Caravan for Peace wends through U.S.
"Estamos hasta la madre! [We are fed up]" is the rallying cry of Mexican poet and author Javier Sicilia, who has mobilized people on both sides of the border to stop the bloodshed caused by drug violence. The following article was published in the September-October 2012 NewsNotes.
Women and peacemaking
The following piece was written by Marie Dennis, former director of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns and current co-president of Pax Christi International.
Why a financial transaction tax is a good idea today
The following article was written by Dave Kane, who worked with the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns for six years; he recently relocated to Brazil with his family. It was published in the September-October 2012 NewsNotes.
Toward global solidarity: Maryknoll leadership statement on migration
The following statement was approved on September 6, 2006 by Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers General Council, the Maryknoll Sisters of St. Dominic Congregational Leadership Team, and the Maryknoll Lay Missioners Association Leadership Team.
How to make the world happier
The following article was written by Dave Kane and published in the July-August 2012 NewsNotes.
Mexico: Caravan for peace with justice
In the past six years, Mexico's "war on drugs" has led to as many as 60,000 deaths and 10,000 disappearances, and has displaced 160,000 people. Characterized by an intense militarization, including the deployment of over 50,000 troops and federal police, this strategy has undermined the country's social fabric and security even more deeply, but has done little to address the painful iniquities of drug trafficking in Mexico. Some victims are saying enough, and demand an alternative to militarization and the war on drugs. Their message is not only directed at the government and people of Mexico: This summer they will bring their message to the U.S. to raise awareness around the U.S. connection to Mexico's war on drugs. The following piece was written by Brennan Baker and published in the July-August 2012 NewsNotes.
NAFTA, free trade and "exporting obesity"
The following piece was written by Brennan Baker and printed in the May-June 2012 issue of NewsNotes.
Earth Summit Rio+20: Driving the agenda forward
Four Maryknollers attended the United Nations Earth Summit Rio + 20 which took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 2012. Sr. Ann Braudis, one of the participants, wrote the following reflection for the July-August 2012 NewsNotes.
Africa: Concerns about increased militarization
In late June, the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns joined with other colleagues in signing the letter below to the U.S. Senate; it asks the Senate to reconsider the increasingly militarized relationship the U.S. has been fostering with African nations. In the next few weeks we might learn more about the recent resignation of Scott Gration from his position as U.S. ambassador to Kenya; initial analysis points to Gration's preference for a more conciliatory tone led to disagreements with the administration's larger plan for the region.
Torture: End prolonged solitary confinement
On June 19, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights held the first-ever Congressional hearing to reassess the use of solitary confinement. Attendance was so high the hearing room filled and an overflow room contained over 100 more spectators. Following the hearing, Kathy McNeely, director of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns (MOGC), spoke at an interfaith press conference held by the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT). The following article was written by Ainsley Rossitto, an intern with the MOGC, for the July-August 2012 issue of NewsNotes.
Nuclear energy: Its dangers outweigh its benefits
March 2012 -- As the world prepares to mark the first anniversary of the tragic tsunami and nuclear accident in Japan, Maryknoll missioners convey their continued sympathy for all those directly impacted by the disaster, and present a new statement that expresses their deep reservations about the continued reliance on the use of nuclear power and the development of nuclear weapons.
Together with Africa: Mavambo Trust gives children a new beginning
In 2002, Maryknoll Sister Kathleen Barbee, who has lived and worked in Africa for many years, and a Redemptorist colleague responded to the profound needs of Zimbabwean children living in poverty and