Comboni JPIC Network News: July 2016

July 2016
Comboni JPIC Network Newsletter
Justice & peace-related news, actions and
resources from the Comboni Missionaries, North
American Province.
Selected Global Topics
Terror in Orlando: The U.S. "Gun Culture" Debate Reignites. On June
12, no one at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida expected to be in a lurid blood
bath near closing time, instigated by a demented shooter and purported hater of the
LGBTQ community. A U.S. citizen of Afghan ancestry, he also told 911 that he was
outraged at the United States' war in Syria and Iraq, and pledged allegiance to the
leader of ISIS. There is no indication, however, that this was part of a plot directed from
outside the United States. His despicable act resulted in 49 deaths and 53 injuries, and
his own demise at the hands of police. Statistics show that 87 people/day die in
America from gun violence, and there are 88 guns per 100 people in the
U.S.. Watch the informative clip, How the U.S. Compares to the Rest of the World
on Gun Laws, here.
President Obama spoke about this
"15th major shooting of his presidency,"
and the "culture of violence," saying
that one of the biggest challenges is
this twisted kind of "propaganda and
perversions of Islam that you see
generated on the internet" that plant
ideas in susceptible minds. Add to this
the same old, same old; how easy it is
for the mentally ill to purchase or obtain
arms, especially the deadly assault
weapon. Many citizens are left
wondering why, if you are on a no-fly
list, that wouldn't extend to the purchase of various weapons. There are still critical
loopholes in the homeland security system. Read Orlando Shootings: Faith in the
Face of Civic Trauma, here. Read how Pope Francis lashed out about the ease of
access to arms, here. Refer to the "Take Action" section.
The renewed debate over gun violence comes
during the presidential election season which
only adds fuel to the fire. Democratic members
of the House of Representatives staged a sit-in
prior to the 4th of July vacation, demanding
action on the gun control issues. Read No Bill,
No Break, here.
A look further back in American history shows
that Native American people were the victims of
the worse mass shootings on record: 1863:
Bear River, Idaho, the site of a dawn massacre
of 250 Shoshone women, men, and children, a
collective punishment for resisting. 1864: Sand
Creek. Cheyenne and Arapaho. 28 men and
109 women and children. 1890: Wounded
Knee, 150 Lakota women, men and children, and 51 wounded, some of whom died
later. Learn more here.
Additional Resources:

When will the U.S. Learn from Australia? Stricter Gun Control Laws Save
Lives, here;

This is the Gun that Committed the Deadliest Shooting in American
History, here;

Physicians Demand End to 20-Year-Old Ban on Gun Violence
Research, here;

Controversial Billboard about Guns and Mental Illness, here.
The Environment: Latin
America's Battleground for
Human Rights, the title of a
recent Inter Press Service (IPS)
article by Tharanga Yakupltiyage,
shines the spotlight on the fact that
in 2015, 185 people were killed
defending the environment across
16 countries, up 59% from 2014, as
according to a Global Witness
report. Latin America is one of the
most dangerous regions for
activists, where over 50% of the
2015 killings occurred with the
One deadly conflict was between the advocates
highest number (50) in Brazil. The
and ranchers over virgin forestland near Nova
increased attacks can be attributed
Ipixuna, Brazil. (Ivan Kashinsky)
mainly to the high demand for
natural resources "that has sparked conflicts between the residents in these remote,
resource-rich areas and industries such as mining, logging and agribusiness." Read
the article. Download a press release and Global Witness's report, On Dangerous
Ground, here.
The Comboni Missionaries and
Comboni Sisters are present in places
where activists are being arrested on
false charges, or even killed, in Brazil,
Peru and Ecuador, to name a few. In
Brazil, Fr. Dario Bossi has been a
leading activist for years now,
opposing, with the people, the pollution
caused by the Vale Company, an
extremely powerful international mining
company. He is deeply involved in the
protection of a section of Maranhão
which is adversely impacted by the
Carajás Railroad. Together with other institutions, the Comboni Missionaries have
formed the Justice on the Rails network. Get more backgrounding.
Additional Resources:

Why do Environmentalists Keep Getting Killed Around the World?
(Smithsonian Magazine, 2014), here;

185 Killings Made 2015 Deadliest Year Ever for Environmentalists:
Report, here;

For Latin American environmentalists, death is a constant companion
(The Washington Post) highlights the story of Honduran activist, Berta
Cáceres Flores, who was murdered in March, here.
To the Mexican
Congress: What are you
doing to find your 27,000+
Missing People? The Congress of
Mexico is dragging its feet while its
people keep disappearing. 10
people/day were reported missing in
the first four months of 2016 alone, and
this has been building since 2006. Over
49% of the reported 27,000+ missing
occurred during President Enrique
Pena Nieto's administration, and
unfortunately the actual number of
disappearances is projected much higher.
The Washington Office on Latin America commented that, to date, "Mexico lacks an
appropriate legal framework for investigating disappearances. Their states and federal
government have legal instruments to investigate cases, but have been ineffective at
searching for and finding the disappeared, and at bringing justice and reparations to the
victims. Learn more. Read about the "knowns and unknowns" surrounding the
disappearance of 43 students, all training as teachers, in south-western Guerrero state
(September 26, 2014), here, and The Case of Mexico's 43 Disappeared Students: The
Group of Experts Report, here.
Electronic Waste: Informal
Economy Supports 1,000s in
Ghana Slum: Melanie Lidman
reports for Global Sisters Report on
Ghana's infamous slum known as
"Sodom and Gomorrah," (Old Fadama)
near Accra, with its 100,000 residents
and no schools. It overflows with
refugees from the northern part of the
country. They can afford a squirt of
toothpaste but not the whole tube. The government does not support the slum in the
least, refusing to build schools, or barely any permanent infrastructure. It considers Old
Fadama an illegal slum where the residents have no rights to build and have been
threatened by the government with eviction and some actual bulldozing last July.
However, the slum has become famous for the "Agbogbloshie" electronic waste dump
as social media sends its photos around the globe. Men and boys spend their days
breaking apart the world's e-waste by hand and burning the parts down to salvageable
metals. This has given the slums a "raison d'etre," as its people "transform a pile of
electronic waste into a lively market supporting thousands of people."
It is not without risk to the health and well-being of the salvagers, however. The
Greenpeace study found that samples from the ground in the Agbogbloshie contained
toxic metals, including lead, in quantities as much as 100 times above other areas of
Accra. Phthalates and chlorinated dioxins are also present which are very harmful.
Without any medical clinics in the slums, treatment for the children's skin diseases and
asthma in the slum is not provided. "When you wipe the sweat off your body, it comes
off black," relates Fr. Subhash Chittilappilly, an Indian Missionary of Charity priest and
church employee in charge of the informal City of God school there. Read the
Greenpeace study, here. Watch the short video clip about this "e-waste
market," here, and read more, here.
Violence in Wau (South Sudan): 10,000+ Engulf UNMISS
Compound.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) military forces is assisting the
10,000+ displaced civilians who fled the violence in Wau town during the weekend of
June 25-26. The fighting erupted there between unknown gunmen and the South
Sudanese army (SPLA); UNMISS is currently trying to negotiate with the government to
be able to protect the civilians still in the town. The conditions remain unbearable; the
soldiers are angry because they continue to go unpaid. At least some of the
humanitarian partners have been able to provide basic assistance. Learn more.
Read Wau victims demand international probe into incident, here. Read Over 40
peopled killed in South Sudan's town of Wau, here. Read Apostolic Administrator
Rocco Taban's brave words of condemnation, here.
Additional Resources:

South Sudan: IOM Wau Situation Report 1 (ReliefWeb, June 24,
2016), here;

Gender Under Bombardment: Gender Disparities in SPLM/A-North
Controlled Areas of Nuba Mountains, Southern Kordofan, from The Sudan
Consortium, amplifies the voices of Nuba men and women while examining the
gender specific realities of life amidst conflict. Read the report, here.

A War Within: Perceptions of Truth, Justice, Reconciliation and Healing
in Malakal POC by David K. Deng, Matthew F. Pritchard and Manasi Sharma.
This interesting analysis points out the difference between the Dinka and the
Nuer and the Shilluki. The Dinka having had a favored position in the current
struggle. Read the report, here;

Malakal: The City that Vanished in South Sudan (BBC, October
2015), here.
Will Rio's Many Problems
Impede the Olympics? As
Opening Night (August 5) for the
Summer Olympics draws closer in Rio
de Janeiro, the motto "viva sua
paixão" (live your passion) may excite
the crowds, but will carry huge irony.
As is the case with other large profile
global events, human beings will be
bought and sold during this time, as an
influx of traffickers infiltrate the city. It
will be impossible to halt all the violent crimes or hide the overwhelming poverty that
plagues Rio, as well as the city's reputation of police brutality. The rise in gun violence,
leading up to the Olympics, has already been spilling out from the favelas, the slums
where drug syndicates reign. Observers predict these groups will use the Olympics as
a chance to gain ground against Brazilian authorities.
What's more, there is the Zika virus threat there (though a smaller risk in the "winter
season") and President Dilma Rousseff's possible impeachment, which are making
people question whether the games should be moved. There is a greater danger,
however, of water-borne diseases because of the grossly polluted waters of Rio where
events will take place. Read The Dark Side of Brazil's Olympic Dreams: The 2016
Olympic Host Battles Poverty, Violent Crime, and Police Brutality, here. Note: After the
Rio government declared a state of financial emergency recently, the government has
announced it will give $850 million to help meet the deadlines for the new infrastructure
of the Olympics, and also pay for security. Read more.
Additional Resources:
(1) Olympic Games Website, here;
(2) Drop in Zika cases and Dry Winter Months Point to
almost Virus-free Games, Organizers and Health
Officials Say, here;
(3) Will the Olympics Go On: Three Major Concerns in
Rio Addressed, here;
(4) Brazil Besieged by Problems that Threaten
Olympic Games, here;
(5) Olympic Games: Is Rio Ready? here;
(6) Brazil's Olympics Overshadowed by Sex Exploitation, here.
Eye on Election 2016. Democracy can only
work if we all do our part. Please become an
informed voter and vote your conscience. For
candidate statements and positions, visit 2016
Presidential Election: The Candidates and Where
they Stand on the Issues, here.
Download Faith, Values and the 2016 Election:
Toward A Politics of the Golden Rule: Reflection
Guide and Resources, here.
The Civilize It: Dignity Beyond the
Debate campaign promotes civility, clarity and compassion this "Election
Season." Join the movement and take the pledge, here.
Additional Resources:

Survey finds gloomy electorate, divided and worried (National Catholic
Reporter), here

A Revolution of Tenderness: A 2016 Election Pope Francis Voter
Guide, here;

U.S. Elections 2016 (The Guardian), here; and (New York Times), here;

Trump vs. Clinton, Beyond the Cage Match (Wall Street Journal), here.
Disclaimer! Any information about political candidates presented on the referenced
websites in this section was compiled by several organizations that seem to be reliable.
The links are offered as a public service and we do not take responsibility for the
accuracy of the contents or necessarily agree with any assessments given whether
explicit or implied.
Focus On: The Global Goals for Sustainable
Development (2015-2030)
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)
#9: Industry, Innovation and
Infrastructure. Investments in infrastructure such as
transport, irrigation, energy and information and
communication technology are crucial to achieving
sustainable development and empowering communities in
many countries. Learn more here, and from "the
sustainable development knowledge platform," here.
Goal #9 is one of 17 Global Goals that make up the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development. An integrated
approach and shared vision are crucial for progress
across the multiple, ambitious goals. Read all the Goal 9
targets, here. Its sub-heading is "to build a resilient
infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and
foster innovation."
Keep abreast of the
High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development that
will take place at the United Nations (July 11-20, 2016)
following the work done on all the strategies since last
September.
Click here.
To learn more, read Sustainable Development Goals for
Whom?, here, and SDGs, an Instrument to Tackle Corporate
Power, here. Request Sustainable Development
Goals: a critical point of view, available as a PowerPoint in English and
French from Africa Europe Faith & Justice Network (AEFJN), from
combonipn@combonimissionaries.org.
Join Global Goals' Facebook page, here; download the Global Goals app, here; and
the SDG Guide for Stakeholders, here.
Take Action
(1) Ban Assault Weapons Now. Orlando. Sandy
Hook. Aurora. San Bernardino. These horrific
shootings have the "military style assault weapons, or
other powerful rapid fire weapons with large ammunition
clips, whether semi-automatic or fully automatic." in
common. The killers used them to murder at least 50
people in Orlando, 26 people in Sandy Hook, 12 people
in Aurora, and 14 people in San Bernardino. Sign the
petition to take action.
Urge Congress to do its job, and Pass Gun Violence
Prevention Legislation. A July 4th Recess Letter Drop
is in the works. To get started, read the Advocacy
Toolkit, here.
Keep calling on Congress to "Keep Our Communities Safe," (Americans for
Responsible Solutions), here.
(2) Declare an immediate moratorium on deportations. In 2014, President Obama
took executive action to protect the nearly 5 million children, young adults, and their
parents who continue to live under the constant fear of deportation. On June 23, the
Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) failed immigrant families. leaving the
legal questions about the president's immigration authority unanswered. The Court was
split 4 to 4 and that permitted a lower court ruling to stand. The fight therefore
continues to keep families together. Read Supreme Court's Split Decision on DAPA,
Extended DACA Lawsuit Fails to Protect Millions of Undocumented Parents,
Youth, here.
Tell President Obama: Stop Deportations Now. Text "LISTEN" to 69866 to
participate in a National Community Call on July 6 at 8 pm ET.
U.N. News and Other Events
Learn about U.N. Observance Days in July, here. Watch U.N. Web-TV, here. Get
daily press releases, here. You can subscribe to the U.N. Journal and other U.N.
documents, here.
International Year of Pulses 2016: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations (FAO) is helping to implement this "year," with the goal "of
heightening public awareness about the nutritional benefits of pulses as part of
sustainable food production aimed towards food security and nutrition." Pulses are
annual leguminous crops yielding between one and 12 grains or seeds of variable size,
shape and color within a pod, used for both food and feed. Find out more.

July 2, 2016: International Day of Cooperatives: Co-operatives: The power
to act for a sustainable future is the first Saturday of July dedicated to
increasing awareness about the cooperative business model and promoting
the movement's successes and ideals of international solidarity, economic
efficiency, equality, and world peace. Check out the International Co-operative
Alliance website for information about the international summit in Quebec,
here. Click for U.N. page; In Spanish; In French.

July 11, 2016: World Population
Day is a day to focus attention on the
urgency and importance of population
issues. It seeks to raise awareness of
global population issues with hunger,
disease, warfare, welfare and human
rights as key themes. Click here for
U.N. page; In Spanish; In French.

July 15, 2016: World Youth Skills
Day is the day to recognize that achieving better socio-economic conditions for
today's youth is a means of addressing the challenges of unemployment and
under employment. Skills rule the world! Download the poster, here. Click for
the U.N. page; In Spanish; In French.

July 18, 2016: Nelson Mandela
International Day asks that we join the call
put out by the Nelson Mandela Foundation
to devote 67 minutes of time to helping
others, as a way to mark this great man's
life. For 67 years, Nelson Mandela devoted
his life to the service of humanity as a
human rights lawyer, a prisoner of
conscience, an international peacemaker
and the first democratically elected
president of a free South Africa. Click here
for the U.N. page; in Spanish; In French.

July 30, 2016: World Day against Trafficking in
Persons. With regard to this day, U.N. SecretaryGeneral Moon said: "Every country must join
together to overcome this transnational threat by
supporting and protecting victims while pursuing
and prosecuting the criminals. On the World Day
Against Trafficking in Persons, let us resolve to act
as one in the name of justice and dignity for all." Click here for the U.N.
day; In Spanish; In French.

August 5-21, 2016: Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Learn
more, here, and here. (See related article above.)

August 9-14, 2016: World Social Forum 2016: Another World is Needed.
Together it is Possible coming to Montreal, Quebec, Canada will gather
10,000s of people from groups in civil society, organizations and social
movements who want to build "a sustainable and inclusive world, where every
person and every people has its place and can make its voice heard." The
Comboni Missionaries and the Comboni Missionary Sisters are sending an
international team of 17 persons and has registered six workshops to present
with other members of the Comboni Network. For more information, click
here. For the 13 sub-themes and their descriptions, go here.
Pope Francis opened the global Jubilee Year, the Holy Year of Mercy on December
8 to run through November 20, 2016. Be mindful of the "spiritual works" as well as the
corporal. Learn more, here. Read America's article, here.
Resources

Custody + Creation, a visually moving
documentary by NET TV, follows up on Pope
Francis's call for all of us to take up our role as
caretakers or "Guardians of Creation." The video
follows scientists, theologians, and the passionate
people behind local causes, as they present viable
solutions for taking on the issues of pollution,
energy, and what Pope Francis has described as a
"disposable culture." There is a moral obligation to take care of the
environment for all people. Watch it here.

Frackopoly: The Battle for the Future of Energy and
the Environment, by Wenonah Hauter, a leading public
interest advocate and the author of Foodopoly,
critiques fracking, including an anatomy of the industry
and how we can stop its dangerous, widespread
practices. It examines "the powerful interests that have
supported fracking, including leading environmental
groups, and offers a thorough debunking of its supposed
economic benefits." The book shares a wealth of new
data and will be of great interest to those seeking
to protect the environment and ensure a healthy and
sustainable future for all Americans. Also available as an
e-book. Learn more, here.

Global Ties U.S.: What is New Diplomacy? is an interesting panel discussion
of three experts, moderated by Akram Elias, a member of the Global Ties U.S.
Advisory Council, featured as part of the Global Ties U.S. 2015 National
Meeting. It explores the need for a "new public diplomacy" in today's high-tech
world, led by the U.S., and what taking "foreign policy outdoors" will require. It
is key to identify the networks of citizens within NGOs, the impact of different
types of exchange programs, and to also understand the overall limitations. It is
the fostering of ongoing conversations, crowdsourcing of solutions, and
investing in frontline activities with talented people, our greatest
resource. Watch this YouTube, and also a video about Global Ties
U.S., here.
Listen to Dr. Oscar Arias, former president of Costa Rica and Nobel Peace
Prize Laureate, who was a keynote speaker, here. Visit the Global Ties
U.S. website.

The Swedish Arms Trade and Risk Assessments: Does a Feminist
Foreign Policy Make a Difference?, a publication by Rebecca Gerome and
Reaching Critical Will of the Women's International League for Peace and
Freedom, is based on a case study associated with this group's report on
"preventing gender-based violence through arms control." The paper reflects
on Sweden's arms trade in light of its "feminist foreign policy" goal and the
2013 Arms Trade Treaty's legally-binding provision on preventing genderbased violence. Read it here.

The Trade Update 2016: Transfers and Transparency, from Small Arms
Survey, features the latest figures on the world's main exporters and importers
of small arms and light weapons, highlights significant recent changes in the
trade, and presents the Small Arms Trade Transparency Barometer 2016. This
scores key exporters from the most to the least transparent. Download it here.

A Guide to the U.N. Small Arms Process:
2016, by Sarah Parker with Marcus Wilson, aims to
inform policy-makers who are new to small arms on the
international agenda. While it's not meant to serve as a
policy tool or as an exhaustive review of the small arms
process, this concise manual includes: definitions and
terminology; a brief history of the small arms
process; summaries of key issues, instruments, and
measures; and an overview of the roles of various
institutions. Download it here. Also, read the Small
Arms Conference Report and outcomes from the
June meeting at the U.N., here.

War is a Lie, an updated and expanded handbook by David Swanson has
been called "a terrific tool for recognizing and resisting war lies before it's too
late." It is a thorough "refutation of every major argument used to justify wars,"
drawing on evidence from numerous past wars, with a focus on those that have
been most widely defended as just and good. This book outlines lessons from
America's most recent wars, what can be done to end war-making, and an
epilogue that analyzes new trends in war lying and in resistance to it. Read
more, and order here.
JPIC Combonline
"Like" the Comboni Missionaries North American
Province's Facebook page, here; and the Comboni Missionary Sisters USA's
Facebook page, here.
To learn more, watch the video, Celebrating St. Daniel Comboni, here, and also
download the digital book, A Man for Africa, here.
JPIC Worldwide
(1) Congratulations to Fr. Alex
Zanotelli, mccj who received
the "Trentino of the Year 2016" award
on June 18 at the Buonconsiglio Castle
in Trento, Italy. This recognition was
given to him for his lifetime of peace
and justice work by the cultural group
and the historical magazine, Uomo
Città Territorio. Fr. Alex has fought
alongside those with the least, defended the weakest, helped the immigrants and
migrants, and advocated for water justice and creation. During his acceptance speech,
Fr. Alex dedicated the prestigious award to the water committees and opponents of the
Tav, the high-speed train in the Brennero region.
Learn more.
(2) Comboni Missionary Sister Gabriella Bottani is the coordinator of Talitha Kum,
the International Union of Superior Generals (UISG)'s anti-trafficking effort based in
Rome. It is an international network of consecrated men and women in 70 countries
that facilitates collaboration and the exchange of information. Request the latest
newsletter, ARISE, from coordinator@talithakum.info. Learn more, here.
North American Province:
The JPIC Office has supported and/or signed on to the following this month, to name a
few:

An Alternative or "Shadow" Report" prepared by ECPAT-USA and other
organizations that work together to end child prostitution, child pornography,
and the trafficking of children for sexual purposes. On June 30, this report was
sent to the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child as part of the review of
the U.S. on its compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the
Child. Note: The U.S. did not sign the Convention, but did sign on to the
Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of
Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography;

Email to Bob Menendez, U.S. Senator from New Jersey, in support of the
Green Climate Fund;

Letter to Toledo, Ohio Judge against the death penalty on behalf of the appeal
of inmate Gregory Esparza.
The 11th Annual Mission-Walk in Honor of Fr. Bill Jansen, mccj. On June 18, the
annual Mission Walk, that raises funds for the Daniel Comboni Clinic serving Mixco,
Guatemala and surrounding areas, took place in Winton Woods Park, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Fr. Bill, the founder of the clinic, died March 7; he would have celebrated 50 years as a
Comboni priest in May. Fr. Louie Gasparini, mccj (pictured), in the same class as Fr.
Bill, gave the opening prayer after a brief video about the clinic and his friend. After
that, the enthusiastic group walked the two-mile loop around the lake and returned to
the starting gate for fellowship and refreshments. Cindy Browne participated and highly
recommends it to everyone next year!
1318 Nagel Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45255 · phone 513.474.4997; fax 513.474.0382
www.combonimissionaries.org - combonipn@combonimissionaries.org
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