News Archives » Peace
Faiths Calling to Prevent Gun Violence – April 9th! April 7th, 2013
The debate in advance of the Senate vote is about to begin! Call your Senators on April 9th and urge them to act to prevent gun violence. Ensure that the voices of faithful Americans ring throughout the halls of Congress. Demand that we enact universal background checks – and pass other needed gun violence prevention measures such as bans on semi-automatic assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, gun trafficking laws, and improved access to mental health services. Take Action and More information at: faithscalling.org
Solidarity for Peaceful Elections in Kenya February 21st, 2013
On March 4, the Republic of the Kenya will hold general elections. Catholic Task Force on Africa (CTFA), a coalition of Catholic religious communities and organizations in Washington D.C. has issued a letter of solidarity for peaceful elections in Kenya.
The CTFA statement of solidarity says,
Many remember the violence that erupted during the election of 2007. We encourage you, our brothers and sisters to reject any form of violence, refrain from hate speech and to avoid making ethnic tensions the center of this historic democratic exercise. We encourage you to use legal and peaceful mechanisms as you elect your next government.
The Missionary Oblates have a presence in the Kenya where they work in catholic parishes and operate development projects. United State Province Missionary Oblate JPIC office is a member of the Catholic Task Force on Africa.
Read the statement (download PDF)
Truth, Justice and Mercy Meet February 15th, 2013
“Truth and Mercy have met together
Justice and Peace have kissed.” (Psalm 84)
“In these two short lines there are four important concepts and two powerful paradoxes. The concepts kept running through my mind as I watched the peace process unfold [in Nicaragua] in its fits and starts. I noticed for the first time that the Psalmist seemed to treat the concepts as if they were alive. I could hear their voices in the war in Nicaragua. In fact, I could hear their voices in any conflict. Truth, Mercy, Justice and Peace were no longer ideas. They became people. And they could talk.”
John Paul Lederach, a Mennonite Christian, is an influential author and practitioner in the fields of conflict transformation and peace building. He has written a little play – “a liturgy of sorts” as Lederach calls it, based on his experiences in working with conciliation groups in Nicaragua who often used Psalm 84 for their biblical reflections. We would like to share it with our readers as a good mediation piece for Lent. (Download the PDF)
Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence January 17th, 2013
On January 15, Faiths United to Prevent Gun Violence, a diverse coalition of organizations united by the call of faiths to confront America’s gun violence epidemic and to rally support for policies that reduce death and injury from gunfire, sent a letter to the 113th Congress. Religious leaders representing 40 different faiths signed the letter urging the President and Congress to urgently take action to respond to the gun violence crisis in the United States. The letter was released to the public during the press conference at the United Methodist Building in Washington DC.
To read the letter and learn more, visit www.faithsagainstgunviolence.org
Oblates Join Multi-Stakeholder Group Opposing Industry Challenge to Conflict Minerals Rule November 19th, 2012
The Missionary Oblates JPIC office joined a multi-stakeholder group (MSG) in a statement regarding the recent challenge to Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank bill that focuses on conflict minerals.
The organizations in the MSG consist of faith based investors, asset management groups, large corporations, and NGOs. The objective is to reiterate the commitment to eliminating the link between violence and human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the face of the petition recently filed by three trade associations in Washington, DC.
The MSG agrees that an important part of the solution to ending violence in the region is a responsible mineral sourcing process, and pledges to continue to work toward this goal.
Multi-stakeholder statement here.
