JPIC Office Blog

February 21, 2008

Dear Friends,

Please continue to pray for the situation in Kenya.

BY ANN PIASECKI
JPIC COORDINATOR

As we promise you can now listed to Ann's interview that she recently did on WXRT 93.1 FM. Click here to listen to the 35 minute interview. This show aired on Sunday February 17th.

Kenyans gain support through collaboration  

S. Bea Hernandez and S. Sylvia Wehilsch spoke to S. Florence Muia, ASN, and also S. Agnes via a Feb. 19 conference call. S. Florence said things have calmed down, but the people are still hoping that the political leaders will find a long-term solution. This morning in Kenya, she said, she met with pastors of the various churches, to discuss how to move forward from here. This coming Sunday, the group planned to promote interdenominational peace prayers in Naivasha.

Meanwhile, S. Florence continues in her efforts to assist the internally displaced people in Naivasha. She is working in conjunction with the Red Cross. Church leaders, civic leaders and the Red Cross are collaborating to find ways to effectively meet the needs of the people. Those who were gathered for safety on the grounds of the prison have been relocated with the help of staff members from the Justice and Peace Office from the Diocese of Nakuru. Many people are calling S. Florence to thank her for her help and to let her know that they have arrived safely to their families in the countryside.

The Papal Nuncio to Kenya was scheduled to arrive Feb. 20. His plan calls for visits to the camps in Naivasha. S. Florence was asked to accompany on these fact-finding visits.

 Reality in Kenya Grows dire

WHEATON—Ironically the lull in fighting today in Naivasha, Kenya, has Sr. Florence Muia, a member of the Congregation of the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi (ASN), focusing her energies on preventing a public health crisis. In a Feb. 6 telephone discussion with the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Office of the Wheaton Franciscans, she put out an urgent call for body bags.

The mortuary has a capacity to hold up to 12, she said, “we have 79.” The past few weeks of warring factions in Kenya has sparked a need to put a cap on disease spreading bacteria caused by decomposing bodies. Read More

January 31, 2008

Sisters in Kenya face risk of violence

By Ann Piasecki
JPIC Coordinator

WHEATON—The jewel of East Africa, Kenya, has been caught up in tribal violence intensified since the disputed results of the December presidential election. What started as riots in the urban slums and rural regions around Nairobi, Eldoret and Kisumu has spread a swath of devastation throughout the nation. Several groups of African-based Sisters working in connection with the Wheaton Franciscans—namely Sr. Florence Muia, ASN, who is the founder and president of Upendo Village, an HIV/AIDS program that provides for healthcare, nutrition and economic sustainability in Naivasha—are threatened by escalating violence that surrounds them. Sr. Mary Goretty Anyango, FSA, who works on a Franciscan HIV/AIDS project in Kisumu, and Sr. Venantius Munee, LSOSF, and director of the Franciscan Youth Alive initiative in Kasarani. Read More  

Immigration reform gains momentum in Kankakee

KANKAKEE—Their moist breath—a visible fog—clings for a moment to an elusive air as maybe five or six dark haired, brown skinned people leave Monday night ESL class at the Lisieux Center, a meeting hall/medical center, knit like ligaments to a muscle with St. Teresa Parish on the city’s East Side. A haven for the poor and marginalized for close to three decades now—after most of the heavy industry packed up and left in the 1980s—the parish and its congregation of Christian believers embrace Catholic social teachings. They demonstrate it by daring to offer help to undocumented immigrants and Spanish speaking citizens alike. Read More

Navigating the political landscape

WHEATON—Sr. Mariette Kalbac, OSF, an ESL teacher on the campus of the Wheaton Franciscans, discovered on the Internet a Web Site that identified the key issues in the 2008 presidential campaign and categorized responses according to the various perspectives of the candidates. The Web site is designed to assist voters in identifying the candidate who most closely coincides with his or her political philosophy. It is a bipartisan Web site, which can be viewed at http://www.electoralcompass.com/. 

JubileeUSA: The pending Jubilee Act, HR 2634, seeks the cancellation of debt incurred by the world’s most impoverished nations, prohibits unfair economic conditions on indebted countries, while mandating transparency and responsible lending practices from governments and international financial institutions, especially predatory activities (vulture funds). The Jubilee Act has found support in the U.S. House from Congresswoman Maxine Waters, California, and Spencer Bachus, Ala., and in the U.S. Senate from Senators Bob Casey, Penn., Dick Lugar, Ind., and Chris Dodd, Conn. In November 2007, the Leader of the JPIC Office Sr. Sheila Kinsey, OSF, celebrated in Washington, D.C. the end of a 40-day Rolling Fast Campaign, conducted to draw attention to the Jubilee Act, while also promoting fair trade and free trade policies.

Free Trade Agreements: There have been and continue to be various advocacy efforts against provisions in proposed free trade agreement that damage the economic viability of small farmers, weaken labor rights, open the way to environmental degradation, allow for privatization of water or tighten restrictions. Also, the JPIC Office stands opposed to the authorization of patents that threaten the availability of generic drugs for people with lower incomes. This effort is also promoted through Catholic Relief Services at http://www.crs.org/, the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance at www.e-alliance.ch/ and JubileeUSA at http://www.jubileeusa.org/.

Debt Cancellation: There have been regular initiatives to cancel the debt in several of the developing countries. The JPIC Office has been particularly supportive of HR 2634 which is to provide for the cancellation of debts owed to international financial institutions by poor countries, and for other purposes. The JPIC Office is a member of JubileeUSA, which can be located on the Internet at http://www.jubileeusa.org/.

The Global Poverty Act: A proposal that demands realistic steps be taken to eliminate entrenched poverty, is also a priority. For information on the upcoming letter writing campaign to achieve concrete legislative support and secure funding for viable projects, view the Pax Christi link on the Web site for the Office of Peace and Social Justice for the Diocese of Joliet, http://www.paxjoliet.org/global/end%20poverty_now_call_to_action.htm, or check insights available at CRS, http://www.crs.org/, the network advocacy group for Catholic Sisters at http://www.networklobby.org/, the One Campaign at http://www.onecampaign.org/ or Bread for the World at http://www.bread.org/.

Africa: Many issues relate to the concerns and conflicts in Africa. Special needs are addressed as they arise. For more information, refer to Franciscans International (FI) at http://www.franciscansinternational.org/. FI is a non-governmental organization (NG) that has Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) status at the United Nations. This means that FI delegates are able to speak at UN meetings and contribute to their reports. Other sources for information are http://www.africaaction.org/, Catholic Relief services at http://www.crs.org/ and the ONE Campaign at http://www.wheatonfranciscan-jpic.org/www.one.org/about/ Among the list of related issues selected for focus in 2008 is collaboration between the African Union and the United Nations for the purpose of establishing an effective mediation mechanism for political, boundary and economic disputes on the continent. Caritas International, a confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development and social service organizations around the globe, partner with Catholic groups in more than 200 developing countries and territories. For more information about Caritas’ work in Africa, see http://ww.caritas.org/. The JPIC Office collaborates with the organization on numerous projects and especially on the continent of Africa.

Darfur, Sudan: The situation in Darfur continues to be riddled with strife and conflict. On Jan. 1, 2008, President Bush signed the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act, which allows state and local governments to cut investment ties with companies doing business in Sudan. The issued received bilateral support as it is intended to press the Sudanese government to accept United Nations peacekeeping forces to act against the onslaught of human rights abuses, especially in Darfur.  Further information can be attained on the Save Darfur Coalition Web site, http://www.savedarfur.org/content.

In a conference call Jan. 25, coalition members offered updates on measures to halt investment of American corporations, institutions and even states in businesses that operate in ways that support genocide.  As many as 400,000 people have been killed in the Darfur region of Sudan. Another 2.5 million have been driven from their homes.

Coalition representatives have managed to gain the support of President Bush, who signed a bill in December that prohibits federal contracts with businesses linked to Sudan’s government. Further efforts are aimed at gaining U.S. sanctions against corporations that new law. Although reforms achieved through these sanctions are difficult to measure, coalition officials noted that economic pressure is a sure “threat” to the violent campaign underway in Sudan. Divestment activities are slowly starving violent militia of the economic means to purchase arms.  For more information, visit http://action.savedarfur.org/campaign/divest_now_google.

Northern Uganda: Solicited information from Franciscan International (FI), Caritas International, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and evangelical groups, and applied these materials to regularly impact federal legislation on Northern Uganda. The 2004 Northern Uganda Crisis and Response Act, signed by President Bush, continues to assist the Acholi communities in Uganda deal with devastation caused by the militant Lord’s Resistance Army, which had been kidnapping children and enslaving and raping them. For more information, view http://www.ugandacan.org./.

Kenya: The Upendo Village project is designed to respond at the local level to the needs of women, men and their children living with HIV/AIDS. It is a collaborative effort of the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi and the Wheaton Franciscans. The project surrounds them with resources and support to improve their health, restore their self-respect, honor their dignity and increase their lifespan. Upendo Village is a community that provides hope, love, services and resources to strengthen families so they can plan for their future. To read further about the Upendo Village Project, check out http://www.upendovillage.org/.

Human trafficking: Stirred by a 2006 resolution Franciscan Federation, representatives from Region 8-Illinois, as it is intended as a joint statement between the two entities. To read the draft document, click here .The Franciscan Federation relied on insights gleaned from Franciscan International to help shape their resolution. For more information, go to http://www.franciscansinternational.org/. On the state level, a Catholic lobby group organized for the purpose of assisting women and children called Project Irene has been successful in its efforts to pass milestone legislation in Illinois. In collaboration with Illinois’ Rescue and Restore Campaign, the two-year-old law not only prosecutes violators of human trafficking, it also responds to victims by providing accessible crisis intervention. For information about Project Irene, view http://www.Projectirene@aol.com/.

The Anti-torture Language in Intelligence Authorization Act; presses for a ban on torture. A statement agreed upon by the House and Senate outlines provisions that work to end torturous behavior. The provision would place all government agencies (including the C.I.A) under the rules against torture proscribed in the Army Field Manual. It outlaws “cruel, inhumane and degrading” treatment of detainees who are in Defense Department custody. The provisions coincide with the Geneva Conventions. Currently, the bill is stalled in the Senate. Representatives from the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT), http://www.nrcat.org/, refers to the anti-torture initiative as a “moral decision.” The Wheaton Franciscans have signed on in support of the NRCAT. Details about the Armed Forces Manuel as it applies to various aspects of pending legislation are available on the Web site of the Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker lobby group. Visit http://www.fcnl.org/issues/item_print.php?item_id=3064&issue_id=70.

A related proposal, S 840, the Torture Victims Relief Act, provides for grants to programs in the U.S. to cover the costs of providing services and treatment to victims of torture including psychological, physical, social and legal assistance.

The Franciscan Action Network (FAN) is a newly established consortium within the Franciscan Family. Their mission is to engage in authentic social transformation by proposing strategies, developing initiatives and engaging in economic endeavors that would enhance the lives of people around the globe. By relying on the lens of Franciscan values, FAN’s objective is to pursue advocacy while working hands-on to initiate and facilitate actual development from a global and local perspective. The goal is to achieve positive transformation. FAN representatives offered a letter of prayerful support of Kenyans and Kenyan Franciscans. The prayer calls for an end to the violence occurring in the aftermath of the presidential election in December 2007. FAN's letter of support to the situation in Kenya.

Franciscan Solidarity Experience Forum: The highlights of the four week long program included a Franciscan Solidarity Experience, World Social Forum and Franciscan Leadership Training Seminar that took place in January and February. The Franciscans successfully completed the first year of a training experience in Africa and are making plans for a second training session about networking, accountability and grant. For more details, view http://www.franciscansinternational.org/.

Environment: The Wheaton Franciscans are sponsoring the JPIC Office in its effort to promote the United Nation’s Earth Charter. As one of 100 U.S. facilities designated as an Earth Summit site, the 60-acre Wheaton Franciscan campus is making preparations for a two-day event, Oct. 10-11, 2008. The first day is expected to be set aside for corporate workshop presentations about creating a “green” environment. Since Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare is a recognized leader in greening up its policies, the mission services team is organizing a list of presentations. Day No. 2 is expected to offer local opportunities for live reaction via a DSL connection in New York City. Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore has been invited to give the keynote speech on the environment, which would then be broadcast around the globe. The JPIC Office is coordinating this day and is anticipated to provide numerous user-friendly events promoting support of the Earth Charter on this UN International Year of Planet Earth with a focus on climate change. For more information on the Earth Summit, view http://www.un.org/geninfo/ir/index.asp?id=130#q3.

Clean Water: We encourage people to take action: individually, collectively and in solidarity with people around the work to address concerns of water scarcity and equality. It is a crucial human rights issue that all people have access to clean water. This action is in conjunction with the UN International Decade for Water: 2005 to 2015. There have been several actions against the privatization of water in developing countries where the needs of the local community have not been considered. The JPIC Office has focused advocacy efforts upon the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. On March 22, 2007, we celebrated World Water Day. The theme was "Coping with Water Scarcity." For further information, check http://www.wheatonfranciscan-jpic.org/currentevents.html..In July 2008, the Franciscan Federation resolved to support clean water and accessibility initiatives. The resolution also opposes bottled water: first, bottled water is linked to hindering the development of vital resources, and, second, the manufacture of containers clogs landfills. For information, view http://www.stopcorporateabuse.org/cms/page1555.cfm/.

Sustainable communities: The JPIC Office has forged a relationship with the National Catholic Rural Life Center in Des Moines, Iowa, supporting the organization’s premise in support of the economic sustainability of rural communities in regard to farming, healthcare, nutrition and conservation methods. For information, view http://www.ncrlc.com/. On Dec. 14, the Farm Bill cleared the Senate. The end result was a plan that was a mere skeleton of the July 27 House version. The bill now awaits a compromise; it is slated to be discussed in a conference committee of House and Senate officials. The Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act, H.R. 2419, provided some improvements to nutrition, rural development and conservation programs. However, the issue of agricultural subsidies remained the same. Also, JPIC was disappointed that the farm bill failed to include measures that prioritized farm families over agriculture industrial giants. However, the bill does feature an additional $10 million for community food projects.

Energy: As Congress moves this year to tighten emission standards for vehicles, the JPIC Office plans to continue to advocate for proposals that make for a cleaner environment. The JPIC Office supports parish and other organizational efforts to conserve Earth’s resources. For more details about energy efficient strategies for use at home, visit Faith in Place at http://www.faithinplace.org/.

Protect the Arctic Wild Life Refuge against drilling: The 19.6 million-acre refuge, locate in the northeast corner of Alaska, is a crucial haven for huge flocks of migratory birds, caribou and dozens of other species, including polar bears, arctic foxes, Dall sheep and muskoxen. The Arctic tundra region is an ecologically sensitive area that will not easily recover from the oil drilling process. Efforts to drill in this area have been turned back in Congress, but still continue to be proposed even in unrelated budget and defense bills. For more information, view http://www.sierraclub.org/wildlife/species/.

Healthcare: The JPIC Office joins Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare in its efforts to promote the coverage of the uninsured and the underinsured. The focus is particularly active in the spring. For more information refer to Catholic Healthcare Association at http://www.chausa.org/ .Meanwhile, the federally-proposed State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) failed; however, JPIC is supporting a group of legislators looking to bring the issue to the fore again this year. The goal is getting a veto-proof bill that covers an additional four million children from low-income families. For a historical perspective and objectives for 2008, check http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=617&srcid=329..

HIV and AIDS Pandemic: President Bush has asked Congress to provide an additional $30 billion towards Global AIDS crisis over the first five years after he leaves office. This increase in the President's Emergency Program for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) would provide lifesaving treatment to 2.5 million people, which is 1.4 million, more than the current program. To read the entire press release, go to http://www.one.org/node/339.

DuPage Glocal AIDS Action Network (DGAAN): celebrated its fifth anniversary on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, 2007, with a prayer service at Our Lady of the Angels Chapel in Wheaton. Activists, supporters, victims and families gathered to remember those around the world who have lost their lives to the deadly disease. DGAAN also petitioned to become an official member of the ONE Campaign, which advocates on behalf of programs meant to ease the spread of HIV/AIDS. For more information on DGAAN, view http://www.dgaan.org/.

Comprehensive immigration reform: While Congress failed to pass comprehensive immigration legislation this year, the issue is far from over. Some in Congress continue to demonstrate support for an issue impacting more than 12 million people who are undocumented and living in the Untied States. Catholic social teachings call for an ethical and moral consideration as it impacts families, the separation of children and parents, living wage, education and healthcare.

The JPIC Office support the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, a proposal allowing illegal immigrant students who completed high school to attend college as citizens of the United States or to serve in the U.S. military. For more information, check http://www.nilc.org/immlawpolicy/DREAM/index.htm.

Affordable housing: The JPIC Office continues to support affordable housing particularly as it impacts young families, the elderly and singles in DuPage County. We urge the Illinois General Assembly to create a fund to assist people in their efforts to achieve homeownership. A statewide proposal, yet in its infancy, supports seeding a $100 million fund, which would be restricted with a cap on distribution. Annual interest earned would help keep the fund from being drained.

Iraqi refugee status

A group from NETWORK, a Catholic lobby organization based in Washington, D.C., Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and several Sisters from a variety of congregations, shared their experience in a Jan. 26 conference call about a recent tour to visit Iraqi refugees now living in Lebanon and Syria. 

The situation in Lebanon, specifically Beirut, was described as “scandalous,” by Sr. Simone Campbell, executive director of Network. The refugees, for the most part, are housed in overcrowded prison cells in centers constructed beneath the streets of the city. An estimated 360,000 refugees have fled Iraq, and thousands now live in Lebanon.

Conditions are bad, to say the least, agreed the coalition of Middle East visitors. After a two-week trip in which they visited the people in the cells, they learned that God had not abandoned them. They lived for months—women and men were divided—in “cages” on to servings of food a day; they ate bread and cheese. After some intervention on the part of Caritas representatives, the detainees’ menu has been expanded to include a third meal at least three times a week.
Still, the conditions are appalling, the Sisters agreed. There is a total lack of healthcare provisions, and the detainees are never allowed outside; they never see the “light of day.”

In Syria, conditions for Iraqi refugees were much better. The Syrian government welcomed the refugees, providing them with apartments and services. After three years of providing housing and a means of economic support, the visitors learned that resources are growing thin even in Syria. The country has officially closed its borders to Iraqi refuges. More information and details of the heart wrenching conditions witnessed by the visitors is scheduled to be featured in the February edition of Network magazine.

As always thanks for taking the time to read our monthly Blog.

Sr. Sheila Kinsey, OSF
JPIC Leader
Wheaton Franciscans

Blog Archives

October, 2006
November, 2006
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January, 2007 and the 2007 World Social Forum
February, 2007
March, 2007
April, 2007
May, 2007
June, 2007
July, 2007
August, 2007
September, 2007
October, 2007
December, 2007

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