November-December 2015 NewsNotes

Vol. 40, No. 6
PDF posted below

Road to Paris: Come, renew the face of the earth - The UN Climate Summit in Paris will be an unprecedented opportunity for nearly 200 nations to take bold action on the care for the earth and for all people suffering the adverse effects of climate change.

Road to Paris: Trade deals must protect climate - As countries prepare for the climate negotiations in Paris in December, some experts have called attention to the need for including safeguards to protect nations’ actions to address climate change from legal challenges by trade partners. 

Road to Paris: Climate justice, natural disasters - November 8 marks the second anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan, the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded. It devastated portions of Southeast Asia. In the Philippines, more than 6,000 people died and 4.1 million people were displaced. Many of the approximately 16 million Filipinos living in extreme poverty were affected. This article, published by CIDSE as part of their video series “Stories for Climate Justice” tells the story of Dr. Efleda Bautista, a climate activist in the Philippines. Dr. Bautista describes what climate justice means to her.

Climate change: Large-scale dams problematic - With increasing pressure to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, many countries are planning to increase their reliance on hydropower, meaning more dams. However, large-scale hydroelectric dams are a false solution to the climate crisis. 

Malawi: Reflections on Laudato Si’ - An excerpt from the article “What does the environment encyclical mean for Malawi?” written by Alex Muyebe, SJ, director of the Jesuit Centre for Ecology and Development, Lilongwe, Malawi, and Peter Henriot, SJ, who works with Loyola Jesuit Secondary School, Kasungu, Malawi, and published in the August 28 issue of the British Catholic magazine The Tablet.

Africa: Displacement on the rise - The death and displacement that occurs in the out-migration from Africa and the plight of internally displaced peoples across the continent were the subject of a recent hearing before the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations. What emerged in the testimony of several governmental and NGO experts was a picture of tragic human suffering.

Zimbabwe: Water, sustainable energy for all -  Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns staff member Sr. Claris Zwareva reports on her recent visit to her homeland of Zimbabwe.

Africa: The future of electricity - On October 8 the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the Electrify Africa Act (EAA), legislation that aims to bring 20,000 additional megawatts of power to sub-Saharan Africa by 2020. There are major concerns that this plan will fail to reach the more than 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa who have little to no access to electricity.

Kenya: Peace conference held for teachers - The Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers Society Center in Nairobi recently hosted a five-day interfaith conference to orient primary and secondary school teachers from diverse areas of Kenya to the potential for interfaith-based religious education, as a vehicle for peace-building in Kenya.

Guatemala: Latest election no laughing matter - On October 25, former comedian and television celebrity Jimmy Morales won Guatemala’s presidential election after a rising anti-corruption citizens’ movement helped bring down President Otto Pérez Molina. The underlining challenges and the political views of Jimmy Morales signal major troubles ahead.

Honduras: OAS plan to combat corruption - Despite the growing political volatility in Honduras, President  Juan Orlando Hernandez has managed to remain in office by negotiating with the Organization of Americans States (OAS) to adopt a plan to facilitate national dialogue.

Mexico: Costs of immigration enforcement - The U.S. and Mexican governments have not addressed the root causes of the flow of migrants from Central America to the U.S.; rather, they have worked together to stop the flow by force.

Israel/Palestine: Violence escalates - Recent attacks on Israeli citizens by Palestinian teenagers with knives have been widely condemned, while the shooting deaths of dozens of unarmed Palestinian protesters by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have received less media attention. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and Pax Christi International released statements urging Palestinians and Israelis to deescalate the tensions and work for lasting peace.

Myanmar: Sectarianism threatens democracy - The leader of the Catholic Church in Myanmar, Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, speaks out against recent discriminatory voting rules that could lead to violence as the national Election Day on November 8 nears. 

Resources - Read and share MOGC's new prayer-study-action guide on climate change, join the Global Climate March, order a copy of a new book about sustainable food recipes by former Maryknoll missioners, and more.