The July, 2010 issue of Action for Girls the newsletter of the Working Group on Girls and its International Network for Girls is now available.

WGG Prepares Fact Sheet on Girls and MDGs – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on world leaders to attend the Millennium Development Goals Summit on 20-22 September 2010 in New York City to accelerate progress toward the achievement of the MDGs by 2015. To prepare for the Summit in September, on 14-15 June the General Assembly held Informal Interactive Hearings with representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations, which provided the governments with clear, concise statements on how to move forward to achieve the MDGs. WGG distributed to the participants a fact sheet on the eight MDGs entitled “Out of the MDG Shadows: Girls and Why They Matter” http://www.girlsrights.org/Fact_Sheets.html. For each of the eight MDGs the fact sheet lists Gaps in Progress and Recommendations.

Climate Change Affects the Girl Child – It is an acknowledged fact that when climate change strikes, people living in poverty, 70% of whom are women, are in the frontlines. Girls, however, are rarely mentioned in these accounts of climate change. Why?

Ritha Baraka, Social Worker from the Congo, Speaks at WGG - Ritha Baraka, a social worker at Panzi Hospital in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), spoke about her work with raped and sexually abused women and girls at the WGG meeting on 6 May 2010. Speaking with Baraka were Scott Blanding and Greg Heller (Women in War Zones), who have made a film about sexual violence against women in war zones that features Panzi Hospital.

Girls Respond to CSW 54 – Dozens of girls from all over the world had the opportunity in March 2010 to attend the UN Commission on the Status of Women in New York City. Thanks to the NGOs that sponsored their participation, they were able to talk with girls with the same interests coming from different cultures and having different backgrounds. Together they built a web of contacts and connections, learned about their human rights as girls, and improved their skills of advocacy at the United Nations.

STEM Will Be Theme of CSW in 2011 – The 55th session of the CSW in 2011 (28 February through 11 March) will have as its theme: “Access and participation of women and girls to education, training, science and technology, including for the promotion of women’s access to full employment and decent work.”

Visit http://www.girlsrights.org/Newsletter.html to read, download or print a copy.

John Converset, MCCJ, writes of his first experience attending a UN forum in New York.

A First Hand Perspective

Through VIVAT International I had the privilege of taking part in the Ninth Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.  Previously I had no experience of the UN, nor of any of the seemingly countless UN agencies.  My presence at the session was meant to be a learning experience, and it certainly was that.  For the most part I participated in the “side events”.  On a practical level my long experience in South Africa, both during and after Apartheid, gave me some insight into what was being discussed.

The first thing I noticed was the bewildering complexity of the UN agencies.  I was not prepared to encounter the multitude of inter-related bodies whose functions and the issues that they deal with seem to overlap and intertwine.  For example, most of the issues that were addressed at the Forum on Indigenous Peoples came up again, although from a broader perspective, at the 18th Session of the Committee on Sustainable Development.

The second thing that came to my attention was the immense amount of information freely available through UN-sponsored studies and reports.  Just in case that is not enough, the many NGOs that work in conjunction with the UN or are in ongoing dialogue with its many agencies make available their own analyses, case studies and projections.  One could educate oneself with regard to countless realities of our world just by perusing documents available through the UN.

The third thing that broke into my awareness was the enormous opportunity for global dialogue in UN-sponsored events.  People from all over the world, of every ethnic and linguistic group, of many different political persuasions and philosophical or even ideological perspectives were able to speak to each other politely and respectfully.  Victims of various forms of injustice were able to make known their suffering to those able to do something about it.  Possibly I am too inexperienced to be aware of the “political games” that were surely being played at times, but I seemed to see many sincere and dedicated people whose good will was patent and whose considerable expertise was placed unselfishly at the service of the common good.

The primary issue addressed at the Permanent Forum was how to improve the implementation of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples with a focus on fostering sustainable development while protecting indigenous cultures and identities.  This broad theme involved advancing the status and rights of women, preventing human trafficking, addressing the needs of children and youth, obtaining free, prior and informed consent with regard to all projects directly affecting indigenous peoples, and dealing with environmental issues such as climate change and bio-diversity.

I came away from this initial experience with great hope.  Despite the limits of the UN and the seriousness and extent of the problems that must be faced, progress can be made and is being made, thanks to the efforts of so very many dedicated people.

Over the past few decades, the issue of global warming has become a pervasive topic in the discourse among policymakers worldwide. However, climate change talks may be a helpful forum for voicing concerns and ideas, but they have thus far proven to be inadequate in global policy implementation. Fortunately, while the problem of coordinated action remains an obstacle to any large scale agreements regarding Climate Change, some people are taking matters into their own hands to create a sustainable future for the next generations.

Three years ago, a nine year old boy named Felix Finkbeiner decided to proclaim during a class presentation that he wanted to “plant [a] million trees worldwide – a million in each country!” Initially inspired by the Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai and her “Green Belt Movement” and Richard St. Barbe Baker, Felix’s proposal has spawned a student climate change initiative entitled “Plant-for-the-Planet,” that has gained widespread support and popularity. Plant-for-the-Planet gradually transformed itself into a worldwide network for climate justice and it now functions under the auspices of the UN Billion Tree Campaign.

The challenge now is to mobilize children and young people to plant a million trees in their countries during the next three years. One way to publicize this ingenuous project is through the campaign, “Stop talking, Start Planting,” a slogan that Benigno P. Beltran, SVD has taken to heart. Fr. Ben has taken on a Plant-for-the-Planet initiative of his own to counteract the effects of last years’ floods in the Philippines. Typhoon Ondoy, which struck the Philippines during tropical storm Ketsana in September 2009, caused devastating floods and resulted in the destruction of mountain coverage and terrain. The denuded mountains and untended waste left in the wake of the typhoon led to unmanageable water runoff on Mt. Ayaas, causing the Marikina River to overflow. Although emergency relief was disseminated quickly, Benigno, coordinator of the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Secretariat of the SVD Central Province, realized that this would not be enough to secure a positive future for this region of the Philippines.

It quickly became evident that long-term solutions were essential to reconstruction, first and foremost of which was the reforestation of the Marikina Watershed. In light of this long-term approach, Benigno undertook a Plant-for-the-Planet initiative through the Secretariat last December 12, the Global Day of Action on Climate Change with 400 other volunteers. In a letter detailing the Marikina reforestation project, Benigno explains “we hope to nurture thousands of seedlings in the mountain to mitigate climate change, help prevent flooding and keep water in the aquifers of the Marikina Watershed so that people in Manila will have water to drink.” Benigno notes “we would like to ask for your help in making our advocacy known… so that we can raise funds to plant a million trees in the Marikina Watershed and give livelihood to the people in the area so that they will not cut the trees and turn them into charcoal.”

Among the volunteers who made the trek up to Mt. Ayaas to reforest were soldiers and young people, including Children of Mother Earth, an environmental performing arts groups comprised of young people and children who were born and raised in Smokey Mountain, a garbage dump in Manila. Benigno created the group Children of Mother Earth in 1993 to raise awareness of environmental degradation through interpretive dance. Children of Mother Earth perform the dances and rituals of indigenous peoples from the Philippines to spread the message of the need for humans to live in harmony with each other and with creation. The dedication and passion of these 27 dancers in their efforts to “save the planet” through their dancing, has prompted an invitation by Filipino and environmental groups for them to perform a series of concerts in Phoenix, Arizona and San Diego and Los Angeles, California this April.

The Plant-for-the-Planet campaign has mobilized young people all over the world to take an active role in the battle against Global Warming. Benigno has further contributed to this education by encouraging younger generations to understand the interconnectedness of life on our planet. The activities undertaken by children all over the world demonstrate that each person can contribute to the preservation of our environment, for “talking alone isn’t going to stop the glaciers from melting. Each tree [planted] is a symbol for climate justice.”

Through their care for creation, their desire to take responsibility for future generations and life on this planet, and their campaign to “stop talking and start planting,” children all over the world are working towards a sustainable future for all of humanity.  VIVAT International and its members offer our prayers, solidarity, and support to environmental groups such as Plant-for-the-Planet and Children of Mother Earth, who raise awareness about the necessity of environmental justice and inspire people of all ages to take action to mitigate the negative consequences of Global Warming.

During the CSD this year, many NGOs were fortunate enough to hold many side events to correspond with the official UN sessions during the commission. VIVAT, along with several partner NGOs and other groups, organized two highly successful side events on the subject of sustainable development—one on the need for free, prior, and informed consent of indigenous peoples affected by mining, and one on the ecological, social, and political dangers of dam construction, specifically in Latin America.

Octavia Hemmy Asamsama spoke of the mining’s effects on communities in Indonesia

Mining: Calling for Free, Prior, and Informed Consent
The first of the two side events hosted by VIVAT, organized with the Maryknoll Sisters and other NGO groups, was entitled “Mining: Calling for Free, Prior, and Informed Consent,” and was an event meant to highlight the need for free, prior, and informed consent of indigenous communities affected by mining. Through focusing on three specific grassroots communities in Peru, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Bolivia, the event presented the lessons learned in campaigns to advocate for the indigenous people left out of major mining decisions in their communities.
Members in Flores, Indonesia, elected Ms. Octaviana Hemmy Asamsama, a clinical psychologist from Indonesia, to speak in regards to local efforts to bring voices to the marginalized of Indonesia’s rural indigenous population.  Along with presentations from grassroots voices, the event also involved the active participation of the Consellor Alan Coelho de Sellos of the Brazilian delegation who presented the process for developing mining for lithium, an example of developing a pattern of sustainable production.

All in all, the mining event hosted by VIVAT was a great success, raising awareness about sustainable development issues in mining through the use of examples from specific VIVAT members. With the UN’s particular focus on issues of mining, VIVAT is hopeful and optimistic that the topic will become a mainstream idea in future discussions and international actions on the subject of sustainable development.

Land Yes! Dams No! Building Cycles of Mobilization

Frederico Menino presents the case of Vale do Ribeira, where there has been an ongoing advocacy struggle for indigenous rights for over 20 years.

One highly charged topic, specifically with many VIVAT members in Brazil, is the controversy surrounding dam construction, as governments often decide to begin new, massive dam projects with-out the free, prior, and informed consent of the native population who will be directly affected by a dam in their water source, and who will ultimately suffer huge environmental, social, and economic crises at the direct hand of the dam. To bring this rarely discussed controversy to light at the international level, VIVAT along with partner NGOs hosted a side event at the CSD entitled “Land Yes! Dams No! Building Cycles of Mobilization.”

The event boasted a diverse, truly informative panel with a range of guests to speak on the topic.  The first panelist, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, a member of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, spoke of specific and horrific stories of indigenous peoples in her country who resisted the government when it was ordered that dams be build in their lands.  The results of which led to many bloody massacres of countless innocent mothers, fathers, and children, who only wished to stay living in their indigenous lands.  The next panelist, Frederico Menino, a Brazilian political scientist, shared the success story of VIVAT’s member group in Brazil, MOAB (Movement of Peoples Affected by Dams), to resist a massive Brazilian dam construction project for decades.  Mr. Menino used both a presentation and short DVD to illustrate the struggle of the indigenous peoples of the land.  Next, Mary Corbett presented a moving story of the struggles of a Guatemalan boy who saw his family slaughtered when they resisted a dam project on their land.  Finally, Judith Kimerling presented the international and environmental laws that support resistance movements against dam construction projects.

Not only was the side event a great success in terms of attendance, panelists, and persuasive information given, but it was a particularly special success thanks to the active participation of diplomatic missions in attendance, particularly the Brazilian delegation.  While we had originally hoped and anticipated that some governments would be in attendance, the Brazilian delegates who did come were not only attentive during the presentation, but they were genuinely intrigued and brought many questions and comments to the panelists.  The active participation of such governments gives hope that one day, and one day soon, more and more governments and state delegations will pay attention to the plight of indigenous peoples in issues of sustainable development, specifically in the rarely discussed controversy surrounding dams.

The “Justice on Tracks” Campaign is one of the sponsors of the “1st International Meeting of People Affected by Vale”.

Since the beginning of 2009, right after the World Social Forum in Belém, Brazil, we felt the necessity to elaborate an international meeting to focus exclusively on Vale and its socio-environmental impacts in many regions of the world.

Evident injustice narrated by several communities in Brazil and abroad, the aggressive development model sustained by the mining company and its enormous profits made it urgent to create alternative collective strategies of resistance.

As Combonian Missionaries, we felt directly touched: it was up to us to help the people that we follow in Açaílândia, São Luís, and other small villages along the Carajás railroad, to comprehend the history and the causes of the degradation of their lives.

As we defend life in abundance, we always need to denounce and destroy models that, on the contrary, bring death because of an irresponsible search for profits.

Blessed and encouraged by the 2010 Fraternity Campaign, which stimulates us to study the most evident economic injustices and to compare them with decentralized experiences of popular economy that respect life and the environment, we enthusiastically assume the organization of this new phase of confronting Vale: we dream, together with God, about new ways to relate with the Earth, the natural resources and the whole Creation.

Justice on Tracks, from the beginning, involved the North-East Braziliana province, which supports the campaign and identifies with it. Once more, in this occasion, the participation of Combonians was massive in different preparatory initiatives.

We wrote the magazine “Vale No”, containing many well-informed articles about the evils of the mining company, in special in the Carajás corridor. The magazine supports and complements the artistic work of a well-known Italian movie-maker, Silvestro Montanaro, who made a  75-minute movie about the greatest conflicts and popular resistance along the same region.

Both the film and the magazine will be published soon within the affected communities during simultaneous formation seminars in Pará and Maranhão. Members of the Brazilian Environmental Justice Network and other international partners have already received the material, which is very useful for the formation of their communities and leaders.

Everything was ready for the international meeting. The event was preceded, from the 5th to the 11th of April, by the People’s March in the Vale’s North system.

In partnership with communities, social movements and unions from Pará and Maranhão, we prepared three phases, ready to welcome the public in many countries around the world.

In total, thirty persons reached Barcarena (Pará), Marabá (Pará) and Açaílândia (Maranhão) to take part in a precious interchange between communities affected in various parts of the globe. There was people from Pará, Maranhão, Ceará, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Canada and Mozambique.

Among the public, there were rural and urban communities, neighborhood associations, social movements, Christian communities, politicians, public attorneys journalists, unions, human rights movements, actors, families, young  people, women…

It is impossible to summarize in a few lines the wealth of these encounters (more information is available on the blogs of the event). We managed to rescue the dynamics of reciprocal empowerment that allowed local and international participants to mirror in one another.

In all places, we identified the same strategies from Vale: the conquest of the territory, the marketing to defend a socially and environmentally friendly image, the co-optation of political and judiciary power. In relation to the local leaders, the tendency to manipulate, blackmail and the deliberate intention to divide local communities, threat and criminalize local groups, according to the level of organization of the local resistance groups.

We have also talked about interesting ideas for popular resistance: the effort to give visibility to the conflict (via publications, reports, dossiers), direct actions in opposition to the aggressiveness of the company (land occupation, closing roads, manifests), judiciary actions demanding reimbursement and compensation for environmental damage, production of knowledge adding local knowledge and university research, articulation in networks (international, national and regional), the involvement of key-actors and partners, especially in the judiciary sector.

From the 12th to the 15th of April, the March met with another march, coming from the South System of Vale (states of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo). There were also many other people, all converging to Rio de Janeiro where the headquarter of Vale are located and where, every month of April, the company holds its annual meeting with shareholders.

In total, there were 160 people, 80 associations and other entities representing 12 countries. It was a unique occasion: for the first time, all the affected people and their leaders systematized their demands and learned with each other.

These were four intense days, in which we studied and improved our collective strategies. Several areas of conflict were identified: the model of development and the robbing of natural resources, environmental conflicts and pollution, labour conflicts and unionist resistance, conflicts with the communities for land, economic conflicts and exaggerate profits (Vale is the biggest company ion Latin America and the most profitable in the world!)

The most important points highlighted in the final document produced in the meeting had to do with Vale’s public image as a socially committed and environment friendly company: the affected people committed to dismantle such image by showing the impacts of Vale in their lives. A detailed report, with 120 pages and 21 specific cases was presented in the Rio de janeiro State Parliament and given to the press and shareholders of Vale.

An international movement became in charge of producing regular ‘alternative reports’ that point out omissions on the annual sustainability report produced by Vale.The alternative reports will trigger new denunciations and will help the mobilization of communities by giving them tools to elaborate better claims in regards to their rights for more sustainable forms of economy and local development.

During the meetings, we also established new potential sources of alliances between communities and missionary provinces in which there are conflicts involving mining and mineral resources: Mozambique, Chile, Peru, Ecuador…

Justice on Tracks will now resume its work in the North and Nort-East regions of Brazil, strengthened by national and international alliances that guarantee strength to the actions in favor of local communities.

As missionaries, we feel demanded to advance in this unprecedented frontier of dialogue between the Church, the communities and the social movements for the preservation of life, dignity and land.

]]> http://vivatinternational.org/2010/06/09/justice-on-tracks-and-the-%e2%80%9c1st-international-meeting-of-the-people-affected-by-vale%e2%80%9d/feed/ 0 http://vivatinternational.org/2010/06/08/vivat-north-america-workshop/ http://vivatinternational.org/2010/06/08/vivat-north-america-workshop/#comments Tue, 08 Jun 2010 19:57:03 +0000 Zelia http://vivatinternational.org/?p=1557 On April 15-17, nine congregations gathered together for a Vivat North America workshop in Washington, DC. These congregations included: Holy Spirit Missionary Sisters, Divine Word Missionaries, Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Adorers of the Blood of Christ, Camboni Missionaries, Camboni Sisters, Holy Rosary Missionary Sisters, Spiritans, and the Little Sisters of the Assumption.

Participants of VIVAT's North America Workshop 2010

The first evening of the gathering included general introductions of participants and some simple sharing of JPIC issues from each congregation.  For this opening session, the OMIs graciously hosted the group at their residence in Washington, DC.  On Friday, April 16^th, the day began with a history of VIVAT International by Br. Bernie Spitzley, SVD and Sr. Judy Vallimont, SSpS,  who studied the possibilities of the starting a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO).  This informative history was followed by a general overview presented by VIVAT Team/New York: how VIVAT operates, the issues that VIVAT works on, and the communities that are now involved with VIVAT.

Friday afternoon session, Fr. John Kilcrann, CSSp engaged the participants in a very interesting discussion on the spirituality of advocacy work.  In light of our various charisms, it is important that we construct a spirituality that integrates the thinking of our founders/foundresses with our present work in peace and justice issues.  The day ended with a presentation by VIVAT team members on how we can work together in our various communities.  Since we are now a strong (and still growing) NGO, it is vital that we try to work together as a unified voice.

The discussion on Saturday was the most interesting and lively.  We divided up into issue groups, based on the various JPIC projects of our communities; these issues were: immigration and migration, human trafficking (specifically, women’s issues), the environment, and integral human development.   After a good, long discussion in our issue groups, there were presentations on some of the key points of each area.  Some of the issue groups decided to continue their discussion and advocacy work by sharing e-mails and building a listserv.  This illustrated one of the many ways that VIVAT communities can work together.

In reflecting back on our experience together, some good bonding occurred between participants and communities.  This was a first step in working together as an NGO.  Hopefully we will be able to get together again in a few years.  The more we can work together, the stronger our voice for the poor and disenfranchised.

In just two months, close to one million visitors will travel to South Africa for the World Cup. This influx of people may also have the unintended consequence of creating opportunities for human trafficking. While not responsible for this tragic crime, the travel and lodging industry is well-positioned to help prevent human trafficking by taking steps to stop the use of hotels for these purposes. The Oblate JPIC Office is working in solidarity with the efforts of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference (Church on the Ball), and local initiatives by the Leaders of Consecrated Religious Life (SA) and the South African Council of Churches to counter human trafficking in South Africa during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Faith Groups Work to Prevent Human Trafficking During the 2010 World Cup Events in South Africa.

The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) convenes annually in New York to discuss and encourage gender equality and the advancement of women worldwide.  This year, from March 1-12, the CSW undertakes a special fifteen-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which contained milestone commitments to the world’s women. The review is seen as an important step in overcoming the remaining obstacles and new challenges faced by women, including those related to the Millennium Development Goals.

VIVAT, with the Working Group on Mining, is participating in the CSW by addressing key gender-related issues in the area of mining.  The Working Group organized a parallel event to the Commission that specifically targeted discussion on the struggles of rural and indigenous women negatively affected by mining practices worldwide, through a DVD clip and presentations by two panelists, the event pushing the necessity of “Free, Prior, and Informed Consent”.  The Working Group on Mining hopes to bring to light the egregious negative impacts of mining in relation to women, indigenous peoples, and the environment to the international arena.  With these hopes, VIVAT and the Working Group plans on holding two more parallel events during the remaining Commissions and Forums later this year on indigenous peoples’ rights and on sustainable development.

The Impacts of Mining on Women:

Mining has distinct impacts and added burden on women.

The women are deprived of the access to the benefits of mining developments, especially money and employment.

Women become marginalized as the traditional roles of food gatherer, water providers, care- givers and nurturer are very much affected.

Many women are pushed to enter into informal economy to find additional sources of income as the adverse impact to the environment caused by large-scale mining decrease the productivity of the fields and poisoned wild foods, marine life and animals.

Alcohol abuse, drug addiction, prostitution, gambling, incest and infidelity increase in many mining communities which worsen cases of family violence against women, active and often brutal discrimination of the women in the workplace that is sanctioned or ignored by judicial and political institution.

FPIC: Indigenous Peoples’ right to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) has been recognized by a number of intergovernmental organizations, international bodies, conventions and international human rights law in varying degrees and increasingly in the laws of State.

Biodiversity, the variety of life on Earth, is essential to sustaining the living networks and systems that provide us all with health, wealth, food, fuel and the vital services our lives depend on. Human activity is causing the diversity of life on Earth to be lost at a greatly accelerated rate. Felling or burning of forests, removal of mangroves, intensive farming, pollution stress, overfishing and the impacts of climate change are all destroying biodiversity. These losses are irreversible, impoverish us all and damage the life support systems we rely on every day. But we can prevent them.

Throughout 2010, there will be various events taking place throughout the world to promote conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, to help increase public awareness for the many facets of biodiversity, and to integrate this issue into key political and social processes. To name a few, over 400 environmental advocates attended the UNDP-sponsored North American Launch of the Year of Biodiversity, held at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City on February 10 of this year. One day during the 65^th session of the United Nations General Assembly will be dedicated to the issue of biodiversity, marking the first opportunity for Heads of State and Government from all over the world to meet and discuss how to address the global challenges for biodiversity. Lastly, celebrations and activities will occur worldwide on the annual International Day of Biodiversity, to be held May 22^nd of this year. For more information and to learn how you can participate, please visit http://www.cbd.int/2010/welcome/

Julita Bau, Angelica Chavol, Socorro Rodriquez and Genoveva Maria preparing food for children in Haiti

The earthquake that devastated the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, and surrounding areas in January 2010 killed more than 200,000 people, injured 300,000 and destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses.  Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere before the earthquake, is struggling to recover.  The Missionary of the Holy Spirit Province in the USA and Caribbean tried to help in several ways.  Julita Bau and three other Sisters from Epworth, Iowa went to St. Anthony Catholic Church in Dubuque to pack food for kids in Haiti.  It was organized by the Kids Against Hunger – Iowa.

In their parish community in St. Kitts, Margaret Hansen and Graciela Castro, had an extra collection for Haiti which raised three times the amount of the normal Sunday collection, the St. Vincent DePaul Society held a bake sale and the children of the Kid’s Club made little “Hearts for Haiti” and sold them to raise money for the people of Haiti.

Dinah Marie Aguirre, a nurse by profession, volunteered with several organizations to be sent to Haiti, but has not been contacted as yet.  As Julita wrote, “May the small things we offer help those in their great need in Haiti.”

Another way the Paraclete Province, USA, helped Haiti was through advocacy.  Working with organizations like Jubilee USA Network, the Sisters wrote letters and sent e-mails to support Haiti’s debt cancellation and provide assistance for relief and reconstruction in the form of grants not loans. Through a conference call and a webcast with various organizations in Haiti, the JPIC Coordinator kept up to date with the situation and sent out updates and prayer services.

Help was given also through donations through organizations that were working on the frontlines in Haiti.  Although the above is true, the main way that all the Sisters helped Haiti and her people was through prayers and petitions for Haiti.  Special prayer services were held in some communities and the people of Haiti were remembered in prayer at Holy Hours in the Techny, Rogers Park and Memphis Community. Margaret Hansen said, “Obviously we have been keeping the People of Haiti in our thoughts and prayers each day.”