Tell Congress: Hold the Administration Accountable on Immigration
March 17 marked the 45th anniversary of the Refugee Act, the law which established the right of migrants to seek asylum in the United States. It was a somber milestone…
Human Rights
Upholding human rights enables a society to put people at the center of all policymaking – political, economic and social – thus protecting the life and dignity of the human person whatever its condition or stage of development. In the year 2020, the world entered into the novel coronavirus pandemic, an unprecedented crisis that impacts all aspects of life and presents new threats to upholding human rights.
December 10 is International Human Rights Day. Join us in reciting this prayer by Rabbi Brant Rosen. Explore our Lenten Reflection Guide on human rights.
To understand what our faith teaches about human rights, see “Catholic Social Teaching and Human Rights.”
To learn about Maryknoll mission experience honoring and protecting human rights and the life and dignity of the human person, especially those who are poor and vulnerable, read Maryknoll’s 100 Years of Mission.
To learn about human rights advocacy, watch a 30-minute webinar, “Human Rights Advocacy and the Legacy of Sr. Dianna Ortiz.” You will also find a corresponding page of resources on current human rights issues.
To learn about new threats to human rights, see our articles featured in Maryknoll Magazine:
Upholding Human Rights During the Pandemic
A “David and Goliath” Story of Water Defenders
Second Sunday of Lent
This reflection was published as part of the Lenten Reflection Guide: A Jubilee of Hope. In Myanmar, it is difficult for people to count on a steady income, land, even food or education. When their families, clan or communities cannot meet their basic needs, they rely on their faith in God and their deeply ingrained…
Faith Groups Raise Grave Concerns about Foreign Aid Freeze in Letter to Congress
The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns joined more than 40 members of the Interfaith Working Group on Foreign Assistance in this letter to Congress raising grave concerns about the sudden order to stop lifesaving foreign assistance work around the globe and the dismantling of USAID.
Peru: Justice for Indigenous Protestors Killed by Police
Human rights organizations in Peru win in court on behalf of the victims of a massacre at political protests more than two years ago.
Letter from Pope Francis and Reply from U.S. Catholic Bishops
Pope Francis took the unusual step of publishing an open letter to the Catholic Bishops of the United States to thank them for their work for migrants and refugees and urge their steadfastness in their defense of the dignity in the face of political pressure and initiation of a program of mass deportation. The letter and the response from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ President that came the day after, are below.
African Migrant Laborers Need Jubilee
Burdensome public debt in the continent has induced African youth to migrate for employment driving greater risks of exploitation and modern slavery.
Lenten Reflection Guide 2025: Jubilee of Hope
Join us for prayer this Lent with reflections on the readings from Ash Wednesday, March 5, through Palm Sunday, April 13. The 2025 Lenten Reflection Guide: Jubilee of Hope from the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns contains reflections, questions, prayers, fasts, and actions based on each week’s Gospel reading and the experience of Maryknoll missioners…
Maryknoll OGC Joins Letter to Trump Administration Urging Renewal of Refugee Resettlement
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns joined 1,051 faith leaderss and 176 organizations in writing to the Trump Administration asking for the resumption of refugee resettlement, restoration of humanitarian assistance, and assurance that the faith community can take care of newcomers according to their traditions. Read the letter as a PDF. February 13, 2025 Dear President…
Letter of the Holy Father Francis to the Bishops of the United States
Pope Francis addresses U.S. bishops, urging them to uphold the dignity of migrants. He criticizes policies that equate illegal status with criminality while acknowledging a nation’s right to security and calls for compassion, integration, and respect for fundamental rights. Read the letter as a PDF and on the Vatican website. February 10, 2025 Dear Brothers…
Maryknoll Missioner Speaks Out for PEPFAR in New York Times
Sept. 5, 2023 Be sure to read Maryknoll Fr. Rick Bauer’s guest opinion piece in The New York Times about witnessing lives saved from HIV/AIDS in Africa thanks to access to treatment and prevention generously given by the United States over the last twenty years through a program called PEPFAR. “As a pro-life man of faith, I…
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns Responds to Trump Day One Executive Orders
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Jan. 21, 2025 WASHINGTON, DC – In response to the executive orders signed by President Trump on the first day of his second term, the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns offered the following statement from its director, Susan Gunn. “The executive orders signed by President Trump make us ask how will the…
Defend Justice for Immigrants
Jan. 13, 2025 With less than one week until the start of a new Trump presidency on Jan. 20, we are preparing to respond to major changes in policies that…
Tanzanian President Meets with Maasai
Indigenous Maasai community leaders met with the Tanzanian president in their ongoing to struggle to defend their land and human rights. The following article was published in the January – February 2025 issue of NewsNotes. On December 1, 150 Maasai delegates from Ngorongoro, Loliondo, and Sale met with Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan at the…
USCCB Statement of Solidarity with Immigrants
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, USCCB president, Bishop Mark Seitz, chair of the Committee on Migration, and Bishop Jaime Soto, chair of Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc., issued a statement of pastoral concern on November 14, 2024. The following article was published in the January – February 2025 issue of NewsNotes. Compelled by the Gospel of Jesus…
Maryknoll OGC Joins Letter to Biden Adminitration for Protections for Haiti and Haitians
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns joined 33 other faith and civil society organizations in a letter to President Biden and Vice President Harris requesting protections for Haiti and Haitians, namely ending the mass deportation of Haitians, stemming the flow of guns to Haiti, sanctions against the specific individuals responsible for human rights abuses, and encouraging…
Third Sunday of Advent
This reflection was originally published in the 2024 Advent Reflection Guide: One Family of God. God indeed is my salvation; I am confident and unafraid. ISAIAH 12:2 What should we do? A people “filled with expectation” pose this question to John the Baptist. How often do our own hearts burn with the same question? Look…
Pray, Study, Act for Human Rights Day
Tuesday, December 10, we celebrate Human Rights Day, an opportunity to advocate for the full enjoyment of human dignity by everyone everywhere. Human Rights Day falls in Advent as Christians…
Maryknoll OGC Joins Letter to Senator Rubio Regarding Sudan Crisis
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns joined thirty faith and civil society groups in a letter to Senator Marco Rubio, Trump nominee for Secretary of Sate, requesting he prioritize ending the Sudan crisis through diplomatic efforts, appointing a special envoy, support for local aid providers, and support for atrocity documentation. Read as a PDF. December 5,…