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Friends of the Oblates Preserves Receives Award @ Illinois State Fair August 25th, 2021

(Photo L-R): Bill Rathmann, DNR Director Colleen Callahan, Sister Maxine Pohlman, Robert White, Connie Rathmann, Sandy Budde, Bill Zimmerman

Congratulations to Friends of the Oblates Nature Preserves for receiving a well-deserved “Volunteers of the Year” award from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources at the State Fair in Springfield, IL!

In collaboration with La Vista Ecological Learning Center, these faithful workers from O’Fallon, Waterloo, Edwardsville, Godfrey, and Elsah Illinois, collectively contributed 930 hours in monthly workdays. Their efforts in removing invasive species like bush honeysuckle, winter creeper and oriental bittersweet contribute to the preservation of biodiversity by allowing native species to thrive again. In addition they are helping to preserve an ecologically sensitive habitat where threatened and endangered species live or pass through during migration.

Sixteen acres of land at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Novitiate in Godfrey, Illinois were officially preserved in the Illinois Nature Preserve System in 1993. The first priority in preserving land is to protect biodiversity which is necessary for the continuation of life in our common home.

Illinois State Fair at a Glance:

The Illinois State Fair is an annual 11-day festival celebrating agriculture, farmers and related industries
First celebrated in 1853 in Chicago, IL, the fair is now in its 158th year.
The fair has moved to Springfield, IL and is held nearly every year with few exceptions (it was canceled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic)
Average attendance is around half a million, climbing to nearly 1 million in 2012 and 2013 and dropping back down to about 500,000 in 2019.
Corn-dogs-on-sticks, a popular edible treat at U.S. fairs is said to have originated at the Illinois State Fair

Our 2021 Summer JPIC Report is Now Available! August 18th, 2021

Oblates & Partners embrace the call of Laudato Sí

In this newsletter we share some of the creative and inspiring work of Oblates and partners embracing the call of Laudato Sí. Also, updates on JPIC activities and the policy and advocacy work we undertake with corporations and governments.

Do you have any interesting initiatives going on in your communities? Reach out to us at this email address: jpic@omiusa.org.

A PDF version of the newsletter can be downloaded here.

Past issues can be found in the Resources section of the website.

JPIC Report is the twice-yearly newsletter of the US Oblate JPIC Office. It is an informational resource about and for Oblates and others involved in the work of promoting justice, peace and the integrity of creation.

Top 25 Wins for Indigenous Peoples in the Last 5 Years August 13th, 2021

The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is observed on August 9 each year to promote and protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples around the world. The date commemorates the first United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations meeting in Geneva in 1982. This year’s theme is “Leaving No One Behind: Indigenous Peoples and the call for a social contract.”

As we celebrate indigenous peoples, Cultural Survival is taking a look back at some of the top 25 wins for Indigenous Peoples over the last 5 years. From historic land back cases to strong Indigenous women in power, there has been great progress to celebrate.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE.

Aug 9 is International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples August 9th, 2021

Struggle for survival is ongoing says Fr. Joseph Gomes, OMI

“Indigenous communities living in the punjis are struggling hard for survival as they are facing repeated attacks by outsiders, said Fr. Joseph Gomes, OMI, coordinator of the Indigenous Environment Movement of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa) in Sylhet division.”

“Bangladesh Adivasi Forum central committee General Secretary Sanjeeb Drong said such violence against punji people has been going on for years. “But the problem is yet to be resolved.”

The communities remain under threat of eviction even when the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is observed today with the slogan “Leaving No One Behind: Indigenous peoples and the call for a new social contract”.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE.

#InternationalDayofIndigenous

2021 Eco-living Tips August 6th, 2021

Small changes go a long way in the quest to live more sustainably. You can start with a handful of changes in your everyday life. To help you on this journey, we have created two brochures: Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. and Choosing Earth-Friendly Products. The brochures are packed with manageable tips to act on and guidance for adding environmentally friendly products to your daily life.