News Archives » Social Justice
Tomas Vyhnalek, OMI Appointed as Representative of VIVAT International in Vienna August 30th, 2010
Fr. Tomas Vyhnalek, OMI has been appointed as an official representative of VIVAT International at the UN headquarters in Vienna, Austria. The UN in Vienna focuses on Drugs and Crime and Fr. Vyhnalek intends to focus on Human Trafficking, Migrant Smuggling, Criminal Justice, Prison Reform and HIV-AIDS. All of these are issues that are of prime interest to the Oblates as well as to VIVAT.
This July appointment to the UN in Vienna, coupled with that of Daniel LeBlanc at the UN in New York and the growing network of VIVAT Congregations with members in different countries, increases the opportunities for the “voices of the poor to be heard where decisions are taken affecting their lives” (CC.RR 9a) on the above issues as well as on the Millennium Development Goals. VIVAT has an International Executive Team working in New York and a regional office in Geneva.
Death Penalty News & Updates July 8th, 2010
Texas Judge Will Hold Hearing on State’s Death Penalty Law
A State District Judge in Houston has scheduled a hearing to listen to evidence on whether there’s a substantial risk that the death penalty law allows for the possible execution of an innocent person. The hearing, expected to last two weeks, will begin on November 8 and will likely include testimony from experts on the death penalty around the country. Early in March the same Judge ruled in a capital murder case that the Texas death penalty statute is unconstitutional.
World Coalition Against the Death Penalty- 2010 Annual General Assembly
On June 12 and 13, the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty convened in San Francisco, marking the first international abolition meeting in the United States. The World Coalition Against the Death Penalty Assembly was an historic occasion that brought together death penalty opponents from all over the world. The conference was an opportunity for American death penalty opponents to learn from activists elsewhere and share strategies for worldwide death penalty abolition. The conference featured panel discussions led by community activists, victim’s families, wrongfully convicted death row prisoners, and former members of law enforcement who are opposed to the death penalty.
Upcoming International Events on the Death Penalty:
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Seamus Finn, OMI and Faith Consistent Investing Profiled in the Huffington Post May 27th, 2010
Fr. Seamus Finn, Director of the Oblate JPIC Office, along with three other ICCR members, will soon appear on The Daily Show, highlighting their work on banking and financial sector reform. Read this fine profile on Fr. Seamus in the Huffington Post written by Katherine Marshall, Senior Fellow at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University: Mission Improbable: Priests on Wall Street.
May 21 – 29 Week for Oblate Novena of Prayers: A Call of Solidarity for Immigration Reform May 21st, 2010
From May 21st to May 29th, Missionary Oblate communities and parishes around the world are encouraged to participate in actions of prayer and reflection for vocations to Oblate life and mission. May 21 is the Feast of St. Eugene and May 29 is the anniversary of Blessed Joseph Gerard, the Oblate Missionary who worked in Lesotho. These nine days bring oblates, associates, parishioners, mission partners and friends together in prayer and reflection on oblate life and mission.
As an addition to the Oblate JPIC immigration advocacy work and several prayer vigils for immigration reform across the United States, this week of prayers provides an opportunity to engage in prayer of solidarity for those living on the margins of society. Especially vulnerable are the millions of immigrants who live in constant fear of deportation and family separation due to their immigration status.
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Senate Democrats Unveil Immigration Reform Proposal April 30th, 2010
On April 29, 2010, Senate Democrats in the United States Congress released their immigration-reform proposal – Real Enforcement with Practical Answers for Immigration Reform” (REPAIR) Act to repair the broken immigration system.
Highlights of the proposal include:
- registration and an acceptance of responsibility program for undocumented immigrants in the U.S. a path to “Lawful Prospective Immigrant” status
- immediate green cards for foreign students who have obtained an advanced degree from a U.S. academic institution of higher education in particular fields and who have an offer of employment from a U.S. employer.
The REPAIR act also has provisions for Detention standards and protections; and includes DREAM ACT and AGJOBS legislation.
The Missionary Oblates JPIC office welcome the introduction of this proposal — The Real Enforcement with Practical Answers for Immigration Reform (REPAIR) which was announced by Senators Harry Reid (D-NV), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Robert Menendez (D-NJ). The REPAIR proposal provides a legislative opportunity for Members of Congress to come together and enact a lasting solution to the problem of undocumented immigrants that continues to affect millions of families and communities every day.
The REPAIR proposal is an important first attempt to fix the broken immigration system in the United States and will be the focus of much debate in the coming months. Comprehensive Immigration reform can no longer wait. The status quo is badly broken and needs immediate repair.
