Congregation of the Mission and Daughters of Charity

Climate change is acknowledged by most scientists as bringing negative consequences to agriculture as weather and rain patterns are altered.   The impact on food production is particularly being borne by persons living in poverty.

The Daughters of Charity, at the recent Commission on Social Development, with its focus on Poverty Eradication, joined with eleven other NGOs in urging Member States to bring swift  and effective attention and action, specific to their countries, to adapt to the changes in agricultural production of lessened crop yield which leads to higher prices and an increase in food insecurity.

Other intersecting issues  resuling from climate change such as migration, gender and industrial agriculture's impacts are also addressed as exacerbating poverty. 

The written intervention, “Climate change, agriculture and poverty eradication” can be read in full  in French, Spanish and English. Click on "NGO Statements"
http://social.un.org/index/CommissionforSocialDevelopment/Sessions/2012.aspx

Agriculture focus in French, Spanish, English and Portugese
http://blogs.worldwatch.org/nourishingtheplanet/

 

“Adolescent girls are critical agents of change in poverty eradication.  Empowering adolescent girls, especially girls in rural areas, spurs social and economic growth and leads to transformational change….”  These are the opening sentences of the written intervention submitted, along with the School Sisters of Notre Dame, at the recent meeting of the UN Commission for Social Development.

In the ensuing paragraphs, issues that challenge girls in large parts of the world today are described such as legal identity, discriminatory social practices, early and forced marriage, and  barriers to education.

Recommendations are offered to Member States to make changes that will address these issues and give girls the opportunities that will benefit themselves, their families and society, including breaking the cycle of poverty.  Among those recommendations are:

***Establish and enforce birth registration laws needed for legal identity for all citizens;
***Mandate and establish guidelines for the legal age for marriage;
***Address social and cultural practices that support violence and discrimination;
***Ensure that all girls have access to quality education-primary, secondary and vocational;
***Provide incentives for parents to keep girls in school such as payment of fees, cash transfers, school feeding and sanitation programs.

The full intervention in English, Spanish and French can be found when you click on "NGO Statements" at:
http://social.un.org/index/CommissionforSocialDevelopment/Sessions/2012.aspx

In your experience, what are the main barriers to social integration?

+Not valuing of human life and the real well-being of persons.
+Family ruptures and breakdowns.
+A poverty that takes root in persons, leading them to waste their own possibilities and real personal resources because they do not know how to use them.
+Political models and social actions designed without the participation of the recipients, who best know their own needs.
+Breakdowns in families and in persons which can impact them negatively in the different aspects of their lives as in education, work, etc.
+Unchristian attitudes of social rejection, even originating in the Church, in institutions and other groups, towards those living in poverty.

What can governments and international institutions do to encourage social integration and an inclusive “society for all.”  What kind of policies are needed?

**Promote the value of respect for human life, of all  peoples and cultures, based on the conviction that an authentic people is one that knows how to respect and care for the most defenseless and fragile life.
**Promote the recovery of a simplicity of life which strengthens family and neighborhood ties.
**The most disadvantaged social groups experience economic development policies that take them into account.
**Investment in educational and social programs with personalized attention to groups experiencing personal and social breakdown, thus avoiding ghettos of any social class.
**Policies of social integration without countries exploiting one another but working towards greater well-being such as in the phenomenon of emigration, the consequences of deforestation, development of food banks originating from excesses.
**Trade and aid projects to the poorest countries should not impede their use of their own resources  for their own development.

Examples of good practices and programs that encourage social integration

~~In the School System, the project of attention to diversity by the entire Province, makes our Centers genuinely, welcoming the contribution of everyone who makes up the educational communities.
~~Social Integration Plans which coordinate actions for housing, food, formation, work, transportation, administrative support, leisure, without excluding anyone.
~~Project of Collaboration with other concerned groups in a residential welcome center for minors at social risk (abandoned, abused, mistreated, broken families, unaccompanied minors). Networking with Social Services for the integration of the minor into his/her family and of the family into their environment or, when this is not possible, with alternative, non-biological families.
~~Projects of collaboration with private institutions, developing programs of welcome to those of the ‘third age’, with scarce resources and without stable family support.

“My name is Joseph, I have 8 children and in two hours I made it here with my bicycle”. These are the words of a patient who just arrived at the DREAM Center in Masanga (Mara Region), in northern Tanzania, bordering Kenya.

In fact, in late February, the permits from the regional authorities arrived, authorizing the beginning of clinical activities.

The new DREAM center is located next to the Dispensary of the Daughters of Charity, the only health center post within the surrounding area, where 350 medical visits per month are carried out.   A little further on there is a school (Primary School), which houses 200 children, and finally a Church. It is the picture of an area where men and women can come, be welcomed and cared for.

Mara Region is a rural area - Tarime, the nearest town, is a three-hour drive away. Small villages characterize the rest of the territory, so far without light or water.   The population is generally very poor, living on small-scale agriculture and a few grazing animals, and the basis of their feeding is Cassava.

Joseph carefully puts his “tag-date” in his wallet…and sets an appointment in two days for his visit with the doctor.   He says goodbye with a smile and, before it gets dark, he is back on the saddle of his bike.
More

This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.

In 1988, the World Health Organization declared December 1st as World AIDS Day.  United Nations agencies, governments and all sectors of civil society mark the occasion by spreading awareness about the pandemic and campaigning around specific themes related to HIV/AIDS.  From 2011-2015, World AIDS Day will have the theme: “Getting to Zero: Zero new HIV infections, Zero discrimination, Zero AIDS related deaths.”

This year in June, the United Nations General Assembly’s High-Level Meeting on AIDS adopted bold targets for 2015: reduce the sexual transmission of HIV by half, eliminate new infections in children, provide treatment for 15 million people living with HIV, end stigma and discrimination, and close the AIDS funding gap.

Ban Ki-Moon, in his message for World AIDS Day, cites the progress that has been made in the last 30 years as proof that the vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths can be achieved.
More

This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.

African women who bear the brunt of the continent’s conflicts now demand to play a defining role in peacekeeping.

A resolution to foster women’s political participation in the domain of peacekeeping and conflict management was accepted on Friday at the 2011 Women’s Platform for Action in Africa (WPAA).

Under the auspices of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), the WPAA meeting emphasised the urgent need for better female representation at national levels, where women can actively take part in decisions to prevent war and mediate conflict.

The two-day conference in Midrand from Sep. 29 to Sep. 30 came ahead of the second session of the Pan-African Parliament in October.

Gender-based sexual violence, which has become a characteristic of armed conflict, is closely linked to gender relations within the culture, said Francoise Labelle of Mauritius who is second vice-president of PAP.

"It is only if women can play a full and equal part in the mediation processes that we will be able to build a foundation of peace," Labelle said.

This year marks the 11th year of United Nations’ resolution 1325, which addresses women’s rights in war conflict, peace negotiation and reconstruction processes.

It also urges increased representation of women at all decision-making levels in conflict resolution and peace processes.

However, there has never been a female U.N. chief peace negotiator and women constitute less than eight percent of negotiating delegations in peace processes mediated by the U.N., while less than three percent are peace agreement signatories.

Women and young girls remain disproportionately affected during and after conflict.

"It is more dangerous to be a woman than a soldier during conflict," said President of the PAP Women's Caucus Mavis Matladi of South Africa.
More

By Sr. Marian Harte, DC

This year’s Conference held in Bonn, Germany with its theme of “Sustainable Societies/Responsive Citizens" attracted many NGOs, all interested in sustainable development with a lot of attention given to volunteers as it was the 10th Anniversary of Volunteerism.

There were many events held over the 3-days from NGO Workshops, Round Table Discussions as well as many youth events, exhibitions, interactive dialogue and net-working. Representatives from Media and Academia were very much part of this Conference.

It gave participants an opportunity to engage in sharing their experiences and articulate perspectives on how to enhance their activities in the promotion of sustainable societies.

I felt privileged to engage in this conference and have learned so much about connecting the “DOTS” between protecting the planet and giving people a chance of a better life.
Read More