Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul West Central Province
Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul West Central Province
Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul West Central Province
Learn about slavery in our world today.
What can Vincentians do? find out
A new exhibit titled "Who Knows Tomorrow?" tells the stories of extremely neglected and rejected people from seven countries and how the Daughters of Charity work to assist them...full story
World hunger continues to escalate...full story can be found on pg.3 of June 2009 ASJ Newsletter
Sex trafficking in Macon, Georgia?...full story
The speakers challenged us to look beyond our comfort zone, to embrace a new paradigm and new possibilities to better meet the needs of people living in poverty...full story on page 7
For a fifth consecutive year, the missionaries of VMF's "Operation Overhaul"...full story
Learn more about an exhibit highlighting the rich history and contributions of Catholic sisters in the United States...full story
After reading about the issues that our Social Justice section focuses on, are you wondering what, if anything, you can do to make a difference? You can do something! Inform yourself by reading articles and books or visiting websites regarding the issue(s) that move you. Write to your congressman and senator when appropriate. Pray, Pray, Pray! Tell your friends and family about the social inequities that exist and suggest how they, too, can help make a difference. We’ve listed some of the issues that move us to action along with some ways you can take action.
Following the December Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) said the fact that Copenhagen did not deliver the full agreement the world needs to address climate change “just makes the task more urgent".
Three key things that Copenhagen produced are: 1) It raised climate change to the highest level of government; 2) The Copenhagen Accord reflects a political consensus on the long-term, global response to climate change; 3) The negotiations brought an almost full set of decisions to implement rapid climate action near to completion.
Mr. de Boer said that we’re now in a cooling off period that gives countries useful and needed time to resume their discussions with each other. “If countries follow up the outcomes of Copenhagen calmly, with eyes firmly on the advantage of collective action, they have every chance of completing the job,” he said.
Wangari Matthai, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, said at the conference, “The good that comes forth in the world is from Civil Society.” We are Civil Society and so it is up to each of us to do our part to reduce our carbon footprint.
Take personal action this month, during Lent, by reflecting on your own carbon footprint. The attached tool will provide you an excellent tool for this purpose. Download Lenten Fast.
The February Alert is prompted by work being done by NGOs on the Financing for Development (FfD) Committee. FfD is always in search of monies for development in the least developed countries. Housing, water, sanitation, roads, electricity, education, and technical assistance for agriculture are among the most basic needs of many countries. Recent discussions in the G-20 have surfaced the following proposals: 1) to curb tax haven abuse and 2) to establish more uniform monitoring and disclosure regulations for corporations with penalties for false disclosures. Additionally, some are speaking of a financial transaction tax which would place a tax on all financial transactions of a designated amount. Such a proposal is not very popular in Canada and the U.S. However, Senators Harkin and DeFazio, and in the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi think it could be a positive initiative. Many of the NGOs support such a tax since we believe it would be more equitable. Canada already has legislation in place to limit/regulate tax havens but to date does not seem to have recent incorporation transparency laws. More info: www.taxjustice.net. These discussions are continuing in individual member countries and, if adopted by the G-20 member states would place some regulation on international finance which currently remains above the law.
Send a postcard to your Congress person (U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515 and/or Senators (U.S. Senate, Washington, DC 20510) or for an email alternative: go to the web page of your Representative and select “Contact” and write your message in the space provided.
Dear….
I ask that you support two legislative proposals: 1) The Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act (H.R.1265/S.506) and the Incorporation Transparency and Law Enforcement Assistance Act (H.R. 2956/S.569). Such measures would require those with greater financial assets to bear a more equitable share in building a sustainable global economy.
Thank you for your consideration of this matter.
Signature/Name of Congregation
Talking Points for those who wish to write more:
Father Robert Maloney, CM and several members of the Projects Committee for the 350th Anniversary celebration visited Haiti to meet with the national leaders of the Vincentian Family to discern with them the greatest needs of those living in poverty in their country and to elicit their reaction to participating in the pilot microfinancing project. They also met with the leaders of Fonkoze, the largest microfinance agency in Haiti to explore how the family might collaborate with them rather than trying to re-invent the huge infrastructure that microfinance programs require.
Fonkoze was founded in 1994 by a Haitian Catholic priest who started the institution with a vision to provide the means for all Haitians, even the poorest, to participate in the economic development of the country. His target group was women because, he said, “Women are the backbone of the Haitian economy and the doorway into the family unit.” Fonkoze is known internationally for its holistic, creative approach toward assisting Haiti’s poor and has 42 service points within the country.
This new initiative will provide an Internet Pathway for Haitian Economic Development and involves the Vincentian Family, DePaul University, the Haitian Diaspora and Fonkoze. The purpose of the project is to increase investment in the Haitian economy and create jobs in Haiti by building an internet pathway between the Worldwide Vincentian Family and the Haitian Diaspora, on the one hand, and the enterprises and projects in Haiti that hold the best promise for bolstering the Haitian economy, creating jobs for the poorest, and strengthening micro, small and medium enterprises in Haiti. The website will be created entirely by DePaul University. Fonkoze will receive deposits from lenders and donors through the online Pathway, distribute those funds to approved enterprises in Haiti, and collect loan repayments. To carry out the increased activities created by this initiative, Fonkoze has established a new department to identify projects, to evaluate, monitor and track the progress of the projects featured on the website, and to administer the loans or donations. DePaul will offer educational and training support to those whose projects need further development prior to posting on the site.
The Vincentian Family, DePaul University, the Haitian Diaspora and Fonkoze believe that this initiative will make the projects featured on the website sustainable, improve communications between Haitians and those outside the country, and promote a relationship between donors/lenders and the enterprises that they have helped to strengthen.
To follow the progress of this new initiative check the Famvin website for perodic updates.
Visit these websites to learn more:
Read "The Slave Next Door" by Kevin Bales and Ron Soodalter.
Make a FREE FOOD donation at http://www.freerice.com/
Visit these websites to learn more:
Order and read "Seeds of Hope: Stories of Systemic Change".
Visit Catholics Confront Global Poverty a joint effort of Catholic Relief Services and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to learn more.