News Archives » Integrity of Creation
The Poor in Detroit Struggle to Cope with Water Shutoffs July 12th, 2011
As the world’s growing population hits up against an increasingly limited supply of fresh water, local communities are suffering. Poor residents of the city of Detroit are among those struggling to cope with water shutoffs. This reality continues despite passage of the UN Resolution declaring water as a human right last year.
Students at the University of Michigan have studied the growing water crisis in Detroit and peoples’ efforts to do something about it. Read their report. (Download PDF)
Latin America Church Conference on Mining Issues Final Document July 8th, 2011
Oblates at Seminario Internationale in Peru June 2011
Oblates from Bolivia, Peru and the United States 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.
The conference final document is available in Spanish.
Sharif Jamil, Bangladeshi Environmentalist: Video Interview June 30th, 2011
“Saving the Indigenous people’s environment in Bangladesh” is a story which highlights the collaborative work of the Missionary Oblates in Bangladesh with one of the country’s environmental leaders in responding to the efforts of indigenous peoples in Bangladesh to preserve their traditional lifestyle and culture.
Sharif Jamil is a Bangladeshi environmental activist who works closely with the Oblate JPIC Coordinator in Bangladesh, Fr. Joseph Gomes, OMI. Sharif is National Coordinator of APRA (Adibasi Poribesh Roskhya Andolon or Save Indigenous Environment Movement), Joint Secretary of BAPA (Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon or Bangladesh Environment Movement), and the Buriganga Riverkeeper. BAPA is the largest national environmental movement in Bangladesh.
Sharif, Fr. Joseph and others have been working with the Garo and Khasi communities to prevent illegal logging in their forests, on which they depend for their survival.
Human Right to Water and Sanitation materials available from the UN June 30th, 2011
Popular information materials on the human right to water and sanitation are now available from the UN Water Decade website.
The materials were developed on the occasion of activities jointly organized by the UN-Water Decade Programme on Advocacy and Communication (UNW-DPAC), UN-Habitat, the UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC) and the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) at Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum (20-22 June 2011). Click on the following links to access the documents:
Click here to read more »
ICCR releases Social Sustainability Resource Guide June 28th, 2011
The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) has issued a new publication offering suggestions to companies on how to achieve and measure greater social sustainability. The guide suggests ways to integrate different stakeholders into a constructive consultative process. The resource guide is also helpful for investors to develop collaboration skills in their shareholder engagements.
“While a number of companies have implemented sustainability initiatives, few measure the social impacts of their operations and programs in communities. In order to address this gap, ICCR is publishing this guide for implementing and measuring social sustainability programs.”
Learn more: Download the ICCR Social Sustainability Resource Guide.
Hard copies can be ordered from ICCR.
