Africa Union and the International Criminal Court
On January 31 several news organizations reported the African Union (AU) had agreed to a strategy of mass withdrawal from the International Criminal Court.
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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
Latin America: Brazil-based scandal spreads
On February 16, attorneys general from 15 countries met in the capital of Brazil to exchange information related to the Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht and its involvement in corruption scandals in their countries.
Peru: Oil companies harm indigenous communities
Barbara Fraser, a returned Maryknoll Lay Missioner, writes from Peru about the misery and death caused by oil companies on indigenous communities.
Honduras: “Deadliest place to defend the planet”
Global Witness, an international NGO based in London and Washington, D.C., released a damning report on killings and attacks against indigenous and environmental human rights defenders in Honduras.
U.S. immigration enforcement: Shocking changes
Things are changing fast for vulnerable communities with which Maryknoll missioners have worked for decades.
Loving Our Neighbor, Embodying Sanctuary
Isaac S. Villegas, pastor of Chapel Hill Mennonite Fellowship and board member of the North Carolina Council of Churches, shared this reflection at the “Loving Our Neighbor: Embodying Sanctuary” conference at Duke Divinity School on January 28, 2017.
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Maryknoll Sister Theresa Baldini, who was on mission in South Sudan, reflects on the biblical call to forgiveness and reconciliation for justice to be restored in our relationships.
Join a local Catholic group to visit members of Congress
Sign up for a webinar on February 7 to learn more about the invitation from U.S. Catholic Bishops to join a local group and visit members of Congress.
Preserving and protecting the State Department’s Office of Religion and Global Affairs
Forty faith-based organizations sent a letter to the Trump administration requesting the preservation and integrity of the State Department’s Office of Religion and Global Affairs be maintained.
Urgent! Protect the EPA
Ask your Senators to consider rejecting Scott Pruitt as administrator of the EPA.
Second Sunday of Ordinary Time
Maryknoll Sister Veronica Schweyen describes how God has chosen each of us and we can put our trust in God.
World AIDS Day: “Moving forward, leaving no one behind”
Since 1988 World Aids Day is commemorated on December 1 as a day to remember those who have died of AIDS and to unite people around the world in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Maryknoll Missioners at the UN and in countries around the world commemorated this important day.
WOLA: U.S. must condemn killings in the Philippines
On December 9, the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) released the following statement entitled “President-elect Trump Should Repudiate Duterte’s Claims of U.S. Support for His Murderous Drug Policy.”
Cuba: Reflection on life after Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro, known as the father of the Cuban revolution, died November 25. Maryknoll Sister Ann Braudis, who visited Cuba in 2012, wrote the following reflection on the questions that hang over the future of Cuba.
Haiti: UN apologizes for bringing cholera
In one of his final acts as UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon said the United Nations was “profoundly sorry” for the outbreak in Haiti, which first developed near a UN base in 2010, and committed to mobilizing a response by UN member states.
U.S.-Mexico border: Radical hospitality
When Maryknoll Sister Lil Mattingly in El Paso, Texas, shared the urgent need for volunteers to help the growing numbers of refugees and migrants there, the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns sent Alfonso Buzzo, our peace fellow, to live and work at Annunciation House, a home of hospitality in El Paso. The following article is Alfonso’s reflection on his month-long experience there.
Third Sunday of Advent
This week’s reflection is written by Karen Bortvedt, a Maryknoll Lay Missioner in Cambodia.
Second Sunday of Advent
Father Mike Duggan, who was on mission in Korea for many years, writes this week’s Scripture reflection.