News Archives » South America
Us State Department Trafficking in Persons Report of 2011 Released June 30th, 2011
The US State Department has issued their 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report. Although significant progress has been made in raising awareness and in freeing many who have been enslaved, there are still an estimated 27 million men, women, and children exploited by human trafficking schemes around the world.
Secretary of State Hilary Clinton released the new report, which she explained ranks 184 countries, including the United States. The report does not mince words, and has been credited with significantly increasing the attention given to a long-standing problem.
Learn more about human trafficking on our website…
Oblates at International Conference on Mining and the Church in Latin America June 22nd, 2011
Oblates from Bolivia, Peru and the United States have participated in an international conference on Extractive Industries focused on “the problem of natural resources in Latin America and the mission of the church”. The conference was organized and sponsored by the Justice and Solidarity Department of CELAM (Bishops Conference of Latin America) and MISEREOR at a retreat center in Chaclacayo – Lima – Peru, June 14 – 16 2011.
Roberto Carrasco Rojas OMI, Edgar Nolasco OMI from the Oblate mission of St Clothilde, Peru, Gilberto Pauwels OMI from Oruro in Bolivia and Séamus Finn OMI from the USP JPIC office in Washington DC joined more than 70 participants from the diocese and communities situated on the front lines of the extraordinary expansion of the extractive industries in Latin America.
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People’s Guide to the UN Human Right to Water and Sanitation June 21st, 2011
Photo by Living Water International
The Council of Canadians has released a new report titled Our Right to Water: A People’s Guide to Implementing the United Nations’ Recognition of the Right to Water and Sanitation. Chairperson Maude Barlow wrote the report, available from the Council of Canadians.
On July 28, 2010 the General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution recognizing the Human Right to Water and Sanitation. Two months later, the UN Human Rights Council recognized the human right to water and sanitation in a similar resolution, setting out exactly what this new right entails for governments. Because the Human Rights Council resolution is based on two existing treaties, it rendered binding the first right to water resolution passed by the General Assembly. In other words, as the UN acknowledges, “The right to water and sanitation is a human right, equal to all other human rights, which implies that it is justiciable and enforceable.”
“All governments are now bound by these historic UN resolutions. Whether or not they voted for the two resolutions, every member nation of the UN is now obligated to accept and recognize the human right to water and sanitation and come up with a plan of action based on the obligation to respect, the obligation to protect and the obligation to fulfil these new rights,” says Barlow.
Danger of Mass Extinction of Marine Species June 20th, 2011
Coral Reefs bleached by warming oceans
Marine scientists at a high-level international workshop at the University of Oxford have warned that the world’s ocean is at high risk of entering a phase of extinction of marine species unprecedented in human history.
Delegates called for urgent and unequivocal action to halt further declines in ocean health. Fish, sharks, whales and other marine species are disappearing at a far faster rate than anyone had predicted, a study by the group found. Mass extinction of species will be “inevitable” if current trends continue, researchers said.
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Immigration Reform: Audio-Visual Resources May 27th, 2011
A good movie can launch a thoughtful conversation about the need for immigration reform. The following films may help you, your community and your church group in raising awareness about this important issue:
The 800 Mile Wall – This powerful 90-minute film is an unflinching look at a failed U.S. border strategy that has caused the death of thousands of migrants and violates fundamental human rights. It documents in great detail the ineffective and deadly results of a failed border policy and offers thoughts on how the current human rights crisis may be resolved.
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