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May 2009
J/P Alert is the newsletter of the Justice and Peace office of CMSM. It is intended to inform and stimulate discussion and involvement among the members. Its contents do not necessarily represent official positions of CMSM.
Announcing CMEP’s 2009 Advocacy Conference
"Israeli-Palestinian Peace: Hope for Things Unseen"
June 7-9, 2009
Please join us in Washington, D.C. on June 7-9, 2009 at the
Kellogg Conference Center at Gallaudet University.
Click here to view a full conference schedule.
You will be informed and inspired by speakers including Amjad Attalah, Michael Kinnamon, Daniel Levy, Trita Parsi, and Danny Seidemann. You’ll be empowered by learning how to be an effective advocate for peace in the Holy Peace. And, you’ll have an opportunity to impact policy directly on Capitol Hill by educating your elected officials about the need for a just and lasting resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. You will make a difference. To register now, please visit our online registration page.
The 111th Congress and the Obama Administration provide a new opportunity to help Israelis and Palestinians stop the tragic cycles of spiraling violence and diplomatic stalemate and move forward on a path toward peace. Your elected officials need to hear from American Christians who care about the two peoples of the Holy Land and expect robust U.S. diplomatic action in 2009.
This year's conference theme, "Israeli-Palestinian Peace: Hope for Things Unseen" is inspired by Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." The conference is an occasion to reflect on the challenging and complex situation in the Holy Land. The facts on the ground are discouraging and give few reasons for optimism. In fact many doubt the possibility of peace. But faith leads us to a hope that perceives a reality beyond optimism. Faith affirms our role as advocates for a just and lasting peace--two states living side by side with dignity and security for all the peoples of the region.
Register today for the 2009 Advocacy Conference using our online registration page.
Visit our Conference Overview Page for information on accommodations, directions, and more.
Click here to view a full conference schedule.
For questions, contact CMEP at conference@cmep.org
To download a conference promotional flyer (PDF), please click here.
June is Torture Awareness Month. Resources are available at www.nrcat.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=298&Itemid=219
Statement by Archbishop Hanus of Dubuque, Iowa, on the Postville Raid
[Tuesday, May 12, 2009 marks the first anniversary of the Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) raid at the Agriprocessors Inc. plant which shattered the small town of Postville, Iowa, formerly known as “Hometown to the World.” Below is the statement of Archbishop Jerome Hanus of Dubuque, Iowa, on the day of the raid.]
The actions taken by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Postville on May 12 highlight once again the need for comprehensive immigration reform. Families have been disrupted; parents and children are filled with fear. Many are uncertain whether their loved ones will be arrested, imprisoned indefinitely, or deported.
This state of terror for families is evidence that our political system has not adequately addressed the demand for labor, the inadequacies of our present immigration policies and practices, and the broader economic challenges. Some of the weakest members among us are bearing the brunt of the suffering, while legislators and other leaders, as well as many of us in the general public, have failed to give this issue the priority that it deserves.
Leaders in the Roman Catholic community, as well as many other religious leaders, have called for comprehensive immigration reform which strives:
- To create legal avenues for workers and their families who wish to enter our country and work in a safe, legal, and orderly manner with their rights fully protected.
- To develop border protection policies that are consistent with humanitarian values and with the need to treat all individuals with respect.
- To allow authorities to carry out the critical task of identifying and preventing entry of terrorists and dangerous criminals, as well as pursuing the legitimate task of implementing American immigration policy.
- To reduce significantly waiting times for separated families to be reunited.
I urge all persons of goodwill to work at changing a system
- That ignores the plight of individuals and families.
- That relies primarily on punitive measures, rather than a long-term fix which would welcome hardworking people from impoverished nations to assist us in our labor needs, as well as offer the richness of their faith and culture to our society.
- That separates parents and children, places people in detention centers without good legal assistance, and makes very difficult the possibility of communicating with their loved ones.
Our religious and social response is based on the Judeo-Christian scriptures, which call believers to welcome the stranger among us, to treat the alien with respect and charity, and to provide pastoral and humanitarian assistance. While we do not condone illegal activity, we do give spiritual and moral support to suffering families.
All of us should urgently reiterate the call to our legislators to work for comprehensive reform.
I express my gratitude to all who are helping in these painful circumstances and assure our prayers and support to those who are suffering.
IRAQ: Preventing the Point of No Return
[Read the full report at www.refugeesinternational.org.]
The number of displaced Iraqis remains high, both inside the country and in neighboring ones. They remain reluctant to go back due to lack of security, the creation of ethnically cleansed neighborhoods, and poor government services. However, since the only realistic solution for the majority of displaced Iraqis is to return, the Government of Iraq, the United States, and the United Nations need to work together to establish safe conditions. The government needs to increase the effectiveness of education, health care, and employment programs. The U.S. and the UN need to maintain funding for humanitarian programs, while the UN expands its presence in the country significantly.
Policy Recommendations
- The U.S., other donor governments, and the UN should provide financial and technical assistance to the government of Iraq to address the needs of the displaced, the returnees and the root causes of displacement.
- The U.S. and the UN should work with the Government of Iraq to improve basic services throughout the country.
- The U.S. should fund at least 50% of current and future UN appeals to address the needs of vulnerable Iraqis and continue bi-lateral aid and development programs.
- The U.S. should engage Syria, Jordan and other host countries to find durable solutions for vulnerable groups who will not be able to return.
- The UN should review and adapt their security measures in Iraq to allow for more access.
- UNAMI should support the immediate implementation of OCHA's Iraq Field Coordination framework.
Refugees International President Ken Bacon, Senior Advocate Kristèle Younès and consultant Nir Rosen assessed the situation for displaced people inside Iraq in March 2009.
Catholic Climate Covenant Brings Together Calls for Action to Protect the Poor and to Care for God’s Creation
The Catholic community is launching an unprecedented initiative, the Catholic Climate Covenant, to bring together in new ways religious obligations to care for creation and care for “the least of these” as a distinctive Catholic contribution to the climate change debate.
Broad effort calls Catholic individuals, families, parishes, schools, hospitals and others to take St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor.
Leading national Catholic organizations are calling on Catholic individuals and families, parishes and schools, religious communities, colleges and hospitals and other Catholic organizations to take a unique St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor.
Organizational partners and sponsors of the Covenant Campaign reach into every corner of Catholic life here and abroad, including:
- The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
- Catholic Charities USA with 7,000 community-based service agencies
- The Catholic Health Association of the United States serving one in six Americans in hospitals
- Catholic Relief Services reaching more than 80 million people in more than 100 nations
- The National Catholic Education Association, the largest private education system in the world
- The Conference of Major Superiors of Men and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious representing dozens of religious communities who lead with a sense of mission and real world examples of how to care for people in poverty and for God’s gift of creation.
Participants also include: the Franciscan Action Network, the National Council of Catholic Women, the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, the National Federation of Priests Councils, the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, and many others.
The effort responds to and builds upon the leadership of Pope Benedict XVI, the U.S. Catholic Bishops, and many Catholic religious communities who believe that our response to climate change must be guided by the exercise of prudence, the pursuit of the common good and a priority for the poor. Pope Benedict most recently referenced “troubling climate change” in his Easter message to the world and has insisted that, “Before it is too late, it is necessary to make courageous decisions that can recreate a strong alliance between humankind and the earth. A decisive ‘yes’ is needed to protect creation and also a strong commitment to invert those trends which risk leading to irreversibly degrading situations.”
In taking the St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor, Catholics promise to:
- PRAY and reflect on the duty to care for God’s creation and the poor and vulnerable;
- LEARN about and educate others on both the reality of climate change and its moral dimensions;
- ASSESS their participation—as individuals and organizations—in contributing to climate change (i.e. consumption and conservation);
- ACT to change their choices and behaviors contributing to climate change and;
- ADVOCATE Catholic principles and priorities in climate change discussions and decisions, especially as they impact the poor and vulnerable.
Bishop William Sklystad of Spokane, former president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and honorary chair of the Catholic Climate Covenant, explained "What brings all these groups together are the Biblical call to be stewards of God's creation and Jesus' mandate to care 'for the least of these' (Mt. 25:40). This prophetic connection in the life and example of St. Francis has fresh meaning for our response to the crisis of global climate change."
A new website (www.catholicclimatecovenant.org), offers concrete help in carrying out the St. Francis Pledge with specific ways for Catholics to learn to “tread lightly and act boldly", reducing their own carbon footprint as an expression of solidarity with those most impacted by climate change.
“The St. Francis Pledge is at the heart of this effort,” says Dan Misleh, Executive Director of the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change. “By linking prayer, reflection and learning to assessment, action and advocacy, many more Catholics will become aware of the moral implications of climate change, make the connections between their own carbon footprint and their obligation to the poor and take private and public action to address the causes and consequences of climate change.”
“The real ‘inconvenient truth’,” according to John Carr of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “is that those who contribute the least to climate change in our own country and around the world will suffer the most and have least capacity to respond. Poor families and vulnerable workers and farmers are most likely to bear the greatest burdens in responding to climate change. We believe an essential moral measure of the debate and decisions on climate change will be how it helps or hurts the poor and vulnerable in the U.S. and abroad.”
Commenting on the campaign’s full significance, Paul Gorman, Executive Director of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment said, "From the strength of its sponsors to the sweep of its outreach, this is not only the broadest such initiative from the faith community but also the deepest recent call for a bipartisan moral consensus throughout all of society."
For more information, call:
- Dan Misleh: 301-322-1180 or danmisleh@catholicsandclimatechange.org for general information or specific questions about the Coalition or the Covenant.
- John Carr: 240-988-6276 or jcarr@usccb.org or Cecilia Calvo 202-541-3188, ccalvo@usccb.org for questions about bishop’s conference engagement and public policy.
Migrant Trail: We Walk for Life
May 25 - 31, 2009
Online Registration has now begun! Please visit: www.derechoshumanosaz.net for more information!
The Migrant Trail: We Walk for Life
May 25- 31, 2009
Join us for the sixth annual 75-mile journey from Sásabe, Sonora to Tucson, Arizona in solidarity with our migrant sisters and brothers who have walked this trail and lost their lives. We bear witness to the lives that are lost, the families who mourn, and the communities that suffer the divisions that borders wreak on all of us.
Monday, May 25th, 2:00pm:
Sásabe, Sonora:
Join us for the sending forth ceremony and the 5 mile walk to our first campsite on the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge
Sunday, May 31st, 11:30am:
Tucson, Arizona:
Join us for the welcoming celebration as participants complete the 75-mile journey, bearing witness to the gauntlet of death that has claimed more than 5,000 men, women and children on the U.S.-México border.
For more information: 520.770.1373 or migrant_trail@yahoo.com
People's Water Forum Declaration – Istanbul, 2009 [excerpts]
[The full statement, with a list of endorsers, is available at pwf.foodandwaterwatch.org/?Page=people%27s_water_declaration ]
…
We, as a movement, are here to offer solutions to the water crisis, and to demand that the UN General Assembly organize the next global forum on water. The participation of important United Nations officials and representatives in our meeting is evidence that something has changed. There is a tangible and symbolic shift of legitimacy: from the official Forum organized by private interests and by the World Water Council to the Peoples Water Forum, organized by global civil society including, farmers, indigenous peoples, activists, social movements, trade unions, non-governmental organizations and networks that struggle throughout the world in the defense of water and territory and for the commons.
We call on the United Nations and its member states to accept its obligation, as the legitimate global convener of multilateral forums, and to formally commit to hosting a forum on water that is linked to state obligations and is accountable to the global community.
We call upon all organizations and governments at this 5th World Water Forum, to commit to making it the last corporate-controlled water forum. The world needs the launch of a legitimate, accountable, transparent, democratic forum on water emerging from within the UN processes supported by its member states.
…
We reaffirm and strengthen all the principles and commitments expressed in the 2006 Mexico City declaration: we uphold water as the basic element of all life on the planet, as a fundamental and inalienable human right; we insist that solidarity between present and future generations should be guaranteed; we reject all forms of privatization and declare that the management and control of water must be public, social, cooperative, participatory, equitable, and not for profit; we call for the democratic and sustainable management of ecosystems and to preserve the integrity of the water cycle through the protection and proper management of watersheds and environment.
We oppose the dominant economic and financial model that prescribes the privatization, commercialization and corporatization of public water and sanitation services. We will counter this type of destructive and non-participatory public sector reform, having seen the outcomes for poor people as a result of rigid cost-recovery practices and the use of pre-paid meters. …
The basic interdependence between water and climate change is recognized by the scientific community and is underlined also by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Therefore, we must not accept responses to climate chaos in the energy sector that follow the same logic that caused the crisis in the first place. This is a logic that jeopardizes the quantity and quality of water and of life that is based on dams, nuclear power plants, and agro-fuel plantations. In December 2009, we will bring our concerns and proposals to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. Further, the dominant model of intensive industrial agriculture, contaminates and destroys water resources, impoverishes agricultural soils, and devastates food sovereignty. This has enormous impact on lives and public health. From the fruitful experience of the Belem World Social Forum, we are committed to strengthening the strategic alliance between water movements and those for land, food and climate. We also commit to continue building networks and new social alliances, and to involve both local authorities and Parliamentarians who are determined to defend water as a common good and to reaffirm the right to fresh water for all human beings and nature. We are also encouraging all public water utilities to get together, establishing national associations and regional networks.
Convention on the Rights of the Child
The Campaign for U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is pleased to announce the program for our June 1-2, 2009 National Symposium, The Convention on the Rights of the Child: Why It is Time to Ratify, which is being held at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC.
Keynote speakers include the following:
June 1:
· Marian Wright Edelman, President and Founder, The Children’s Defense Fund
· Charlie MacCormack, President and CEO, Save the Children
June 2:
· Chris James-Brown (invited), President and CEO, CWLA
· Kul Gautum, Former UN Assistant Secretary General and Deputy ED of UNICEF
· Yanghee Lee, Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
Information on the panels and participants can be found online at childrightscampaign.org.
Registration
To register for the Symposium, go to childrightscampaign.org.
If you have any questions about the Symposium, please send them to crc@childrightscampaign.com.
Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.
How
can the Justice and Peace Office help you get involved?
T. Michael McNulty, SJ, editor
mmcnulty@cmsm.org
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