Justice, Peace and Sustainability |
|||||
|
January 31, 2012 The IHM Leadership Council endorsed an organizational sign-on letter in support of HR 2759, the "Business Transparency on Trafficking and Slavery Act." The bill requires companies with a minimum of $100 million in gross receipts to report to the SEC and on their website about efforts to address human trafficking and slavery within their organizations (including their supply chains). The Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility, Calvert Investment, Christian Brothers, PaxWorld Management, and others are working with Free the Slaves and other anti-human trafficking organizations to build support in Congress for this legislation. The sign-on letter is addressed to the Republican leadership of the House of Representatives, where support is most lacking and will be most critical for passage of the bill. The letter was sent to House Speaker John Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor on January 26, 2012. This endorsement was made as part of the IHM community's ongoing collaborative human trafficking education and advocacy initiative. December 1, 2011 The IHM Leadership Council endorsed a World AIDS Day sign-on letter to World Bank President Zoellick to improve and increase grants, and end indebting loans, for HIV prevention and treatment. Recognizing that the HIV epidemic "perpetuates poverty and deepens inequality," the World Bank must contribute more debt-free HIV prevention and treatment funding to help the billions of poor men, women and children around the world who are infected and affected by HIV. Over half of them lack access to treatment that can save their lives and prevent HIV transmission to others. The 34 million men, women and children who currently live with HIV and the thousands who contract it every day cannot afford to wait any longer for improved and expanded. This call for the World Bank to increase its spending on HIV is critical, especially in light of the Global Fund's recent decision to cancel its next round of HIV funding. In the Chapter 2000 Directions, IHM Congregation committed itself to "collaborating with other groups to develop an appropriate response to the global pandemic of HIV/AIDS." This endorsement was made with this ongoing commitment in mind.
October 25, 2011 The IHM Leadership Council endorsed an organizational sign-on letter to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction requesting that the Women Infants and Children food program (WIC) be excluded from any proposed cuts. The National WIC Association (NWA) is currently circulating this sign-on letter to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (also known as the "Super Committee") supporting the protection of the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) food progam. The letter asks that WIC be excluded from any cuts that the Committee may propose. The WIC Program is currently in a very vulnerable position. It has faced significant funding challenges during the current appropriations process, and it is not protected should sequestration occur if deficit reduction goals are not met. NWA has been advocating to members of Congress to protect human needs programs since the Budget Control act was passed. WIC is a short-term preventative public health nutrition program designed to influence lifetime nutrition and health behaviors in a targeted, high-risk population. WIC provides nutrition and breastfeeding education, nutritious foods, and improved healthcare access for low- and moderate -income women and children with, or at risk of developing, nutrition-related health problems. This letter specifically attempts to clear up any misconceptions about the nature of WIC, its management, and its impact. The IHM Congregation is committed to being "conscious of the poverty, hunger and injustice suffered by the great majority of the human family and to make choices which clearly reflect that, with Mary of the Magnificat, we stand with and for the poor." (IHM Constitutions Article 11) This endorsement is made with this commitment in mind.
October 17, 2011 We sit on another potential derivatives bubble. But instead of the housing market being turned into a casino and resulting in millions losing their homes, this time it's agricultural derivatives with the looming risk of global food shortages and famine. Right now, the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has the important task, mandated by Congress as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, to enact strong limits on agricultural derivatives. If the position limits are strong enough, stability would be brought back to these markets resulting in less volatile prices that would help secure our global food system. The Occupy Wall Street rallies have galvanized public attention around the clear need for stronger financial regulations that will help secure our financial system. In honor of World Food Day, (October 16) The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility initiated an online petition drive to the members of the CFTC requesting that they impose stricter regulations on food commodities traded on exchanges and stop gambling on hunger. This petition was endorsed by Helen Ingles, IHM. The IHM Congregation is committed to being "conscious of the poverty, hunger and injustice suffered by the great majority of the human family and to make choices which clearly reflect that, with Mary of the Magnificat, we stand with and for the poor." (IHM Constitutions Article 11) This endorsement is made with this commitment in mind
September 15, 2011 Despite grave doubts about the guilt of death row prisoner Troy Anthony Davis, Georgia has scheduled him for execution on September 21, 2011 at 7 p.m. This execution is not inevitable. Mr. Davis has received three stays of execution amid doubts stemming from numerous witness recantations and new evidence against another suspect. People of Faith Against the Death Penalty, Amnesty International USA and other partner organizations circulated a religious sign-on letter seeking clemency for Mr. Davis. The letter was endorsed by nearly 3,500 religious leaders and hand delivered on September 15, 2011 to the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles. The letter was endorsed in the name of Joan Mumaw, IHM Interim President on September 7, 2011This endorsement was made with the IHM Congregation s Stance on the Death Penalty in mind. This stance reads, We, the IHM Congregation, oppose the death penalty. The Gospel and Catholic social teaching impel us to do so. (Approved by the SSIHM Congregational Governing Board, October 17, 1993.) September 6, 2011 The IHM Leadership Council recently endorsed an organizational sign-on letter to Maura Corrigan, Director of the Michigan Department of Human Services expressing concerns with a new policy that will require direct reporting to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A personal letter was also sent to Ms. Corrigan from Joan Mumaw, IHM - Interim President expressing these same concerns and reminding her of the IHM community's commitment to justice. Maura Corrigan is a recipient of the Marygrove College Distinguished Alumni Award. The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center has obtained a copy of a DHS Power Point presentation previewing policy changes which states that "any time a client applying for food assistance or State Emergency Relief tells DHS that the client or anyone else in their home is an illegal alien, the illegal alien has to be reported to homeland security." The policy is especially alarming considering that a new State Emergency Relief policy will require applicants to answer questions about the immigration status of all household members, whether or not those household members are applying for benefits. Requiring applicants to provide information about other family members' immigration status and then using that information as a trigger for immigration enforcement contradicts current federal guidelines and raises serious concerns about civil rights and national origin discrimination with respect to the eligible applicants.
|
