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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.
Daniel LeBlanc, OMI Gives Briefing on Climate Change Conference at UN June 4th, 2010
Daniel LeBlanc, OMI gave a June 3rd briefing at the International Catholic Organizations Network (ICON) on the people’s climate change conference held last month in Bolivia . Titled the “World’s People Conference on Climate Change and The Rights of Mother Earth,” the gathering of some 35,000 civil society representatives was designed to send a strong message to governments that action is needed now to prevent a global climate disaster.
Later the same day he gave a report on the conference to the NGO Committee on Sustainable Development, of which he is an active member.
Daniel LeBlanc, OMI was representing VIVAT International at the conference. He is a newly elected Board Member of ICON.
Upcoming JPIC Events – Spring of 2010 February 25th, 2010
April 14-15, 2010: Missionary Oblates US Province JPIC committee meeting in Washington D.C. (More information in the Members section of the website)
April 15 -17, 2010: VIVAT INTERNATIONAL conference for religious Congregations working at the UN; location: Washington, D.C
June 21-25, 2010: Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) Annual Meeting in Detroit, Michigan.
VIVAT to Promote Regional Networking in Latin America July 7th, 2009
VIVAT International will be holding a Workshop in Cochabamba, Bolivia from July 19th to the 24th for some of the eight Congregational members who work in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. The workshop will inform participants about VIVAT: what VIVAT is, its purpose and goals, and its achievements at the United Nations.
The main aim of the workshop, however, will be to allow members of the different Congregations to get to know each other and to share information about their work. The hope is that participants will form networks for greater effectiveness and better results in their ministries locally, nationally, regionally and with the UN.
