JPIC Office Blog September 26, 2007 Dear Friends, Peace and all good! Now that Congress is in session the action
agendas are set. The JPIC Office is engaged in many advocacy efforts
both in the congressional and corporate arenas. We are also
receiving exciting news about our Franciscan International projects
in Eastern Africa. Franciscan training seminar attracts youth efforts Youth Alive in Kenya has three different working groups that focus with HIV/AIDS, poverty eradication and the environment. These are determinated concerns as a result of the February Seminar Training sessions sponsored by Franciscans International. Sr. Sheila was a member of that formation team. We received a number of pictures from Africa which highlight the amazing efforts of these young people. For work on HIV/AIDS, the youth provide a number of seminars and other activities. All of these are about education and the importance of behavior change to stop the spread of HIV. Click here to view their actions. Youth Alive organized to help acquire new utensils and bedding for a family that was devastated by fire. Pictured here you can see the youth bringing in the furnishings. In September Youth Alive set out on a mission to donate food stuffs and clothing to orphaned children at the Mother Theresa Children’s Home in Kasarani, Kenya. According to the administrator, the 65 children were “delighted” because they rarely have visitors who bring them food or play with them. Click here to view to see the children receiving donations. For the environment Youth Alive participated in both organizing and developing a project for the World Environment Day. Click here for pictures. They developed a stand to show the danger that certain chemicals pose to the environment. The Director of the National Environmental Management Authority praised their efforts and judged their stand as the best display. Youth Alive also participated with the Bright Future Group and planted 200 eucalyptus trees. Another Project from the Franciscan Training
Seminar is reaching out to families along the Lake Victoria region
in Kenya. Sr. Mary Gorrety Anyango compassionately works with
persons living with HIV/AIDS and their loved ones. She provides
counseling, education, referrals and garden opportunities. She is
helping to build a brighter future for these Kenyans. Businesses and governments divest interests in Sudan WHEATON— The Sudan Divestment Task Force together with the Save Darfur Coalition and Investors Against Genocide acquired unanimous support Sept. 16 from the U.S. House of Representatives for a proposed embargo against Sudan as long as the Khartoum government remains in place. The proposal, House Resolution 180 (HR 180), is currently being reviewed by members of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee. Zahara Heckerscher, spokesperson for the Save Darfur Coalition, said it has support from ranking member Republican Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama and Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut. However, the proposed resolution faces a stiff challenge by the Bush administration. Heckerscher said the task force is willing to be flexible on some issues in an effort to gain further support. In light of the fact that the U.S. State Department has included the nation of Sudan on a list of countries suspected of sponsoring terrorist activities, U.S.-based businesses have been advised to cease operations there. Having succumbed to pressure from the task force, Weatherford Corp., an oil service company based in Houston, Texas, has agreed to begin divesting its interests in Sudan. In addition, negative publicity from a story detailed first in the July 2007 issue of Fortune magazine and summarized Sept. 16 by CNNMoney.com is expected to have contributed to a change of heart on the part of Weatherford corporate officials. The company’s actions, which went unnoticed for at least three years by the U.S. government, revealed that it would begin the process of divesting. A Sept. 21 teleconference with officials from Save Darfur at their Washington, D.C. headquarters revealed that Weatherford Corp. is expected to take at least a year to complete divestment. Meanwhile, Heckerscher noted that shareholders the world-round, including investors from as far away as Bangkok, Thailand, have notified the task force of measures taken to divest business interests in Sudan. The U.S.-based Fidelity Corp., the parent company of PetroChina, a Chinese firm with hefty investments in Sudan, is continuing to dissolve its business relationship with Sudan. On the home front, a September campaign led by the faculty and students, both undergraduate and graduate, from the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., forced the university to divest its interest in financial institutions and firms in Sudan, said Heckerscher. Illinois is among a number of states throughout the USA that have formally joined in the divestment campaign. Heckerscher said the task force is currently urging lawmakers in Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio to join the divestment campaign. To sign the petition to support divestment in Sudan as long as the genocide continues or to gather further insights visit: http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article22652or http://www.savedarfur.org/page/content/divest_fidelity_employees/ Pope’s meeting with Sudanese president offers hope WHEATON—A September meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir to discuss peace measures in Darfur gave birth to hope that an inter-religious dialogue might help slow the violence that currently dominates within the Sub-Saharan nation. Anne Knight, secretary general of Caritas Internationalis, said in a statement released three days before the Sept. 14 top level meeting in the Vatican that the pope was pressing for an end to the humanitarian crisis. “The meeting between the pope and the president of Sudan can be a step forward for the people of Sudan, and particularly of Darfur. The pope called for a commitment between the Sudanese government and rebel forces to allow humanitarian aid to reach the needy and to begin rebuilding relationships the nurture development. Rolling Fast presses Congress to authorize Jubilee Act WHEATON—The Wheaton
Franciscans designated Sept. 19 as a day to stand in solidarity with
those living in countries that are seeking debt cancellation from
the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. To view
pictures of the Wheaton Franciscan Sisters showing their support, click here. Referred to as the Jubilee Act, HR
2634 is currently awaiting action in Congress. In an effort to urge
passage of the bill, Jubilee USA organized a 40 day Rolling Fast,
which began Sept. 6 through October 15th. Countless organizations
around the country have selected to participate in the fast and
designated a day for prayerful fasting. TV commercial on One Campaign features Wheaton Franciscan WHEATON—Sr. Sheila Kinsey, OSF, is among a cast of local One Campaign advocates pushing to end poverty. The ABC affiliate in Chicago sent a team Sept. 20 to Wheaton College in Wheaton to film a public service announcement. In the script, which is scheduled for broadcast on network television the weekend after Thanksgiving, Nov. 23-25, the cast of One Campaign members together recite a poignant, peace loving statement, “Make poverty history.” The idea, according to Sr. Sheila, is to emphasize how local people can be involved in an issue with global implications. For more information visit: http://www.one.org/. Prayers for Iraq WHEATON—While Congress and the Bush administration continue to debate the best approach to the conflict that rages in Iraq, the Wheaton Franciscans ask for prayers that move governmental leaders down a path that highlights the need for a “responsible transition,” said Sr. Sheila Kinsey, OSF, leader of the JPIC. “With the gravity of the situation, it’s imperative that all our leaders work together to find the best solution to ending this war. Check out the Franciscan Federation Web site for reflections on peace and prayer for Iraq, http://www.franfed.org/News.htm Congress agrees on children’s health bill WHEATON—The National catholic social justice lobby organization, Network, located in Washington, D.C., lauded Congress for its Sept. 24 passage of a $35 billion compromise agreement called the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, SCHIP, which provides health insurance coverage for more than 10 million children. The plan further gives states the option of covering pregnant women. The bill faces opposition by the Bush administration, which claims that Congress is handing out coverage for families with incomes as high at $83,000 a year. SCHIP is the result of a federal/state venture that together provides funds for low-income children. Eligibility requirements vary among states. Farm bill awaits decision in Congress WHEATON—Autumn’s annual harvest is underway around the United States, but the immediate future of the agricultural industry awaits a decision by lawmakers in Washington, D.C. Despite an uncharacteristic push by a newfound population of conservationists and organic produce lovers together with the traditional crop of farmers and food stamp distributors, Congress has yet to pass a bill. Robert Gronski, policy coordinator for
the National Catholic Rural Life Center (NCRLC) in Des Moines, Iowa,
said the battle for funding reform challenged the status quo.
Reflecting on today’s more environmentally savvy, social justice
proponents, including faith groups, churches and a wide variety of
organizations promoting conservation, fair trade policies, family
friendly subsidies and sustainable communities models, the current
proposal is a flash to the past. Despite pressure from Iowa’s
Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin, who heads the senate agriculture
committee, policy makers as a whole have been hesitant to
restructure the methodology for distributing funds and subsidies,
said Gronski.
Sr. Sheila Kinsey, OSF
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