 1980s.
