News Archives » Peace
BANGLADESH ‘Country’s climate-fund demands too low’ December 15th, 2009
Prominent Church people say the claim by Bangladesh for 15 percent of any climate change adaptation fund that may be pledged at the Copenhagen talks, may not be enough.
“Our people are not only suffering from sea-level rise and cyclones but also more people each day become refugees because of river erosion which is an effect of climate change too,” Benedict Alo D’Rozario, executive director of Caritas Bangladesh, told UCA News.
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Human Rights Watch Report on Congo says UN Mission Needs to Protect Civilians December 14th, 2009
A United Nations-supported military offensive in eastern Congo has led to more than fourteen hundred civilian murders this year by both Congolese troops and rebels according a Human Rights Watch report released December 13. The report, titled “You Will Be Punished: Attacks on Civilians in Eastern Congo,” documents the deliberate killing of more than 1,400 civilians between January and September 2009. The killings occurred during during two Congolese army operations against a Rwandan Hutu militia, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
Many advocacy groups say that the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo has failed and must be reformed to protect civilians adequately. The situation is extremely violent, with various rebel groups supporting their operations with proceeds from stolen minerals. The area is rich in resources such as gold, diamonds, copper, tin and the metallic ore coltan, used in the manufacture of cell phones.
The report was issued as the Security Council prepares to vote on a renewal of the peacekeeping mission mandate of United Nations Organization Mission in DR Congo (MONUC) on December 21.
Climate Justice for a Changing Planet December 8th, 2009
Climate Justice for a Changing Planet: A Primer for Policy Makers and NGOs shines a light on the important intersection of equity and justice in the context of the current climate change debate. This new publication from the United Nations Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS) explores climate justice as an emerging concept and as a key to understanding the global debate. The book demonstrates that climate justice is not only an ethical imperative, but also an economic and social one.
Learn more and access a PDF of the publication.
In an effort to further highlight the issue and to develop further understanding of the concept, NGLS has also launched a series of guest articles and interviews with climate justice experts and advocates. This series will continue through January of 2010. The series and more information can be found at www.un-ngls.org/climatejustice
Ring Your Church Bells Sunday December 13th – Send a Message to Copenhagen! December 3rd, 2009
International climate change talks are set to start in Copenhagen on December 7th, and the Earth’s future is at stake. It’s time for us to do everything we can to ensure that the world community emerges from Copenhagen with a just, binding, science-based climate treaty.
Caritas Internationalis and the World Council of Churches are calling on Christians around the world to ring our church bells on Sunday, December 13th to show solidarity with our brothers and sisters around the globe who already are experiencing the devastating effects of climate change.
RING YOUR BELLS!
Want to organize an action? Download a flyer for distribution in your church this Sunday.
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Conflict Mineral Trade Act 2009 Introduced in the US House of Representatives November 20th, 2009
Oblates visit a war refugee camp in DRC
On November 19, the United States House of Representatives introduced the Conflict Minerals Trade Act of 2009. The bill was introduced by Congressman Jim McDermott (D-Washington), with co-sponsorship from Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts) and Frank Wolf (R-Virginia). A coalition of faith based organizations and international nonprofit organizations concerned about conflict stemming from minerals extraction are encouraged by this Congressional action. The bill has also received support from various stakeholders in the electronics industry. To make this bill a reality, though, you need to urge your Congressional Representative to cosponsor the Conflict Minerals Trade Act of 2009 (HR 4128). Find your Representative on the House.gov website.
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