News Archives » Social Justice
Dialogue on Life and Mining from Latin America December 10th, 2013
Religious and Lay representatives from Latin America, “moved by the critical situation of our peoples vis-à-vis the extractive industry”, met in Lima in November 2013. Concerned that mining is a source of “constant and serious conflict” in many countries of Latin and Central American countries, the attendees wanted to develop a vigorous and supportive set of local and international networks to help address the destructive impacts of mining. The Missionary Oblates were represented by Fr. Gilberto Pauwels OMI from Bolivia, and Fr. Seamus Finn OMI from the United States and through their participation in VIVAT, a coalition of religious congregations with ECOSOC status at the United Nations.
There are a number of outcomes from the gathering that included reaching out to a larger number of communities affected by mining, engaging with the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace at the Vatican and convening a broader consultation on the challenges of extractives in the second half of 2014.
Extractives, mining oil and gas exploration, play an important role across the world while also imposing great intrusion and damage in local communities and on the environment where they operate. The search for a way forward that addresses the most serious of those negative impacts has been taken up by a number of different initiatives in the academic, business, stakeholder and shareholder and NGO sectors. Hopefully gatherings like the meeting in Lima can make a constructive contribution to that process.
Read the statement: Dialogue on Life and Mining: Open letter from religious and lay stewards of the goods of creation in Latin America
Remembering Nelson Mandela December 6th, 2013
We would like to share this tribute to Nelson Mandela from the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility
Friends,
Today the ICCR community mourns the loss of Nelson Mandela, champion for equality and human rights, peacemaker and icon of hope for reconciliation and justice. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and countrymen.
Forty-three years ago, witnessing the selfless struggle of Mandela and others who rejected the inequality and racism symbolized by the apartheid system, faith-based investors continents away were inspired to partner with the freedom movement by using their collective voice as shareholders to help bring economic pressure to bear against the South African government. It was in seeking the end of apartheid that ICCR first forged its beginning, and helped give birth to the shareholder advocacy movement as recalled in this podcast by one of ICCR’s founders, Paul Neuhauser.
Mandela’s quiet tenacity continues to give promise to the oppressed, enslaved, and exploited the world over and his legendary humility and commitment to genuine reconciliation are at the core of ICCR’s mission and always will be. With an estimated 21 million men, women and children worldwide still enslaved, we are united in our shared responsibility to continue to fight against injustice wherever and whenever we encounter it. This was Mandela’s lifelong message and his passing will not diminish its relevance in our world.
As Mandela said, “After climbing a great hill, one only finds many more to climb.” With his spirit to guide us, we will continue to bear witness, to testify, to advocate and raise our voices for justice…we will continue the climb in his name.
Godspeed!
Laura Berry
Executive Director
On behalf of the grateful members of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility
Liturgical Resources for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe – December 12 December 6th, 2013
December 12 is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, also called the Patroness of the Americas. Catholics are invited to celebrate this feast and use it as an opportunity to pray, reflect and advocate for comprehensive immigration reform. Resources for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe are available here…
Texas-Mexico Border Bishops Publish Pastoral Letter on Family Immigration December 3rd, 2013
In a new pastoral letter “Families Beyond Borders,” the Catholic bishops of the border region of Texas, New Mexico and Mexico humanize the immigration debate by placing it in a moral context with specific illustrations of struggling children and families.
“One of the Archbishops spoke emotionally about undocumented immigrant children, some as young as 5 years old, who brave the dangers of the desert and coyotes and hide from authorities as well as human traffickers in an attempt to reach the safety of a new home of hope.”
Video (link) and Pastoral letter available here…
The bishops who worked on “Families Beyond Borders” represented the leadership of these dioceses and archdiocese: (From Texas) Amarillo, Brownsville, El Paso, Lubbock, San Angelo, and San Antonio (From New Mexico) The Diocese of Las Cruces. (From Mexico) Chihuaha, Ciudad Juárez, Cuahteoc-Madera, Matamoros, Monterrey, Nuevo Casas Grandes, Nuevo Laredo, Piedras Negras-Catedral Mártir, and Saltillo.
Oblates Join Faith Groups in Protesting Debilitating Discrimination in the Dominican Republic November 27th, 2013
Photo Credit: HeatherXBradley; Used under Creative Commons License, Flickr
The Missionary Oblates have joined other faith-based organizations and churches in expressing “profound concern” at the September ruling of the Constitutional Court of the Dominican Republic that the children of all persons “in transit” in the country since 1929 are not Dominican. This is part of an on-going effort by the government of the Dominican Republic to deny citizenship and all the rights associated with that to Haitian migrant workers and the children born to them for the past 80+ years. Without legal documents of citizenship (birth certificate, ID cards, passports) Dominicans of Haitian descent are effectively stateless and are unable to go to school, access medical services, open bank accounts, get married, or make needed purchases.
Several years ago, two United Nations human rights experts described in a report a “profound and entrenched problem of racism and discrimination” against blacks in general — and Haitians in particular — in the Dominican Republic.
Dominican citizens of Haitian descent are often among the poorest of the poor. They are the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Haitians who crossed the border in search of a better life, and of migrant workers contracted by the Dominican government to help harvest sugarcane and other crops. They have helped build the wealth of communities, labored at the most difficult jobs, and contributed tremendously to Dominican society and economy. These Dominican citizens for generations have been fully integrated into Dominican society and have long since lost ties to Haiti.
The letter urges “the Dominican government to ensure that all necessary steps are taken to safeguard the nationality and citizenship rights of Dominico-Haitians. This includes ensuring that relevant ministries expedite processing the backlog for issuing of birth certificates and national I.D. cards to Dominicans of Haitian descent born prior to January 2010, whose Dominican nationality is protected by Dominican law as well conventions signed by government.”
The letter goes on to say: “As people of faith, we cannot remain silent as one entire section of the community is dehumanized simply because of the color of their skin and their cultural heritage. Jesus Christ welcomed all into the beloved community, and we cannot honor and follow our Lord and Savior by remaining silent in the face of such extreme injustice.”
