November-December 2014 NewsNotes

Vol. 39, No. 6
PDF attached below

Time to act on climate change - World religious leaders have made an urgent appeal for immediate action to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Time for a new sanctuary movement - How do we address the complicated legal, political and community issue of undocumented migration in the U.S.?

U.S. funds create “21st century border” - The recent drop in the number of migrants from Central America trying to enter the U.S. through the southern border can be attributed to the policies being implemented by the Mexican and Central American governments at the behest of, and with funding from, the U.S. government. 

Congress must address factors driving migration - The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns signed a letter to Congress urging a strong response to some of the factors that drive children, families, women, and men to abandon their homes. 

Darfur: Women, genocide in 21st century - A recent symposium in Washington, D.C. brought together experts and activists concerned about the situation of human rights and the treatment of women in Darfur.

Pan-African network releases Ebola statement - The Pan African Network on Nonviolence and Peacebuilding released this statement which connects the spread of the Ebola virus to the potential for increased violence and conflict in countries most affected. 

Hong Kong: Pro-democracy movement persists - Over a month after they started their pro-democracy street occupations on September 28, the most surprising thing about the “umbrella movement” campaigners in Hong Kong is that they are still there.

Two campaigns unite labor, environment - Labor organizers often accuse environmentalists of ignoring the real concerns of workers in their struggles for environmental sustainability while environmentalists accuse labor of being unrealistic in demanding ever-increasing economic growth on a finite planet, but two policy proposals could connect them.

Food security: Report on CFS Session 41 - Fr. Ken Thesing MM gives his report on the recent gathering for the Committee on World Food Security in Rome.

Ending anonymous ownership - Currently, many investigations into crimes such as corruption, trafficking, tax evasion, money laundering and terrorism are thwarted due to the fact that the identity of the “beneficial owner” -- the actual person who benefits from a company’s profits – is not known. 

Sustainability and nuclear weapons - Sr. Claris Zwareva MM participated in an NGO side event at the UN and spoke on the threat to our ecosystem's equilibrium due to the continued existence of nuclear weapons.

IFC standards have subpar outcomes - In recent years, due to pressure from civil society, and in some cases from private industry, the International Finance Corporation developed performance standards related to social and environmental sustainability to manage environmental and social risks, but the practical performance of these standards falls short.

Resources