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December 10: Celebrate “Human Rights Day” December 8th, 2012
“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights remains one of the highest expressions of the human conscience of our time” -Pope John Paul II, Address to the Fiftieth General Assembly of the United Nations, 5 October 1995
December 10 is International Human Rights Day. The theme for 2012 is My Voice Counts: Inclusion and the Right to Participate in Public Life.
The National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT), of which Missionary Oblates JPIC office is a participating member, is encouraging the celebration of Human Rights Day in your own community, parish or congregation.
View here for resources to celebrate international human rights day.
Peace & Life Connections; December 7, 2012 December 7th, 2012
We reproduce the Consistent Life “Peace & Life Connections” weekly newsletter on this website. If you are interested in more information, or in subscribing to the e-newsletter directly, please visit www.consistent-life.org/ Please note that we do not edit the content of this publication.
Homework Done: Human Rights Groups and Feticide
December 10th is International Human Rights Day
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First Step to Avoid the Fiscal Cliff: Close Offshore Tax Loopholes December 6th, 2012
Offshore Tax Dodging Costs U.S. $150 Billion Annually; U.S. PIRG Illustrates Impact with 16 Dramatic Ways Lost Revenue Could Be Used
With Congress scrambling to agree on ways to reduce the deficit, U.S. Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG) released a new analysis pointing out a clear first step to avoid the “fiscal cliff”: closing offshore tax loopholes. Many of America’s largest corporations and wealthiest individuals use accounting gimmicks to shift profits made in America to offshore tax havens, where they pay little to no taxes. This tax avoidance costs the federal government an estimated $150 billion in tax revenue each year. U.S. PIRG’s new data illustrates the size of this loss with 16 dramatic ways $150 billion could be spent.
“When corporations skip out on their taxes, the rest of us are left to pick up their tab,” said Dan Smith, Tax and Budget Advocate for U.S. PIRG. “Right now, this kind of tax dodging is perfectly legal, but it’s not fair and it’s time to put an end to it.”
At least 83 of the top 100 publicly traded corporations in the U.S. make use of tax havens, according to the GAO. American companies like Wal-Mart, Coca Cola, and Pfizer – which benefit from our educated workforce, infrastructure, and security – keep more than 70% of their cash offshore. Thirty of America’s largest, most profitable corporations actually made money off our tax code between 2008 and 2010 by avoiding taxes altogether and receiving tax rebates from the government. By using offshore tax havens, corporations and wealthy individuals shift their tax burden to ordinary Americans and small businesses, forcing us make up the difference through cuts to public services, a bigger deficit, or higher taxes for everyday citizens.
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Prayer for Boundary Crossers – International Migrants Day (December 18) December 6th, 2012
International Migrants Day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to migrants and to increase knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families. Our colleagues in Rome at the Commission for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (USG/UISG Secretariat) have made available a prayer resource for the occasion.
For copies of the prayer in 18 languages go to: http://jpicformation.wikispaces.com/EN_18Dec
Corporate Responsibility and the ‘Fiscal Cliff’ December 3rd, 2012
In this latest Huffington Post blog, Fr. Seamus Finn OMI argues that corporations benefit from the social and physical infrastructure for which we collectively pay. Hence, their tax contribution, or lack therof, needs to be part of the conversation. Read this timely and interesting post…
