AUGUST 2021 COMBONI JPIC NETWORK NEWSLETTER Justice and peace-related news, actions, and resources from the Comboni Missionaries, North American Province
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Episcopal Conference of Chad Advocates Inclusion in Peace Talks
Bishops in Chad have called for an “inclusive national dialogue” that brings together stakeholders in the nation’s socio-political life to work together toward peace.
In a recent statement, the Chadian Bishops’ Conference (CET) highlighted that “the lack of real and sincere dialogue between Chadian socio-political actors has long plagued national life and is at the heart of current debates.”
CET further noted that the sudden April 19 demise of the Chadian president Idriss Deby Itno at the hands of military forces has brought the crises in the north-central African nation to the fore.
“The death of President Déby has made this crisis obvious, and this inclusive national dialogue and reconciliation is becoming an urgent necessity in order to enable all the children of Chad to come together and agree on a new social contract that should bind them for the next few decades,” the bishops said.
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Global Catholic Climate Movement Changes Name
The Global Catholic Climate Movement (GCCM) has a new name, with the blessing of Pope Francis: the Laudato Si' Movement. It was announced on July 29 in a webinar attended by more than 8,000 participants from around the world.
Tomás Insua, executive director of LSM, described the move as the result of a "synodal journey" aimed at a deeper ecological conversion.
Cardinal Michael Czerny from the Vatican Dicastry for Promoting Human Development said: "This name is a prayer.... When we name the movement now, every time we name it, we're saying a prayer."
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Father Stan Swamy, Indian Jesuit "Martyr of Justice," Dies in Custody
The Indian Jesuit Stanislaus Lourduswamy, better known as Father Stan Swamy, arrested for his commitment to defense of the Adivasis ("original inhabitants" of India), passed away July 5, in a hospital in Mumbai, in the west of India.
He was 84 years old. As reported by Dr. Ian D'souza, Director of the Catholic Hospital of the Holy Family, where he was hospitalized, he was placed in intensive care on July 4 after suffering a cardiac arrest. His death occurred as a result of a lung infection, complications after Covid-19 and Parkinson's disease, which he already suffered from.
Independent observers and members of civil society in India say Father Swamy was seen as an opponent of the government because he fought for the enforcement of laws, passed by Parliament, which favor the lives of tribal people and their constitutional rights. Expressing his deep sorrow, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, President of the Bishops' Conference of India, said, "The life and commitment to the poor indigenous people and their struggles undertaken by Father Swamy will be forever remembered."
Read more here.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. CALL TO ACTION
Support Indigenous People
Indigenous people are often marginalized by the majority in their countries. Though just 6% of the world's population, they are three times more likely to be among the extreme poor. You can support them by: 1. Getting informed. In the US, sources like Reclaiming Native Truth seek to dispel myths and misconceptions about indigenous people. UK newspaper The Guardian lists some insightful ideas here. 2. Promote indigenous businesses and groups. Consider purchasing from native-owned brands like these. 3. Protect indigenous lands. Land-grabbing is an especially destructive practice that disproportionately affects indigenous people. Survival International is one of many groups that help raise awareness about this and other issues affecting native peoples.
GLOBAL GOALS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Goal 7: Affordable and clean energy
Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. Targets Ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services. Increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. Double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency. Enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technology, and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology. Expand infrastructure and upgrade technology for supplying modern and sustainable energy services for all in developing countries, in particular least developed countries, small island developing States, and land-locked developing countries, in accordance with their respective programs of support. Learn more.
U.N. INTERNATIONAL DAYS
2021 August 9 International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples There are an estimated 476 million indigenous peoples in the world living across 90 countries. They make up less than 5 percent of the world's population, but account for 15 percent of the poorest. They speak an overwhelming majority of the world’s estimated 7,000 languages and represent 5,000 different cultures. In order to raise awareness of the needs of these population groups, every August 9 commemorates the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, chosen in recognition of the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations held in Geneva in 1982. Learn more.
August 12 International Youth Day International Youth Day gives an opportunity to celebrate and mainstream young peoples’ voices, actions, and initiatives, as well as their meaningful, universal, and equitable engagement. The commemoration will take the form of a podcast-style discussion that is hosted by youth for youth, together with independently organized commemorations around the world that recognize the importance of youth participation in political, economic, and social life and processes. This year's theme is Youth Engagement for Global Action. Learn more.
August 19 World Humanitarian Day On World Humanitarian Day (WHD) August 19, the world commemorates humanitarian workers killed and injured in the course of their work, and we honor all aid and health workers who continue, despite the odds, to provide life-saving support and protection to people most in need. This year World Humanitarian Day comes as the world continues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic over recent months. Aid workers are overcoming unprecedented access hurdles to assist people in humanitarian crises in 54 countries, as well as in a further nine countries which have been catapulted into humanitarian need by the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more.
August 21 International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism While more countries are affected by terrorism today, the number of victims has largely been concentrated in a small number of UN Member States. Victims of terrorism continue to struggle to have their voices heard, have their needs supported and their rights upheld. Victims often feel forgotten and neglected once the immediate aftermath of a terrorist attack fades, which can have profound consequences for them. Learn more.
August 22 International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief Freedom of religion or belief, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to peaceful assembly and the right to freedom of association are interdependent, interrelated and mutually reinforcing. They are enshrined in articles 18, 19, and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Upholding these rights plays an important role in the fight against all forms of intolerance and of discrimination based on religion or belief. The open, constructive and respectful debate of ideas, as well as interreligious, interfaith, and intercultural dialogue, at the local, national, regional, and international levels, can play a positive role in combating religious hatred, incitement, and violence. Learn more. August 23 International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition The night of August 22 to 23, 1791, in Santo Domingo (today Haiti and the Dominican Republic) saw the beginning of the uprising that would play a crucial role in the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade. It is against this background that the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition is commemorated on August 23 each year. This International Day is intended to inscribe the tragedy of the slave trade in the memory of all peoples. In accordance with the goals of the intercultural project "The Slave Route," it should offer an opportunity for collective consideration of the historic causes, the methods and the consequences of this tragedy, and for an analysis of the interactions to which it has given rise between Africa, Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean. Learn more.
August 30 International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances Enforced disappearance has frequently been used as a strategy to spread terror within societies. The feeling of insecurity generated by this practice is not limited to the close relatives of the disappeared, but also affects their communities and society as a whole. Enforced disappearance has become a global problem and is not restricted to a specific region of the world. Once largely the product of military dictatorships, enforced disappearances can nowadays be perpetrated in complex situations of internal conflict, especially as a means of political repression of opponents. Learn more.
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