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Goldman CEO Calls for Internal Review; ICCR Derivatives Resolution Garnered 33.7% of Shareholder Vote! May 9th, 2010
ICCR Members Sr. Barbara Aires (Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, NJ), Seamus Finn, OMI, Cathy Rowan (Maryknoll) and Kate Walsh (Tri-State Coalition of Responsible Investors) head to the Goldman Sachs AGM, May 7, 2010
The head of Goldman Sachs, Lloyd Blankfein, at the company’s Annual Meeting last Friday, promised to conduct an internal review of the company’s business practices to make sure it was serving its customers and the public interest. The government has accused the bank of defrauding some clients in a derivatives deal.
The Missionary Oblates, along with other faith-based shareholders, filed a Resolution calling for greater transparency on derivatives trading, which captured 33.7% of the shareholder vote, a significant amount. Similar resolutions filed with Citigroup and Bank of America have won 30% and 39% of the shareholder vote, respectively, despite company opposition.
Alberta Tar Sands: Dirty Oil May 9th, 2010
The recent oil-related ecological disaster in the Gulf of Mexico raises questions about the sources of the energy on which we are so dependent. An increasingly important source of oil for the United States is the tar sands of Alberta, Canada.
The Alberta Tar sands, an extremely dense and viscous form of petroleum called bitumen, have been referred to as the most damaging project on the planet. According to Greenpeace, emissions from tar sands extraction could grow to between 127 and 140m tonnes by 2020, exceeding the current emissions of Austria, Portugal, Ireland and Denmark. If proposed expansion proceeds,it will result in the loss of vast tracts of boreal forest and peat bogs of a territory the size of England.
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Faith Groups Work to Prevent Human Trafficking During the 2010 World Cup Events in South Africa May 7th, 2010
The Oblate JPIC Office is working in solidarity with the efforts of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (Church on the Ball), and local initiatives by the Leaders of Consecrated Religious Life (SA) and the South African Council of Churches to counter human trafficking in South Africa during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
For multinational corporations who are long time sponsors of the FIFA World Cup, this event could be an opportunity to move beyond the usual sponsorship efforts of selling brands and expanding their markets. Official corporate sponsors of the FIFA World Cup are being asked to use the occasion of the World Cup 2010 to be part of the solution to eliminate human trafficking.
Christian Brothers Investment Services has initiated a shareholder advocacy campaign, supported by the Oblate JPIC Office, to engage multinational corporations on the issue of human trafficking during the 2010 Soccer World Cup events in South Africa.
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Senate Democrats Unveil Immigration Reform Proposal April 30th, 2010
On April 29, 2010, Senate Democrats in the United States Congress released their immigration-reform proposal – Real Enforcement with Practical Answers for Immigration Reform” (REPAIR) Act to repair the broken immigration system.
Highlights of the proposal include:
- registration and an acceptance of responsibility program for undocumented immigrants in the U.S. a path to “Lawful Prospective Immigrant” status
- immediate green cards for foreign students who have obtained an advanced degree from a U.S. academic institution of higher education in particular fields and who have an offer of employment from a U.S. employer.
The REPAIR act also has provisions for Detention standards and protections; and includes DREAM ACT and AGJOBS legislation.
The Missionary Oblates JPIC office welcome the introduction of this proposal — The Real Enforcement with Practical Answers for Immigration Reform (REPAIR) which was announced by Senators Harry Reid (D-NV), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Robert Menendez (D-NJ). The REPAIR proposal provides a legislative opportunity for Members of Congress to come together and enact a lasting solution to the problem of undocumented immigrants that continues to affect millions of families and communities every day.
The REPAIR proposal is an important first attempt to fix the broken immigration system in the United States and will be the focus of much debate in the coming months. Comprehensive Immigration reform can no longer wait. The status quo is badly broken and needs immediate repair.
Two Human Rights Activists Killed in Mexico April 30th, 2010
In Mexico, two human rights activists have been shot dead in the state of Oaxaca. The victims have been identified as Beatriz Carino, director of the Mexican human rights group CACTUS, and Jyri Antero Jaakkola, a human rights observer from Finland. They were traveling as part of a international humanitarian convoy attempting to deliver aid to a town that’s been targeted by paramilitary blockades since the 2006 uprising against governor Ulises Ruiz.
Beatriz Carino was an important advocate for indigenous rights in Oaxaca. Learn more…
