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 Embrace
the World News notes from Good Shepherd NGO / Justice and Peace March, 2001 At the United Nations,
New York Despite
the closing of the Millennium General Assembly, the conclusion of Bejing+5,
and the completed review of the World
Summit for Social Development, life is still busy with new processes
beginning. These processes intertwine with issues of women, the girl-child,
economic justice, peacemaking and indigenous rights. Some major UN projects
with which Good Shepherd NGO is currently involved include: Children at the Center
-
World Summit for Children In
September 2001 a Special Session of the UN General Assembly will review
the 1990 World Summit for Children. During the Preparations (PrepComs)
in January and June of 2001, Good Shepherd will work on committees sponsoring
caucuses on girls’ rights, especially related to education and poverty.
We will include the participation of girls. The
basic document for the Special Session is The Convention on the Rights
of the Child (CRC.) The CRC has almost universal ratification, and
envisions a world – as yet far away - where children have universal
education, live in free societies, are nurtured in human values, and
where girls have rights equal to boys. The CRC website: http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/k2crc.htm Remember, if you do not have internet access,
contact Caroline Price at the Secretariat in Rome. She
will print and send you a copy of available documents. Economic Justice
– Finance for Development
The
UN has begun a process, Finance for Development (FfD), which will culminate
in a conference early in 2002. The goal is to direct initiatives to
reducing poverty. One of the first activities of the process was a hearing
between governments and NGOs in November, 2000. NGOs spoke for the majority
of the world who suffer from current economic policies. Broadly, NGOs
seek debt cancellation, taxation on international financial transactions,
and fulfillment of Overseas Aid Development (OAD) promises. Good Shepherd
works with the Women’s Caucus which amplifies the gender perspective
and adds issues such as micro-credit. FfD is a difficult process because
Western nations do not easily listen to alternate perspectives and are
not committed to radical reform of institutions such as the World Bank
and IMF. NGO’s share greater accord with the G-77 countries in this
process. We will continue our “cry in the wilderness,” for a process
based on economic justice. A Culture of
Peace – Dialogue Among Civilizations
UNESCO,
the cultural arm of the UN, is devoting 2001 to a Dialogue Among
Civilizations. The goal of this initiative is to promote dialogue
between those who perceive diversity as a threat and those who perceive
diversity as the very source of life and richness in our humanity. UNESCO
is calling on NGOs at local levels to take individual responsibility
for integrating a dialogue in local activities, particularly in education
among
the young. Diversity training, interfaith dialogue, and peace training
are all in keeping with Good Shepherd’s mission of reconciliation. For more information or involvement, see the web
site or contact UNESCO: http://www.unhchr.ch/html/racism/index.htm UNESCO, Office of Public Information Women: Victims
of War / Participants in Peace-Building
On
Oct 24, 2000, the Security Council of the UN held a debate “Women and Armed Conflict”, which highlighted women’s role in peace
building. Secretary General Annan pleaded for the recognition and representation
of women in all formal and informal stages of peace processes. Good Shepherd knows, from East Timor
to Sudan, from Chiapas to Angola, the suffering women endure and the
positive role women can play in reconciliation, sustaining and rebuilding
of societies. Good Shepherd works can integrate women and peace building
through
Racism – World Conference A
World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination and Xenophobia
and Intolerance (WCAR) will be held in South Africa in 2001. In the
preparatory commissions, NGOs want to address practical issues such
as caste systems, indigenous rights, and treatment of migrants. They
are seeking programs for action at local levels. Good Shepherd will
have a representative at the conference and we will hear more in future
reports. For information and regional reports go to website: http://www.unhchr.ch/html/racism/index.htm ©©© ©©© Regional
Initiative for Justice/Peace - Latin America From
September 22-27, 2000, twenty promoters of Justice and Peace (including
a Contemplative Sister of the Good Shepherd) from Latin America met
in Lima, Peru to re-establish a regional network. Regional
promoters focused on justice in the light of
Good Shepherd spirituality and the vision of the ‘97 General
Chapter. The group undertook broad collaboration with
the national Episcopal Social Action Commission and a solemn
Eucharist with all religious congregations of Peru.
The
meeting covered:
The
meeting was enriched by the memorial events for Aguchita, organized
by the Province of Peru. Participation in these events – stations of
the cross, dance/theatre, panels, videos, eucharistic liturgies and
feasts of food and dance, made the commitment to justice very
tangible. The memory of Aguchita illuminated our present moment and
clarified our mission. It revealed how we, as Good Shepherd, are called
to confront the violence of our time, and, in the face of violence,
proclaim life. As the regional promoters follow this spirit, we look
for strong initiatives from Latin America. Economics for Contemplation:
The new Trafficking Protocol: ® Diminishes the burden
of proof for victims and disallows a consent defense for traffickers; ® States that force,
coercion or slavery-like conditions do not fully characterize the means
of trafficking; ® Reverses the trend
to view trafficking apart from the reality of prostitution; ® Counters the pro-prostitution/sex-workers’
lobby which wanted mention of prostitution deleted from new trafficking
legislation; ® Locates the UN Transnational
Crime Convention within existing international human rights law, making
it continuous with the 1949 Convention and Article 6 of CEDAW. This Trafficking Protocol will have an effect on future
national legislation. The CATW has been asked to conduct consultations
on the new legislation with Government ministries in several countries. More information can be obtained from website:
www.uncjin.org/CICP/cicp.html Or Write: Center of International Crime Prevention
UN Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention PO Box 500, A-1400 Vienna, Austria. Formation for Justice: Africa The
beautiful island of Madagascar was the venue for a Formation gathering
of African Sisters in Temporary Profession. From 25 June to 15 July
2000, the Africa Network held a session for twenty sisters from Madagascar,
Kenya, Angola, Ethiopia, Egypt, Sudan, Senegal, and South Africa. The session planned by the formators in Africa,
worked in English and French. The
International Commission for Justice and Peace was asked to give input,
and Caroline attended the session. One
day of the session was devoted to formation for Justice and Peace. The sisters used the SEE, JUDGE, ACT process
to identify issues of local and national concern. They prepared a presentation
on how they would address those issues, and committed themselves to
working on the issue when they returned home.
At the end of the session, the Sisters worked together in both
languages to prepare a Declaration.
Their commitment to social justice is printed below: “To promote Justice and Peace in accordance with
our spirit and charism, we commit ourselves to: © Being
conscious of injustices and how they affect us, our communities and
those with whom we work © Giving
the necessary support to victims of injustice © Collaborating
with groups who advocate for the rights of women © Challenging
unjust systems and structures © Participating
in non-violent activities © Supporting
and collaborating in the work of our International Commission for Justice
and Peace.” Africa-Europe Faith and Justice
Network (AEFJN) Good
Shepherd has been a member of the AEFJN for some years, with Sr Magdalena
Franciscus, General Councillor, attending meetings when possible. It is a network of religious and missionary Congregations which have members working
in Africa, and “exists to promote justice and equity between the people
of Africa and the people of Europe”.
In different European countries the network are known as “Antenna”.
From its base in Brussels, Belgium, AEFJN works to research and promote
issues of social and economic justice in Africa.
In particular, it works to influence the decisions taken in the
European Union, which affect the people in Africa. For example, in July
2001, Italy will host the G8 meeting of the world’s largest industrial
countries in Genoa. AEFJN’s Italian “Antenna” is planning to be
there, to highlight the economic poverty of many countries in Africa. The
ICJPC wants to strengthen Good Shepherd links with AEFJN, through the
Secretariat, and our Justice and Peace Contact Person in Brussels, and
through communication with our African networks. See:
http://www.oneworld.org/aefjn/ ©©©
News notes prepared
by: Congregation of Sisters of the Good Shepherd Clare
Nolan, NGO representative Fax: 1-718-369-1691 Email: cnolan8345@aol.com Caroline Price, Justice Peace Secretariat Fax : Fax: 39 06 6641 8864 Email : cprice@buonpastoreint.org Original in English. Please distribute to all communities
and collaborators in your province. Thank you.
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