News Archives » Resources
2013 Labor Day Statement & Resources by U.S. Catholic Bishops August 20th, 2013
Every human being enjoys a basic right to be respected, not because of any title, position, prestige, or accomplishment but first of all because we are created in the image and likeness of God. From an ethical and moral perspective we embrace the exhortation of St. Paul “to anticipate one another in showing honor” (Rom 12:10).
Labor Day is an opportunity to take stock of the ways workers are honored and respected. Earlier this year, Pope Francis pointed out, “Work is fundamental to the dignity of a person…. It gives one the ability to maintain oneself, one’s family, to contribute to the growth of one’s own nation.”
Unfortunately, millions of workers today are denied this honor and respect as a result of unemployment, unjust wages, abuse, and exploitation.
2013 Labor Day Statement by Bishop Stephen Blaire
Resources:
- For parish resources, check out: Labor Day Statement Supplemental Aids (PDF)
- Catholic Social Teaching on Labor: A Primer (PDF)
- Primer on Poverty, an Option for the Poor, and the Common Good (PDF)
- Income Inequality – A Catholic Concern (This is an excellent interactive video resource on income inequality in the United States and the Church’s response)
Thanks to the National Catholic Rural Life Conference for this alert.
“Deferred Action to Help Young Immigrants” Turns One Year Old August 16th, 2013
It has been a year since President Obama issued Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a presidential initiative designed to grant a two-year reprieve from deportation and offer work authorization to young undocumented immigrants. U.S. Immigration Offices first accepted applications for DACA on August 15, 2012. DACA does not provide a path to permanent legal status but does allow young immigrants to obtain work permits. For the thousands of undocumented immigrants who have received this relief, the initiative has created an opportunity to obtain work and education without fear of deportation.
If you have questions about DACA, go to the US Government website on Immigration to find answers. Here are a few of the basics:
What are the requirements to apply for Deferred Action?
You must be younger than 31 as of June 15th, 2012; Entered the United States before your 16th birthday; Present in the United States on June 15th, 2012; Continuously resided in the United States for at least five years; Currently enrolled in school, completed high school in the U.S., achieved a GED or were honorably discharged from the United States military or Coast Guard; And not have been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor or three or more other misdemeanor offenses not arising from the same act or scheme of misconduct or are otherwise seen as posing a national security or public safety threat. For help with your application visit our application services page.
What are the risks involved in applying for Deferred Action?
The primary risk involved in applying for Deferred Action is that you are exposing yourself as an illegal immigrant to the United States government. If you feel that your case is particularly complicated or you have had a strange history or record in the U.S., you may want to consider using a competent immigration attorney.
As DACA turns a year old, this initiative is something to celebrate. However, more action is needed, especially by the U.S. House of Representatives. Many of these legalized young immigrants continue to live with the fear that their mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters may face deportation in the absence of comprehensive immigration reform. For the faith community, the coming months are important. When Congress returns to Washington, D.C. in September, we need to call, once again, for action to address the need for comprehensive immigration reform, which we see as a humanitarian issue with moral implications.
Polaris Project Pushes States to Combat Slavery August 14th, 2013
The Polaris Project works to end modern slavery. An important way to do this is by passing laws at the State level: Laws that explicitly outlaw sex trafficking and labor trafficking; Laws that treat child victims of sexual exploitation as kids, not criminals; Laws that establish vital assistance programs for all survivors of human trafficking.
To encourage greater attention to what needs to be done, the Polaris project has released a tool to measure States’ performance in combatting slavery. Their 2013 State Ratings on Human Trafficking Laws give two states (Washington and New Jersey) perfect scores. Mississippi, Arkansas and Wyoming have made important strides towards that goal. However, they note that a majority of states still lack basic victim assistance protections.
To see how your state rates, scroll down or download the information at www.polarisproject.org/2013stateratings
Please share this information widely.
Oblate JPIC Applauds Court Decision to Uphold Congo Minerals Disclosure August 13th, 2013
On July 23, the DC District Court ruled in favor of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) rules which upheld section 1502 of the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act against the National Association of Manufacturers, Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable. Section 1502 requires companies registered with the SEC to carry out due diligence and to disclose whether or not their products contain conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and adjacent countries. The Missionary Oblates JPIC office applauds this decision as a victory for the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo. For more information, read the investor’s letter (download PDF) or visit www.iccr.org.
Credit: Image from the Puget Sound Business Journal (http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2012/10/11/new-sec-rule-forces-manufacturers-to.html)
For Nuns and Analysts Alike, Bank Commodity Earnings are a Mystery August 11th, 2013
The Oblates are concerned about the lack of disclosure by banks of their commodities market activities. Fr. Seamus Finn, OMI dialogs on behalf of the Oblates with major financial institutions like Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase. He was quoted extensively in a Chicago Tribune article that does a good job of describing the issue. (Read the article)
“Driven by a determination to invest in a socially conscious way, Finn’s group has been concerned about banks’ commodities activities since 2008, when a spike in energy and agricultural products caused food riots in Africa. The issue is whether banks’ trading activities artificially drive up food prices. … While the country’s largest banks are required to disclose their activities in some consumer-facing businesses such as mortgages, there is no similar requirement for them to do so on the commodities side.”
