News Archives » South America
US Airways Combats Child Sex Tourism March 4th, 2009
ICCR members thanked US Airways for its effort to inform passengers of the evil of child sex tourism in an advertisement in a recent issue of US Airways Magazine. At the recent III World Congress Against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents held in Rio de Janeiro, Nov. 25-28, 2008, Queen Silvia of Sweden stated that “Business executives have to play an active role; the society will not support companies that are indifferent to social problems.” The queen urged “transport, internet, travel and tourism sectors to deepen their commitment within their productive chains to fight child and adolescent sexual tourism world-wide.”
The Oblates are actively engaged in work to combat human trafficking through ICCR, and were a signatory to the letter.
SOS Amazon March 3rd, 2009
One of the most lasting images of the World Social Forum in Belém, Brazil was the human banner made by indigenous leaders, who used their bodies to spell out a bird´s eye message of “SOS Amazon” in Portuguese, to draw attention to the fragile region.
The human banner was organized by the Coordinating Group of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon, one of the major groups that participated in the forum, campaigning for indigenous rights, particularly in the South American jungle, where various economically-driven projects are having grave reverberations on native peoples.
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72 Members of Congress Urge World Bank to Cancel Haiti’s Debt February 27th, 2009
Debt Cancellation Will Help Haiti Avoid National Collapse, Give Fragile Democracy a Chance
A bipartisan group of 72 US Representatives called on World Bank President Robert Zoellick late yesterday to immediately suspend all scheduled debt repayments from Haiti and grant complete debt cancellation to the impoverished nation. Haiti currently sends $1.6 million to the World Bank every month while thousands of Haitians starve and the nation struggles to fill a severe budget gap that threatens the struggling democracy’s stability.
The letter to President Zoellick was circulated by US Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) as well as Representatives Barney Frank (D-MA) and Spencer Bachus (R-AL), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee. The Representatives express deep concern about “the urgent humanitarian needs of the people of Haiti and the difficulties Haiti has faced in qualifying for the cancellation of its debts.” “We understand that Haiti is scheduled to send approximately $20 million to the World Bank in 2009,” the letter reads, “Clearly, this money would be better spent on basic infrastructure and poverty reduction for the Haitian people.” Signers include 72 US Representatives from across the political spectrum, including Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Donald Payne (D-NJ), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman (D-CA).
Download a PDF of the letter from Members of Congress to World Bank President Zoellick
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“Philippines: Mining or Food?” – Report launched in London February 23rd, 2009
“Focus on rice production and not on mining” says new report on mining in the Philippines
L to R: Right Hon Clare Short; Clive Wicks; Robert Goodland; Bishop John Arnold auxiliary in the Catholic Diocese of Westminster; Anglican Bishop Michael Doe General Secretary of Anglicans in World Mission
Church opposition in the Philippines to destructive mining on its islands was supported by Church leaders in Britain on 9 February at the launch of a new report at Westminster titled, Philippines: Mining or Food? It was commissioned by the UK-based Working Group on Mining in the Philippines, which is chaired by Clare Short MP and involves Columban Faith and Justice, the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility, and Philippine Indigenous Peoples Links. The Oblate JPIC Office is preparing a US launch in the coming weeks.
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Belem to Davos: “Another World is Possible” January 28th, 2009
The 2009 World Social Forum (WSF) has started in Belem, Brazil where thousands of people have gathered to discuss, develop strategies and act together against exploitative neo-liberalism and globalization. The WSF, which started in 2001, is an open forum for civil society and non governmental organizations to share experiences, network and formulate advocacy alternatives.
The World Social Forum offers an alternative platform to the policies and proposals of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland which starts at the same time (Jan 29 and 30). Here, by invitation only, world political and international business leaders meet to discuss the global economy. The World Economic Forum is organized under the slogan, “Shaping the Post-Crisis World”
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