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Sri Lanka Media Attacks Brought to UN Attention June 3rd, 2013
Two written statements on Sri Lanka were presented recently to the 23rd Session of the UN General Assembly for the promotion and protection of Human Rights, Civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights and against all forms of Discrimination and Racism.
Sri Lanka: Systematic attacks on freedom of expression and the media requires specific attention of the Human Rights Council was submitted by the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Download PDF)
Freedom of Assembly in the Democratic Republic of Sri Lanka was submitted by the International Movement against all Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) (Download PDF)
The General Service of OMI JPIC in 2009 spelled out the Oblate commitment to Human Rights, a commitment that was endorse by the present General Administration saying: “We commit ourselves so that all peoples should be respected in their right to life from conception to life’s natural end and to have access to basic human needs as well as enjoy the right to enjoy the free exercise of civic, political, social, religious and cultural rights, and to have a healthy community to live in”.
Another Oblate mission priority under PEACE and RECONCILIATION states:
“Inspired by Jesus who died to reconcile all peoples with God and guided by St. Eugene’s pastoral concern for reconciliation between people in his missionary activity takes us to commit ourselves to promote peace and reconciliation in identifying and acknowledging the nature of the historical divisions and animosity which exists between countries and ethnic groups; also to explore opportunities and learning tools and processes that can make a positive contribution to the peacemaking process”.
2012 International Religious Freedom Report Available May 22nd, 2013
The International Religious Freedom Act is a law passed by the US Congress that mandates the preparation of the International Religious Freedom Report. Produced by the US State Department, this report shines light on the challenges that people face as they seek the right to worship as they wish.
Read the 2012 International Religious Freedom Report
Oblates and other Faith-Based and Socially Responsible Investors Work to Clean up Garment Industry Supply Chain May 16th, 2013
The Missionary Oblates, Oblate Investment Pastoral and GS-JPIC Rome have joined with more than 100 other institutional investors, with over $1.2 trillion in assets under management, in a statement condemning the broken supply chain system in the garment industry, especially in Bangladesh. This system, much of which urgently needs fixing, continues to result in huge loss of life in unsafe factories, as well as unfair remuneration for workers, many of whom are young parents.
This large coalition of religious groups and investors is pressing major American retailers to join a sweeping plan to improve safety in Bangladesh apparel factories, calling on them to act together to force changes in overseas workplaces.
Read the article about investor activism in the garment sector in the New York Times…
List of Signatories to the investor statement…
Additional press coverage:
NRCAT Urges in Congress: Close Guantanamo! May 10th, 2013
A Congressional Briefing, broadcast on C-SPAN, offers important information about the realities at Guantanamo and how the President can move forward with closing the prison there. We encourage you to watch it. The briefing is hosted by Rep. Jim Moran and is sponsored by the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT), The Constitution Project, and the New America Foundation. The Oblate JPIC Office is a member of NRCAT.
The situation at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center continues to deteriorate. Eleven years after it first opened, and more than 4 years after President Obama mandated its closure, there are still 166 men being held at Guantanamo – 86 of whom have already been cleared for transfer or release. Currently, 100 of the detainees, responding to a growing sense of hopelessness and despair over their continued detention, in most cases without charge or trial, are engaged in a prolonged hunger strike.
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JPIC Staff Visits Bangladesh May 3rd, 2013
Christina Herman, JPIC Office Associate Director, visited Bangladesh in late March/early April. Her daughter, Emma, accompanied her, taking thousands of photos and copious notes. Fr. Joseph Gomes, OMI graciously hosted a ten day trip around the Sylhet region of NE Bangladesh, which provided a fascinating look at the lives of the indigenous Khasi people and the issues confronting their villages. The Oblate mission in Bangladesh started in the Sylhet region, and there are a number of parishes among the indigenous peoples of the area.
Frequent national strikes (or hartals) called by a political opposition determined to undermine the government made the trip challenging, but the group covered a lot of ground.
Sharif Jamil, Buriganga RiverKeeper
In Dhaka, Christina teamed up with the Bangladesh WaterKeeper, Sharif Jamil, in an examination of environmental and labor issues related to the leather and garment export industries. They visited the Buriganga River, leather tanneries north of the city, a massive garment factory, and had a number of informative meetings with factory owners and managers, labor union organizers, and environmentalists.
Polluted Water from Leather Tanneries flows into the Buriganga River
The tanneries are a large source of pollution for the main river flowing through Dhaka, a megacity of an estimated 18 million people. Millions depend on the rivers for bathing, washing clothes, and transportation, yet they are heavily polluted with industrial and human waste. Human Rights Watch recently issued a study of the health impacts of the tanneries, which matched the findings of this trip. Untreated industrial waste flowing from the garment factories is common. A huge factor in the pollution is the lack of adequate sewage treatment for the city’s burgeoning population.
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