A Call to Action By Debbie Weber, OPJCC director
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he Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati is one of 14 congregations of women religious that is a member of the Sisters of Charity Federation of North America. The Federation reflects the original values of Saints Vincent de Paul, Louise de Marillac and Elizabeth Ann Seton. To be more effective advocates on peace and justice issues, the Federation gained recognition as a NonGovernmental Organization (NGO) at the United Nations (UN) in 1997. Our S. Caroljean Willie served eight years as the Federation NGO representative at the UN. Currently, S. Teresa Kotturan, Sister of Charity of Nazareth, represents the Federation NGO. Each Federation congregation has a liaison to S. Teresa to help keep congregational Sisters and Associates updated on the work of the UN. Debbie Weber of the Office of Peace, Justice and Care for Creation is the Cincinnati liaison to S. Teresa. One aspect of S. Teresa’s work involves the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals that are a call-toaction for people worldwide to address five critical areas of importance by 2030: people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership. Debbie works to integrate the SDGs with our Catholic Social Teachings, offering advocacy and action opportunities for our SC family. She also works with our Communications Office to get UN news from S. Teresa out to our Sisters and Associates as well as highlighting important UN days of observance that reflect the SC mission and charism. The SDGs provide a critical framework for COVID-19 recovery. They are vital for a recovery that leads to greener, more inclusive economies, and stronger, more resilient societies. They may be our best hope – for people, Earth, prosperity, peace, and partnerships.
The SDGs are as follows: Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere. Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all. Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation. Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries. Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development. Goal 15: Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss. Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels. Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. Sources: Sisters of Charity Federation of North America United Nations
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