Cambodia: Worker rights abuses in garment industry
Opportunities for Cambodian workers to share in the prosperity of that country's garment industry come at the price of exploitation and abuse.
Myanmar: Cardinal Bo’s message
Myanmar has seen rays of hope as it moves away from the military junta to a more inclusive, democratic system of government. The Catholic community was given a boost in December 2014 when Pope Francis named Charles Bo the country's first cardinal.
Africa: Concerns about U.S. military policy
At its April 2015 meeting, in light of President Obama’s summer trip to East Africa, the Washington, D.C.-based Advocacy Network for Africa (ADNA), of which the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns is a member, adopted a final draft of a statement on several important U.S./Africa policy issues
Angola: Detained activists must be freed
In mid-March, Amnesty International released the following statement on the situation of human rights activists in Angola.
Africa: Democratic elections
In 2015, 14 African nations will hold presidential and legislative elections; by the end of 2016, 25 countries will have held elections.
Guatemala: The violence and the vision
This article by Sr. Ann Braudis, published in the May-June 2015 NewsNotes, relates something of the struggle in Guatemala during recent decades: it reflects on where the majority of indigenous and poor people find themselves today.
Mexico: Ending drug violence from bottom up
April 15 is the anniversary of an unusual and largely unnoticed "citizen uprising" in Cherán, a small indigenous town of 20,000 residents in the state of Michoacán, México.
Brazil: Digging deeper into corruption scandals
Within Brazil, national news programs and newspapers dedicate extensive coverage to several corruption scandals, which has contributed to growing anger toward President Dilma Rousseff and her affiliated Workers Party (PT).
Brazil: Study released on 30 years of land conflicts
The Brazilian Catholic Church’s Pastoral Land Commission (CPT) recently released a study of 30 years of conflicts in Brazil over access to land, water and worker rights.
Maryknoll, colleagues alarmed by "Fast Track" potential consequences
A number of faith leaders representing religious communions, denominations, and organizations across the country spoke out on April 16, 2015 to voice their concern about the newly released Trade Promotion Authority bill, or Fast Track, which would give the president unilateral power to sign the secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement without a chance for debate in Congress.
Maryknoll signs letter calling for stronger efforts to end use of death penalty
MOGC director Gerry Lee and Fr. Tom O'Brien, a member of the Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers General Council, are two of the nearly 400 religious leaders who signed a new statement released April 1, 2015, urging stronger efforts to end the use of the death penalty.
MOGC applauds INDC contribution
The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns (MOGC) applauds the Obama Administration’s March 31 announcement of the U.S. Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) that will reduce emissions 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025.