In most of the world, May 1 is the day to celebrate workers. This year’s commemoration included memorials for the at least 1,127* people who were killed in the terrible collapse on April 24 of a factory in Bangladesh, a disaster that could have been avoided had the building’s owners not shirked their responsibility to provide a safe environment for workers. *Death toll updated from printed version.
As of early May, it is believed that at least 100 men held at the U.S. military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba are participating in a hunger strike; 23 are being force fed. While prisoners at Guantanamo have fasted to protest their detention and/or treatment over the 11 years of the facility’s use, this current strike began in February as a response both to a new, harsher team of guards and to the fact that the imprisonment appears to be open-ended with little hope for release.
The following article was written by Jenn Svetlik, who worked for several months with the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns; Marianne Comfort with the Sisters of Mercy; and Eli McCarthy with the Conference of Major Superiors of Men. A very similar version was published on the Faith-Economy-Ecology-Transformation blog in early April.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) made headlines again in March as Japan was welcomed into the trade negotiations, despite protests from Japanese rice farmers concerned the treaty could undermine their livelihoods.
The following article was written by Jennifer Svetlik, who worked with the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns (MOGC) for several months this spring.
On March 25, the international day of remembrance of the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, the United Nations organized a series of events that reminded the world of the slave trade that raged for 400 years and claimed the lives of millions of people.
The following article is written by Marie Dennis.
The following piece was prepared by Sr. Jean Fallon, MM, who has participated with Christian Peacemaker Teams in Hebron in recent years.
Though the date has not yet been announced, Zimbabwean voters are expected to go to the polls for parliamentary and presidential elections before August 29.
The following update is provided by Maryknoll Affiliate Renate Schneider who coordinates Haitian Connection, a non-profit that focuses on health and education needs in Haiti.
The death of President Hugo Chavez on March 5 led many to question whether the “Bolivarian Revolution” of significant social and economic changes could continue without Chavez’s larger-than-life presence.
During the recent trial of former president Efrain Rios Montt and former chief of military intelligence Mauricio Rodriguez Sanchez, observers felt as if they were on a rollercoaster ride as the trial took many twists and turns.
Honduras continues to experience the highest levels of violence in the world with 92 deaths per 100,000 people (compared to a global average of 6.9 per 100,000). Sadly, members of the Honduran police and military not only have been unable to decrease it, but are often themselves perpetrators of the violence.
On April 2, the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) passed with an overwhelming number of United Nations’ member states voting in its favor (154), including the United States.
The following pastoral letter was published by the Zimbabwean Catholic bishops in March 2013 as the country prepares for a new round of national elections.
Br. Dave Andrews, CSC, who has worked for years on food justice issues, spoke to the participants at the 2013 Ecumenical Advocacy Days gathering.
The following article is reprinted from the Trial of Efrain Rios Montt and Mauricio Rodriguez Sanchez website.
In the last few years, Ecuador has experienced a disturbing increase in government, police and military crackdowns on peaceful protests held against the exploitation of natural resources.
