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Ask Congress to Help Stop Human Trafficking September 7th, 2012
Many things we use routinely – like our food and clothes – are too often tainted by slavery’s footprint. A new bill in Congress wants to change this.
The “Business Transparency on Trafficking and Slavery Act” (H.R. 2759) would require companies with at least $100 million in income to publicize the measures they are taking to combat this kind of slavery in their supply chains. Although the bill doesn’t require organizations to take action against slavery, it opens the door for competition to improve standards and practices by making the public aware of which companies are taking action to combat slavery – and which ones are not. Rather than subject businesses to confusing and often conflicting state laws, H.R. 2759 would establish clear requirements that would apply equally to companies across the country.
Supply Chain legislation was passed last year in California, and is having an effect as companies comply with the law. Supply chains are important; this is where most of the labor used to create a product is to be found.
Three other important bills to reduce human trafficking are also in need of support:
- Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act
- Strengthening the Child Welfare Response to Human Trafficking Act
- End Human Trafficking in Government Contracting
United Nations Fights Human Trafficking September 7th, 2012
In New York, the NGOs (non-governmental organizations) through their Stop Trafficking in Persons Committee is focusing on world sports events where sponsoring businesses can make a big difference in stopping human trafficking. In particular, task force members wrote letters to the London Olympics Organizing Committee and all Olympic sponsors asking them to take a public stand against human trafficking. Companies can prevent human trafficking by evaluating their supply chains in order to end forced labor, child labor, and unscrupulous recruitment practices.
The United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking, UN.GIFT, has as its mission to promote a global approach to the problem of trafficking in persons. Trafficking criminal networks are so extensive that they cannot be dismantled by governments alone. Trafficking is an organized crime so it must be fought in an organized way. UN.GIFT makes an effort to involve all stakeholders — business, academia, governments, civil society and the media – in partnerships against trafficking.
For further details or to support UN.GIFT, go to www.ungift.org/knowledgehub/en/about/index.html
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.
See the Oblate Community Supported Garden in Action! August 30th, 2012
There is a new video on the OMI JPIC You Tube Channel exploring the La Vista Community Supported Garden, narrated by Sr. Maxine Pohlman, SSND.
In this video, Sister Maxine walks through the garden to show what shareholders expect to get on a seasonal basis. She also talks about some of the programs offered by the Oblate Ecological Learning Center.
This video was produced by Will Shaw, Oblate Media and Communications.
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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