November-December 2012 Mercy justice highlights published every other month
DID YOU KNOW THIS? Faith-based Groups Step Up Food Justice Advocacy In recent years industrial agricultural corporations and financial firms have taken control of much of the global food industry, including land, production processes, and even the pricing of food through speculation. This has deepened concerns about the impact on people most affected by hunger and malnutrition around the world. To counter this, the Sisters of Mercy at the United Nations have insisted on recognizing the human right to food and have added their voices to those calling for “empowerment of people” as a step toward eradicating poverty. You may learn more about food justice issues in an article contributed by the Maryknoll Center for Global Concerns and in an entertaining but informative video by Anna Lappé. To join in the global food justice movement, please consider coming to Washington, D.C., April 5-8 for Ecumenical Advocacy Days, a weekend crammed with 42 workshops that will delve into topics such as faithful eating, the importance of tax policy on the food system, the impact of climate change on agriculture’s future, and the corporatization of food .There will be special events for young adults (ages 18-35), and the weekend concludes with a lobby day on Capitol Hill, Also, Mercy will sponsor a gathering for Mercy Sisters, Associates, Companions, co-workers, volunteers, students and friends who attend, to relate what we are learning to Mercy’s advocacy in Washington, D.C., at the United Nations and in corporate boardrooms. So please let us know if you are considering attending so that we can plan accordingly.
EARTH Mercy U.N. Office Prepares Paper on Mining Mercy Global Action at the United Nations has prepared a written submission to the Fifty-First U.N. Session of the Commission for Social Development, to be convened in February 2013. The priority theme this year is "Promoting empowerment of people in achieving poverty eradication, social integration and full employment and decent work for all". The Mercy submission illustrates how mining projects too often disempower local communities by devastating their land and livelihoods. The paper -- which draws on the experiences of Mercy in Peru, the Philippines and other parts of the world -- recommends that governments improve processes for community input on mining proposals and ensure that local communities receive benefits.
Mercy Joins Anti-Fracking Rallies
Sister Deborah Troillett of the Sisters of Mercy Institute Leadership Team led a prayer in front of the U.S. Capitol Sept. 22 to open the Global Day to End Fracking rally in Washington, D.C. That same weekend, sisters in Philadelphia participated in a demonstration against the natural gas extraction process called hydrofracking, or ‘fracking.” This week, Nov. 13-14, Sisters of Mercy were planning on participating with New Yorkers Against Fracking in rallies around the state. You may read more here.
Burlingame Campus Celebrates Actions for Earth
Recycling and use of non-toxic cleaning projects are among the Earth-friendly practices at the Mercy Burlingame Campus celebrated during a preview Oct. 17 of Mercy Taking Action, an Institute-wide effort to deepen the fruits of Awakening the Dreamer. Associate Catherine Regan, a member of the design team developing resources for the new initiative, led the campus operations team in a review of Mercy’s guiding documents and the framework of the Great Turning toward an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, and socially just human
presence on the planet. Mercy High School Burlingame, Mercy Center, and the administrative offices shared the many ways they have adapted practices on campus for the sake of Earth. They came to recognize that the greening of the campus is not the task of a few people on a"green team," but that it requires a "greening" of everyone’s thinking, choices,and actions.
Guam School Links Hunger and Climate Change
Guam Santa Barbara Catholic School's Mercy Club, an organization for fourth through eighth graders, visited the local farmers’ market in response to taking a hunger quiz and reading the article “Facing the Future: Hunger and Climate Change. The students met the farmers who supply the school cafeteria with vegetables and gave them thank-you cards for their work and for caring for Earth. They also went home with organically grown fruits and vegetables for their families
Environmental Efforts Take Off at Institute Office Staff at the Sisters of Mercy‘s Silver Spring, Maryland, office are now saving coffee grounds for their gardens and considering how to promote the use of cloth napkins and bathroom towels, after experiencing the Awakening the Dreamer workshop. Staff also learned that the preferred caterer for meetings at the office avoids using disposable serving ware and grows its own herbs.
IMMIGRATION Health Advocacy Center Sponsors Border Trips The Center for Immigrant Healthcare Justice, which is run by Mercy Associate Kevin Minder, sponsors a program called Border Quest, which establishes immigration advocacy organizations on university campuses. Border Quest is sponsoring six-day trips to Laredo, Texas, in March 2013 to learn about immigration trends, border enforcement and human trafficking, among other issues. You may read more here.
Sister Writes About Scapegoating of Immigrants Sister Denise Sausville, who works with immigrants on the Texas-Mexico border, uses the seejudge-act reflection process to guide readers through a transformation process of deeper understanding of the plight of immigrants and the brokenness of the U.S. immigration system. She concludes with a challenge to pastoral action on behalf of immigrants. You may read her paper here.
NON-VIOLENCE Peace Accord Reached in Philippines The Sisters of Mercy -- who have a presence in the Philippines through the New York, Pennsylvania, Pacific West Community -- are praying for the success of a landmark peace agreement signed by the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The agreement is aimed at ending four decades of armed conflict in the southern island of Mindanao. A Filipino Sister shares her reflections here.
Honduras Associate Tours Region of U.S.
Nelly del Cid, pictured in the center at the School of the Americas’ Watch rally last year, is a Mercy Associate and outspoken advocate for human rights in Honduras. On a U.S. speaking tour sponsored by the Quakers earlier this fall, she stopped in several cities to educate Americans about the violence in her country. Her visit was part of efforts to build bonds of solidarity between the peoples of Honduras and the U.S. and to strengthen the voices calling on the U.S. government to speak out against human rights abuses in Honduras.
Delegation to Explore Issues in Honduras The Institute Justice Team is organizing a religious human rights/solidarity delegation to Honduras Dec. 6-12, with the help of the Friendship Office. Participants will learn about the social, economic, religious and political realities in Honduras and lend moral support to faith partners, human rights defenders and civil society organizations that have been targeted for
repression. It will include an advocacy meeting at the U.S. Embassy. Mercy participants include Institute Justice Team Director Jean Stokan and Sisters Karen Donahue, Rose Marie Tresp, Diane Clyne and Martha Larsen. This follows a SHARE-led delegation to El Salvador to commemorate the anniversary of the martyrdom of the four U.S. Churchwomen and to honor women religious through a recognition of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR).
Repeal of Law Quells Violence in Panama The Sisters of Mercy, who have a presence in Panama, were relieved when the country’s National Assembly repealed a controversial law allowing the sale of state-owned land in the port city of Colon. The repeal followed more than a week of violent protests in Colon and in Panama City in which at least three people died, including a nine-year-old boy. The government had argued privatization would boost development, but residents feared that the sell-off of stateowned land would cost jobs and push down wages.
Rochester Students’ Artwork Advocates for Peace
Ninth graders at Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women in Rochester, NY, created magnets on themes related to the Critical Concern of nonviolence. The phrases on the magnets included: work for justice, love your family, peace is the path, act peace, give peace a chance, and peace is priceless The magnets, when stuck onto their school lockers, serve as tangible daily reminders of the Critical Concern.
Pray for Those Executed and Their Victims There were eight state-sponsored executions in September and October of people convicted of murder. We invite you to pray for those executed, their victims and all of their family members. You will find here a list of those executed and their victims, and the state in which they were executed.
Pennsylvania Advocates Seek Stay of Execution Seventy-one (71) Mercy advocates in Pennsylvania wrote to Gov. Tom Corbett, urging him to issue a stay of execution for Hubert Lester Michael Jr., who had confessed to the kidnapping and murder of a 16-year-old girl in 1993. Hubert was scheduled to be executed Nov. 8, but a U.S. Appeals Court earlier that day issued a stay of execution for at least 14 days.
POVERTY Advocates Urge Candidates to Talk About Poverty In recognition of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Oct. 17, 71 Mercy advocates contacted President Obama and Governor Romney to ask them to talk about poverty during the rest of this election season. More than 20 advocates personalized their messages for greater impact. While poverty got little attention during the campaign, we’re hopeful that our continued advocacy on behalf of low-income families and individuals will be heard when deficit and debt reduction talks get underway later this month.
Nuns on the Bus Tour Ohio, Rochester, Virginia
Mercy Sister Gratia L’Esperance , above, was an organizer for Nuns on the Bus in Rochester, N.Y., one of the local and state-wide events that have spun off of the multi-day, 9-state Nuns on the Bus over the summer. The Sisters of Mercy also have participated in Nuns on the Bus events over the past few weeks in Ohio and Virginia. On each tour, women religious speak out against proposed cuts to government programs that serve persons who are poor and vulnerable, as well as highlight some of their ministries in areas in which they stop. You may read more here.
Sister Betty Campbell Awarded for Human Rights Work
Mercy Sister Betty Campbell, originally of Chicago and now living in El Paso, Texas, shared with Father Peter Hinde, O. Carm., the Albert Armendariz Sr. Lifetime Achievement Human Rights Award from Paso del Norte Civil Rights Project. They were honored for their "longtime commitment to the struggle for human rights throughout Latin America." Paso del Norte Civil Rights Project (PCRP), located in El Paso, promotes racial, social and economic justice through education and litigation.
Mercy Investment Services Addresses Food Issues Mercy Investment Services (MIS) increasingly has been trying to improve global access to food through its engagement with the companies in which it invests. Earlier this fall, its board of directors agreed to avoid investing in food commodities, since such speculative investing is impacting the availability and affordability of food around the world. MIS continues to invest in food companies – both producers and manufacturers – in order to be part of conversations with those companies about improving access to nutritious food. Mercy has also used its ownership in Archers Daniel Midland to discuss the company’s involvement in food commodity speculation. Food commodity speculation, especially when it becomes a means for banks and other institutions to make profits rather than being part of the food production process, has been blamed for food pricing instability around the world. ____________________________________________________________________________
RACISM
Rally Pokes Fun at White Supremacists Sister Rose Marie Tresp, a member of the Sisters of Mercy’s Anti-Racism Transformation Team, promoted “bike power” at a protest near a rally held by the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis in downtown Charlotte, NC. Protesters refused to take the white supremacists seriously, and they dressed as clowns and carried signs with slogans such as “White Power? Do you mean white flour?” ____________________________________________________________________________
WOMEN Argentinian Sisters Sponsor TV spot on Trafficking Sisters Deborah Watson and Estela Ruth Gomez and their colleagues prepared a television spot to commemorate the International Day Against the Trafficking of Persons. The spot was made in Spanish and Guaraní and can be seen on YouTube. In addition, the women and the youth group, with their ’band called “murga”—a form of street music with social and /or protest themes-- joined a march against the trafficking of persons in the plaza of the northern town of Clorinda.
Sister Exposes Human Trafficking Case Ana Marie Siufi, a justice coordinator for the Caribbean and Central and South America Community, has written a reflection about her experience with a case of human trafficking in Argentina in English and Spanish.
Expanded Domestic Violence Protections Advocated In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, 56 Mercy advocates contacted their Representatives and Senators to urge them to support reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) with protections for all victims. The bill that passed the Senate earlier this year included improvements to services for immigrants, Native Americans, and persons who are lesbian, gay, bi-sexual or transgender. But the House of Representatives passed a version of the bill that excludes these populations from protections. Mercy advocates now are calling for Congress to pass an inclusive law.
Issue of Stop Human Trafficking newsletter available The October issue of Stop Trafficking, a ministry that the Sisters of Mercy supports, highlights examples of successful collaborations advocating for laws to stop human trafficking and to provide services for victims. The November issue depicts concerns about human trafficking along the Canada-U.S. and Mexico-U.S. borders.
Sister Shows how Healthcare Reform Benefits Women Mercy Sister Mary Fanning of Notre Dame of Maryland University has written a paper on how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is important for women. She includes some fascinating history of women’s health movements, and addresses how the ACA helps women overcome barriers to getting healthcare coverage. ___________________________________________________________________________
CRITICAL CONCERNS ENGAGEMENT Mount Mercy University Hosts Justice Staff
Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, hosted Karen Donahue, a justice coordinator from the West Midwest Community, and Marianne Comfort of the Institute Justice Team during Mercy and Mission Week the end of September. Over 4 ½ days they taught a total of 18 classes, on subjects that included the influence of money in elections, healthcare reform, the federal budget as a moral document, and the conflict in the Holy Land. If you would like a speaker at your college, university or high school – either in person or via Skype or other technology – contact Marianne Comfort at mcomfort@sistersofmercy.org
High Schools Share Ideas for Justice Education More than 100 administrators and faculty from Mercy-sponsored high schools exchanged ideas for justice education at the annual Mercy Secondary Education Conference in early October. Marianne Comfort of the Institute Justice Team shared ways in which schools can join in advocacy on issues related to the Critical Concerns; Greg Callaghan of the Dead Man Walking School Theater Project illustrated the impact of presenting Helen Prejean’s story with and for high school students; and Sister Dale Jarvis spoke about the importance of immersion experiences. Informally, faculty and administrators talked about many inspiring projects, including students raising money for schools in other parts of the world, students giving young immigrants ways of sharing their stories and students advocating for legislation to reform schools on Native American reservations.
Mercy Participates Fully in 2012 Elections Sisters, Associates, co-workers and students educated ourselves and the general public about the issues involved in the 2012 elections through justice resources developed and posted on the Institute website and through written papers and talks and Nuns on the Bus tours. You may read more here.
Mercy Taking Action Begins Piloting Resources Mercy Taking Action, an initiative being developed to continue the transformation process of the Awakening the Dreamer workshops, is piloting its first two resources. The Northeast
Community’s Ecology Advisory Committee experienced a draft of the “Cost of Convenience,” a short educational module that invites participants to consider the impact of the disposable society so prevalent in the U.S. and to find alternatives for ourselves, our communities, our workplaces and our places of worship. Mercy Center Burlingame, meanwhile, piloted a Mercy Taking Action small-group process for delving deeper into the themes of environmental sustainability and social justice, for celebrating actions taken in response to Awakening the Dreamer, and for identifying possibilities for institutional guidelines and policies. These two resources are the first of many envisioned for Mercy Taking Action. Sisters, Associates and staff at Mercy institutions are invited to help pilot these two resources and to suggest topics for future resources. Please contact Marianne Comfort at mcomfort@sistersofmercy.org or 301-587-0423 ext. 2243.
ANNOUNCEMENTS Institute Justice Team Seeks Organizer The Sisters of Mercy are very grateful to Reg McKillip, OP, for the 3 1/2 years that she has ministered as part of the Institute Justice Team and supported the work of the Institute Antiracism Transformation Team. Reg has persistently advocated for legislation that relates to the Sisters of Mercy’s commitment to persons who are poor and to the Critical Concerns of Earth, Immigration, Non-violence, Racism and Women. She was part of the successful effort to pass the Affordable Care Act, and she has worked with D.C.-based coalitions to advocate for just and humane immigration reform and for federal budgets that preserve supports for low-income families and individuals. “I’ve appreciated being part of Mercy,” she said in announcing her resignation in order to take a position with one of her Dominican Sisters at a school in Minnesota. The Institute Justice Team is now seeking someone to fill the organizer position. For more details, see the announcement on the Institute website. Please encourage anyone you know who has the skills and experience to consider applying.
__________________________________________________________________ Updated Mercy Advocacy Information Available You can find the most up-to-date advocacy campaigns and links to current issues Mercy is addressing here. ____________________________________________________________________________
Please Tell us How You are Addressing the Critical Concerns We welcome all news items and photos for the every-other-month Justice Highlights. Please send them to mcomfort@sistersofmercy.org.