News Archives » Peace
No Safe Haven for Tamils in Sri Lanka January 23rd, 2009
A major military campaign by the Sri Lankan government to defeat the LTTE – the Tamil Tigers – is causing immense suffering and increasing civilian casualties among the Tamil population. Fleeing their homes to avoid the fighting, men, women and children have been forced into an increasingly small area in the northeast of the country, near Mullaithivu. With humanitarian workers told by the government to leave the Vanni (north) in September, food and medical supplies are in short supply and information is limited.
We continue to hear from priests and others who have remained in the area, and they are appealing for United Nations intervention to stop the bloodshed. Read the Open Letter to UN General Secretary Ban Ki Moon from the Priests and Religious in the Wanni
Click here to read more »
Cardinal George, OMI writes President Obama, Articulates Priorities of the Catholic Church January 23rd, 2009
Francis Cardinal George, OMI – as President of the US Catholic Conference of Bishops – has written President Obama counseling him not to “…reverse current policies against government-sponsored destruction of unbom human life”. (Download PDF of the letter)
In a second letter focusing on a broader range of issues, Cardinal George outlines the principles and priorities that guide the public policy efforts of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). In it, he outlines an agenda for dialogue and action, and expresses the desire to work together with the new Administration “…to defend human life and dignity and build a nation of greater justice and a world at peace”. The focus is on the needs of the poor, the marginalized and the unborn, and included a call for the renewal of responsible international leadership. (Download PDF of the letter)
Doha Financing for Development Conference Calls for Greater Development Financing Despite Economic Crisis January 14th, 2009
Seamus Finn, OMI and Sr. Zelia Cordeiro SSPS of VIVAT International at the Doha Conference
The Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterrey Consensus was held in Doha, Qatar, on 29 November – 2 December 2008. The Conference adopted the Doha Declaration on Financing for Development with three key messages:
- strong commitment by developed countries to maintain their ODA targets irrespective of the current financial crisis;
- recognition that the United Nations has a vital role to play in addressing new challenges and emerging issues in financing for development; and
- decision to hold a UN Conference at the highest level on the impact of the current financial and economic crisis on development.
Learn more in this summary of the Doha Conference from the NGLS and FFD Secretariats…
Help the world: Work for justice January 14th, 2009
“If you want Peace, work for Justice.”
– Pope Paul VI, Jan. 1, 1972
Always, but especially now at the beginning of a new year, this is wise counsel for every member of the human family, of every religious persuasion (or none) – Peace defined broadly, i.e., not just the absence of war but the pervasive presence of justice. Justice defined broadly, i.e., the common good; that is, the situation in which everyone’s rights are respected, everyone’s responsibilities are acquitted, everyone’s needs are met, everyone’s talents can be developed along the lines of excellence.
So, do you want:
- The common good to be the common goal of the entire human family? – Work for justice.
- An end to war as a means of conflict resolution? – Work for justice.
- A world free of nuclear weapons? – Work for justice.
Click here to read more »
Fighting Poverty to Build Peace: Papal Message for the World Day of Peace January 6th, 2009
The Pope’s annual World Day of Peace Message focused this year on the connection between extreme poverty and conflict. The Pope remarked that “The gap between rich and poor has become more marked, even in the most economically developed nations. This is a problem which the conscience of humanity cannot ignore, since the conditions in which a great number of people are living are an insult to their innate dignity and as a result are a threat to the authentic and harmonious progress of the world community”
Read the Pope’s World Day of Peace Message:
