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Protection of Khasi Villages Overturned by Court Order March 19th, 2010
A January victory by the Khasi people in stopping logging on their lands has been overturned by a High Court decision issued in late February. Four indigenous villages in Bangladesh, with their 500 Khasi residents, will be destroyed if logging by a local tea estate owner is allowed to continue.
An Oblate priest, Fr. Joseph Gomes, OMI, along with other colleagues from the environmental community have been working with the Khasi people to protect the forest and their villages. We urge all parties in a position to do so, to raise serious concerns with the Government of Bangladesh regarding this situation.
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Spanish Environmental Brochures Now Available January 8th, 2010
Spanish language versions of the new OMI JPIC Environmental Brochures are now available for download and printing.
Visit our Spanish site and look for the post: Nuevos Folletos sobre Uso de Agua, Alimentos, Productos de Limpieza Inofensivos, Comercio Justo y Más!
Oblates interested in receiving printed brochures can request copies from the US Oblate JPIC Office. Please email Mary O’Herron.
Faith Groups Raise Climate Change Concerns with Senate November 12th, 2009
Sen. Schumer listened to climate activists Rajyashri Waghray (CWS), Christina Herman (Oblate Justice, Peace/Integrity of Creation), Esmeralda Brown, (UMC) after they delivered Countdown to Copenhagen postcards to his legislative aide.
The Oblate JPIC Office joined other faith groups and denominations on November 4th, in sponsoring a climate vigil focused on the justice dimensions of climate change.
The Climate Vigil, followed by Senate visits, was organized by Church World Service, the National Council of Churches and United Methodist Women. Faith groups have been emphasizing the need to focus on the impacts of climate change on the poor, particularly those in developing countries, who are most affected yet who bear the least responsibility.
A Senate bill approved by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee would require industry to make a 20 percent cut from 2005 emissions levels for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by 2020. The bill is expected to go to the Senate floor early next year.
The churches are also concerned that the US carry a strong position to rein in climate change when countries meet to set targets in Copenhagen in December. Church World Service has spearheaded a yearlong Countdown to Copenhagen sign-on campaign in the US. World leaders will try to agree on a plan in Copenhagen to extend the Kyoto Protocol climate change agreement. The United States has not yet signed on to the Kyoto Protocol, yet the pressure is on to take action soon. Scientists have recently predicted that inaction in reining in rising temperatures from global warming will result in huge economic and social costs, highlighting the need for all countries to shift away from carbon-intensive forms of energy production.
Oblate US JPIC Committee Gathers in Godfrey, Illinois October 19th, 2009
US JPIC Committee Members and Staff Visit the Shed Dedicated to Darrell Rupiper, OMI on the Community Supported Agriculture Project at Godfrey, IL
On October 15 and 16, the United States Province Oblate Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) committee held a bi-annual strategy meeting in Godfrey, Illinois to review, share progress and discuss how to continue the JPIC work most effectively. Part of the agenda included brief updates from staff from the Washington JPIC office, the Oblate Ecological Initiative based in Godfrey and the General Service office in Rome. Committee members also reported on their JPIC work.
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Stop Vulture Funds Bill Supported by Broad Array of Faith Groups and NGOs August 21st, 2009
The Oblate JPIC Office joined a broad array of faith groups and Non-Governmental Organizations in sending a letter to US Congressional Representatives asking for their support for the Stop Vulture Funds Act. This is newly introduced legislation that would prevent vulture funds (often a type of hedge fund) from making this excessive profit at the expense of poor countries struggling under the burden of debt.
‘Vulture fund’ is a name given to a company that seeks to make profit by buying up debt that is in default on the secondary market for pennies on the dollar, then sues the country in US or European courts once creditor countries forgive the debts owed them by a struggling country. As the value of the remaining debt rises, the Vulture Fund can often recover up to ten times the purchase price.
Some vulture funds target failing companies, but the ‘vulture fund’ campaign is focused on those that target the sovereign debts of impoverished countries.
