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Oblates Celebrate ICCR’s 40th Anniversary! September 29th, 2011
The group representing the Oblates at the ICCR 40th Anniversary event held in New York on September 22, 2011 from left to right are: Anne Van Dyke; Andrew Small, OMI; George Ngolwe; Seamus Finn, OMI; Christina Herman; Mary O'Herron; Daniel LeBlanc, OMI.
The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility celebrates its 40th Anniversary this year. The Oblate JPIC staff, which is deeply engaged in the work of faith-based shareholder advocacy, joined in the celebration which followed a week of strategizing on issues as diverse as human trafficking, immigration, mining, responsible finance, water and access to medicines.
“Values in Finance: Are we ready to learn the lessons?” September 27th, 2011
In a talk given at Trinity College, Dublin on the 15th Anniversary of Clann Credo – The Social Investment Fund, Fr. Seamus Finn, OMI talked about the need for the faith community to engage with business on questions of ethics and to work for more sustainable practices and institutions. He made three main points:
- Faith communities and traditions need to re-engage in the discussion of purpose and operations of the financial systems and their priorities.
- The damage that has been done to the people and the environment for the sake of fat profits and in the name of “progress’ has been tremendous and needs to ne examined.
- Religious communities, institutions and believers have always been willing to dream, innovate and risk new initiatives for the promotion of the common good.
Fr. Finn is active in faith responsible investing through the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility where he serves on the Board, and in 3iG, an international, interfaith coalition of institutional investors.
Something Stinks in San Fernando! September 26th, 2011
Eco-Alert for residents of Pacoima, CA:
All American Asphalt must be held accountable for the odors coming from their facility. We are taking action to make sure that our voices are heard loud and clear: eliminate the smells now!
South Coast Air Quality Management District, the organization in charge of regulating the asphalt plant’s emissions, has given us a number to call and report these odors. 8 calls a day are needed in order for them to take action against All American Asphalt. The number is 800-288-7664. Your call can make a difference!
ICCR and IAF Community Organizers Join Forces Against Foreclosures September 16th, 2011
Interfaith Center on Corporate responsibility (ICCR) members, including the Missionary Oblates, have been working with Metro Industrial Areas Foundation affiliates to get Bank of America & Wells Fargo to take action on foreclosure issues in Prince William County, VA and Milwaukee, WI. This collaboration has produced results:
- In Milwaukee, CommonGround, Metro IAF’s affiliate has organized successfully, forcing banks including Wells Fargo and Bank of America to commit $15.2 million to finance blight removal, a 100+ new Nehemiah homes development, and jobs in the Sherman Park neighborhood hard hit by foreclosure.
- In Prince William County, VA, Metro IAF’s affiliate, VOICE, organized and directly confronted Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan at the 2011 annual shareholders meeting. This resulted in Bank of America senior leadership requiring reform of loan modification practices that has resulted in 250 backlogged modifications being resolved. Bank executives also committed to negotiate on VOICE’s demands that Bank of America fund housing counselors and reinvest hundreds of millions of dollars to rebuild Prince William County neighborhoods devastated by foreclosures.
VOICE is organizing a 1,000 person public action on Sunday, October 30th with Senator Mark Warner (Senate Banking Committee) and bank officials.
Watch this moving video of an anti-foreclosure rally organized by VOICE in Northern Virginia last April:
Oblate Center for Peace and Reconciliation in Jaffna Launches Peace Week Activities September 15th, 2011
September 15th – 21st is International Peace Week and we at the Center for Peace and Reconciliation declare this week as a ” Week of Relationship”
Let us try to do any small act of Charity with the greater Love. In order to commemorate the week, CPR has organized different activities in Jaffna, Vanni, Manner, Colombo and Vavunia in the schools and the villages with the children and teachers. On the 21st there will be a 3 hour cultural programme with all the religious and ethnic groups.
The Center calls on all to pray for lasting peace and a reconciled society.
“Peace is not the material thing that we can buy from the shop but it is valuable gift that you have within yourselves. Each one struggles for a peaceful atmosphere but never goes back to the inner self where he/she has the serenity. The struggle of the center is not to change the society but to change the individuals to realize the inner thirst for peace.”
Peace week begins on the 15th of September and ends with the Peace Day on the 21st. “We are in the 7th year of our peace week activities, and having worked for 4 years with the struggle of the people, I personally confess that it is not failure when we look back the past years in our peace struggle.”
“Appreciating the contribution that the young generation has extended during the past years to build up a better society, we are also able to convince many people to walk in the direction of peace and Reconciliation. Our conviction is to bring individuals into the web of peace in order not to be trapped into going against the path of Peace and Reconciliation.”
