News Archives » South America
Father Gregorio Iriarte, OMI Honored for a Lifetime of Human Rights and Justice Work September 23rd, 2012
Rolando Lopez, secretary general of the Universidad Mayor de San Simon, said the highest distinction regarding the defense of Human Rights was awarded to Fr. Gregorio Iriarte omi, a priest with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. He said this is a recognition of Fr. Iriasrte’s activity as founder of the Assembly of Human Rights and his contribution to the restoration of democracy in Bolivia.
Fr. Gregorio Iriarte said he was grateful though, he said, he did not deserve such an honor: “My contribution is relative. It is true that I wrote some books, but I can not say I’m a great researcher, I think I’m more of a popularizer, I try to simply translate what others do in science, politics, of economics “.
Fr. Iriarte was also honored with the Ana Maria Romero de Campero National Prize for Culture of Peace from La Fundación UNIR. He was the founder of the Permanent Human Rights Assembly of Bolivia, as well as UNITAS (Unión Nacional de Instituciones para el Trabajo de Acción Social – the Bolivian CSO network) and ERBOL (Educación Radiofónica de Bolivia) – an NGO based in La Paz, Bolivia dedicated to using radio as a means for providing education, social service and pluralistic news. Fr. Iriarte is valued for his tireless work in promoting and defending human rights and the establishment of social justice.
He is considered one of the main drivers of the “liberation church” and his primary contribution was working with basic Christian communities formed by poor people, in order to mobilize them in an attempt to improve their living conditions. Dictatorial governments labeled him as a “friend of the enemies of the government” and expelled him from the country several times. He remained committed to a deep conviction to work with the most needy. Born in 1925, in the Basque region of Spain, he arrived in Bolivia in 1964 and worked in the Llallagua mining center in the Potosi region. As head of Radio Pío XII, he worked to educate farmers and community members in this region.
Fr. Iriarte has published thirty books on the struggle for democracy, teaching values, and promoting principles of a peace culture claiming that education is a means of justice, freedom and solidarity. He has been invited to many national and international forums as a champion of justice and peace.
Dr. Maurice Schroeder, OMI Honored with Doctoral Degree September 16th, 2012
Dr. Maurice Schroeder, OMI
The University of Waterloo conferred an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree on Dr. Maurice Schroeder, OMI, on June 14th, 2012. Dr. Schroeder, a medical doctor, was recognized for his global citizenship work and, in particular, his leadership of a mission hospital in the Amazon Basin of northeastern Peru. The hospital has served over 20,000 mostly indigenous people living in villages along the Napo River.
UN News… August 31st, 2012
DID YOU KNOW THAT EVERY DAY THE UNITED NATIONS:
- Provides food to 108 million people in 74 countries
- Vaccinates 40 per cent of the world’s children, saving 2 million lives a year
- Assists over 34 million refugees and others fleeing war, famine or persecution
- Fights climate change and leads a campaign to plant 1 billion trees a year
- Keeps the peace with 116,000 peacekeepers in 17 operations on 4 continents
- Fights poverty and helped 300 million rural poor achieve better lives in the last 30 years
- Monitors, promotes, protects and develops human rights worldwide.
(From the Outreach Division, Department of Information of the United Nations)
ANNUAL MINISTERIAL REVIEW: PROGRESS ON INTERNATIONAL GOALS
Each year the UN Economic and Social Council holds an annual ministerial review, in which various countries share their progress on implementing international goals at a national level, including the Millennium Development Goals. Brazil and Kenya, two countries in which the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and VIVAT International minister, were included this year. Both countries focused on specific initiatives by which they have promoted full employment and productive capacity, essential for achieving poverty eradication, and acknowledged the many difficulties still ahead.
New SEC Rules to Reduce the Use of Conflict Minerals August 29th, 2012
The Missionary Oblate JPIC Office applauds the final rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to restrict the use of Congo conflict minerals and increase transparency in extractives-related payments.
On August 22, the Securities and Exchange Commission, in a 3-2 vote, adopted a rule requiring public companies to disclose information about their use of minerals from the Democratic Republic of Congo where militias linked to atrocities have profited from mining minerals. Conflict minerals mined in war-torn Congo are essential to the manufacture of high-tech electronics, jewelry and other goods. The rule is know as Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
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Victory Against Vulture Funds! July 23rd, 2012
Jubilee USA Stopped Vulture Funds in New York State; Courts Stopped Them in the UK
In June, Jubilee USA – of which OMI JPIC is a member – launched a campaign to stop vulture fund legislation from passing in the New York State Legislature. Vulture funds were attempting to get Bills through that would have promoted and protected vulture funds in New York State courts, making it easier for vultures to litigate against poor countries.
Jubilee mobilized more than 4,000 New York Jubilee members to take action, calling and writing their Assembly Members and Senators to stand with the poor and not with the hedge funds.
The Wall Street Journal’s Jacob Gersham wrote how important this work was: “The path became trickier for Elliott on Friday, when an alliance of religious groups that supports debt relief for developing nations, Jubilee USA Network, entered the fray by issuing a mass alert about the bill. It said the proposed law could be wielded in poorer regions and “litigate poor countries into submission.” Read the full article in the Wall Street Journal.
UK Courts Rule Against Vulture Funds, Support DR Congo
In a surprise decision in the Jersey Isles, the UK’s Privy Council overturned a prior ruling, siding with the Democratic Republic of Congo against vulture fund FG Hemisphere. FG Hemisphere was seeking $100 million from the DRC for a debt the vulture fund bought for just $3 million. While having initially lost the case, the DRC has won on final appeal. While the UK passed a law in 2010 limiting the amount a vulture fund could claim from impoverished countries, it did not apply to crown protectorates, like Jersey, where vultures funds could still pursue cases. This decision was pleasantly unexpected and a cause for celebration.
