JPIC REPORTVolume 7, Issue 2

August 2005

Inside this issue:

A publcation of the OMI Justice and Peace/Integrity of Creation Office

From the Director Consult not your

fears but yourhopes and your dreams.

Think not about yourfrustrations but about

your unfulfilled potential.Concern yourself

not with what you triedand failed in, but with

what is still possible foryou to do.

Pope John XXIII

News & Happenings 2

UN Forum on Indigenous Rights 3

US-Mexico Bishops’ Migration 4conference

Response of OMI JPIC to the 6AIDS pandemic

The G8 Debt Deal 8

Social Justice Movies 1 0

Human Trafficking 11

Environmental Mission Report 1 2

Community Organizing Along 1 3the Texas Border

Legislative and Advocacy Update 1 4

At an inter-religiousmeeting oncommunity

organizing recently, Iheard a woman describeher life journey and herwork for social justice andpeacemaking as a “won-derful way to fall in lovewith God”. What a greatperspective, I thought, fora life’s work that cansometimes be tedious,frustrating and filled withnews of injustice, conflictviolence, suffering, anddiscrimination.

For people of faith andfaith communities thequestions raised byexposés on sweatshopsand unsafe workingconditions present aunique opportunity andchallenge as we seek totranslate our foundationalbeliefs about ‘loving Godand loving our neighbor’into principles, policiesand actions that areconsistent with our beliefs.Core beliefs that allpeople are created in theimage and likeness of Godand therefore are invitedto share the gifts Godgives call us to wrestle

daily with the demandswhich such beliefs placeon our lifestyles, on thepolicies and programs ofour government and onthe actions of many otherorganizations and institu-tions with which we areassociated.

Trips in May and June ofthis year to bothBangladesh and Chinaprovided me with anappropriate perspectivefrom which to ponder theimplications of many ofthe issues that Congressand the news are consid-ering: the phase-out of theMulti Fibre Agreement,the Central AmericanFree Trade Agreement,agricultural subsidies, theproposed purchase ofUNOCAL by a Chineseoil company and the nextsession of the WorldTrade Organization inHong Kong in December2005.

So many of the productsthat we depend on aremade in countries likeChina and Bangladeshthat it is hard to imaginehow we could otherwise

afford them. The globalframework and processesthat have been put in placefor sourcing, productionand service delivery havebecome an essentialsubsidy for our lifestyles. Itobvious that this economicmodel would not be ableto prosper without thereservoirs of cheap laborand raw materials thatregions like Bangladeshand China provide.

The search for cheaperlabor is not a new phe-nomenon. We havestudied this pattern and itsimpact on the lives ofmillions of people over theyears. We are called to beaware of our connectionswith those whose laborand resources are closelyconnected to our lifejourney. And we are alsocalled to discern the pathof God’s spirit in our livesand the world. I continueto be strengthened by thewitness and courage andteaching of people of faithwho remind us of the allinclusive destiny to whichGod has called us.

Page 2 JPIC REPORT

News and Happenings

Catholic Campaign onImmigration

In May of 2005 the USCatholic Bishops confer-ence unveiled a newcampaign: Justice forImmigrants, a CatholicCampaign for ImmigrationReform. The website forthis campaign iswww.justiceforimmigrants.org.Trainings will be conductedin dioceses across thecountry, and, morebroadly, efforts will bemade towards educatingCatholics about the call to“Welcome the Stranger.”

Mission Congress:Horizons andPossibilities

From October 13-16 of2005, in Tucson, Arizona,the US Catholic MissionAssociation will host aMission Congress. Theevent will involve a one-day trip across the borderwith Borderlinks. Keynotespeakers will include JohnFife and others. Among thespeakers are BishopGerald F. Kicanas, EvaLumas, SSS, PatrickByrne, SVD,Michel Andraos, andBishop Kevin Dowling(South Africa). A numberof presenters will lead theparticipants in reflection onfaith and culture,

reconciliation andtransformation. RobertoChené and IrmaIsip are the facilitators.The 400 participants willinclude: parish twinninggroups; religious and laymissioners; mission officeand Society for thePropagation of Faithpersonnel; bishops; youth,guests. Every effort will bemade to include people ofcultural diversity.Registration materials andmore information can befound atuscatholicmission.org.

Border Gatheringfollowing MissionCongress

Just after the USCMA’sMission Congress (October16-17 in Tucson), severalorganizations, including theOblate JPIC Office, willconvene a daylong,informational bordergathering followed by astrategy session. BishopRamazzini of Guatemala isexpected to address thegroup, as will local leadersof church-based borderjustice efforts. For moreinformation, please contactRebecca Phares throughthe Oblate JPIC Office.

Africa Faith andJustice AnnualConference,October 16-17

Immediately following theMission Congress inTucson, Arizona, the AfricaFaith and Justice Network(AFJN) will hold its annualconference. This year, thetheme will be: “Weaving aResponse to AIDS inAfrica.” For more informa-tion, or to register, pleasevisit http://afjn.cua.edu.The registration fee will be$100 before September15, and $125 by October5, 2005.

The 8th Day Center forJustice 30thAnniversary

The 8th Day Center will becelebrating its thirtiethanniversary with a gatheringon Sunday, September 18thfrom 2pm to 5pmat the TeamstersAuditorium, in Chicago,Illinois. The Oblate JPICOffice is a member andsupporter of the 8th daycenter, and we encourageOblates and others toattend this gathering.

Please call 312-641-5151,or visit their website atwww.8thdaycenter.org formore details. Tickets canbe bought on the websitefor $50 each.

The OMI Justice and Peace/Integrity of Creation Officecoordinates the advocacy effortsof the Missionary Oblates ofMary Immaculate on behalf of theinterests of the poor andabandoned in the U.S. and in themore than 65 countries where theOblates are in mission. Theseefforts include serving as aresource for province member-ship, supporting the communityorganizing efforts of the Oblatesin the United States, and co-ordinating the Corporate Respon-sibility Program to insist on justpractices and policies bycorporations in their worldwideoperations. Our work alsoincludes advocacy with the UnitedStates government and otherinternational institutions on avariety of justice and peace issues.

U.S. JPIC CommitteeRev. Bob Wright, OMIRev. John Cox, OMIRev. Bill Morell, OMIRev. Séamus Finn, OMIRev. Maurice Lange, OMIRev. John Lasseigne, OMIRev. Darrell Rupiper, OMIRev. Thomas Rush, OMIRev. BillAntone, OMI

JPIC StaffRev. Séamus Finn, OMIDirector

Rebecca PharesAssociate Director

Mary O’HerronAssociate for GA JPIC Serviceand Corporate Responsibility

Marjorie Kambala

JPIC Report is a publication ofthe OMI Justice and Peace/Integrity of Creation Office391 Michigan Avenue NEWashington, DC 20017Tel: 202..483.0444Fax: 202.483.0708

Volume 7, Issue 2 Page 3

Oblate JPIC Office Participates in UN Event on Indigenous Rights in Bangladesh

The fourth session of the Permanent Forum took place from 16 to 27 May 2005 at the United Nations Headquar-ters, in New York. During the Forum, the Oblate Justice and Peace/ Integrity of Creation Office sponsored asuccessful viewing of the documentary “Behind the Green” about the situation of the Khasi and Garo peoples inBangladesh. A downloadable copy of the flyer for this gathering, which explains many of the main issues involved,can be found on our website at www.omiusajpic.org.

Fr. Joseph Gomes, OMI and Sanjeeb Drong, a close collaborator of the Oblates, attended his gathering along withFr. Seamus Finn, OMI and Moloya Chisim. Sanjeeb and Moloya are both indigenous leaders from Bangladeshwho work closely with Oblates there.

The theme of the fourth session of the Permanent Forum is: “Millennium Development Goals and IndigenousPeoples”, with special emphasis on Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and Hunger and Goal 2:Achieve universalprimary education.

Fr. Joseph Gomes, OMI, Sanjeeb Drong, Mitali Chisim,Moloya Chism, and Fr. Séamus Finn, OMI

Indigenous Peoples inBangladesh: Why anEco-Park on Khasi andGaro Ancestral Lands?

“We are children of theforest. We were born hereand grew up here. Wehave been living here for

hundreds of years.Cultivating of betel leaf is ourour main livelihood. We willnot leave this forest. Wecannot survive if we areevicted from the forest in thename of this Eco-Park.” AnilYoung Eyung, a Khasileader. The Bangladesh

government plans toestablish an Eco-park inthe Moulvibazar districtwhich will take up morethan 1500 acres ofindigenous people’s landfor tourism. Thegovernment did notconsult with the local

people about the park.The film Behind the Green(duration 33 minutes) ismade on the historicstruggle of the Khasi andGaro people for theirancestral homeland inBangladesh. The JPICOffice has copies available.

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Participants at abinational conference onJune 23-26 in El Paso,Texas, sponsored by themigration committees ofthe bishops of Mexico andthe United States foundthat there is surprisingagreement in the UnitedStates on one thing: thecurrent U.S. policy onimmigration is broken andgreatly in need of beingfixed. In a poll conductedin March of this year, twomonths before the McCain-Kennedy bill, seeking tocomprehensively addressthe immigration issue, wasintroduced in Congress,more than three-in-fourlikely voters agreed that 1)the immigration system isbroken; 2) if an immigranthas been in this countryworking, paying taxes, andlearning English, thereshould be a way for him orher to become a citizen;and 3) fixing our immigra-tion system to make it safe,legal, and orderly will makeus more secure fromterrorists. There was solidbipartisan support (morethan 60%) of the likelyelectorate for each of thefollowing proposals whichare included in theMcCain-Kennedy bill: 1)registration of undocu-mented workers as tempo-rary guest workers; 2)temporary work visas forseasonal and temporaryworkers; 3) a multi-yearprocess for newly-regis-tered workers to apply for

legal residency and even-tual citizenship; 4) nopreferential treatment ofnewly-registered workersfor citizenship; 5) tougherpenalties for workers oremployers who violatethese laws; 6) a priority onreuniting close familymembers. In their Junemeeting, the United Statesbishops apparently agreed

www.justiciaparalosinmigrantes.org)and hope to have parishkits available by August.One of the national staffworking with this effortstated that a particularchallenge would be bring-ing this message to the“new growth” areas in theU.S., where tensions overimmigration are oftenrapidly escalating, since in

priorities. And at ourconvocation in Nashville,the first priority to be listedwas that of seeking tobring about a more just andculturally sensitive patternof global relations. Mexican ForeignMinister Luis ErnestoDerbez, and U.S. Repre-sentative Silvestre Reyes(Democrat-El Paso),former section chief of theBorder Patrol in Texas,both of whom madepresentations and an-swered questions at theconference, agreed that thecurrent immigration policyis broken. They alsoagreed with the basicprinciples on immigrationstaked out by the bishopsof the United States andMexico in their jointstatement of January 2003,Strangers No Longer / YaNo Somos Extranjeros.Those principles are: 1)persons have the right tofind opportunities in theirown homeland; 2) personshave the right to migrate tosupport themselves andtheir families; 3) sovereignnations have the right tocontrol their borders; 4)refugees and asylumseekers should be affordedprotection; and 5) thehuman dignity and humanrights of undocumentedmigrants should be re-spected. Also speaking onthe final afternoon of theconference was SenatorJohn Cornyn (Republican-Texas), but I had to leave

US-Mexico Bishops’ Migration Conference Bob Wright, OMI

to endorse the McCain-Kennedy bill. Although the currentpolitical climate in theUnited States focusing onnational security and thecurrent composition of theU.S. Congress tend todampen hopes that a trulyjust revision of the immi-gration laws will comeabout at this time, the U.S.bishops are launching anational campaign forimmigration reform,“Justice for Immigrants: AJourney of Hope.” Theyare steadily improvingwebsites for this campaignin both English and Spanish(www.justiceforimmigrants.org

many of these places,especially in the South,established Catholic socialaction networks arelacking. The campaign isviewed as a “long haul”effort, to extend overseveral years, and will tryto seek in the first place tobetter educate Catholicsthemselves on Catholicsocial doctrine aboutimmigration. Theseinitiatives are certainlyimportant for MissionaryOblate ministry in theUnited States. At ournational convocation inAlbuquerque, the issue ofimmigration was recog-nized as one of our top

Some observations on immigration from Stephen Moore of the WallStreet Journal’s editorial board…

The latest U.S. Census Bureau data confirm that America is in the midst of one of the most dramatic demographictransformations in our nation’s history.Over the past quarter-century the percentage of the U.S.population that is foreign born has about doubled from6.2% in 1980 to 12% today.The 1980s and ’90s were two of the fastest economicgrowth decades in American historySince 1980 the U.S. has taken in more than twice thenumber of immigrants of any other industrialized nation,yet we have the second lowest unemployment rate.

Volume 7, Issue 2 Page 5

before the delayed sessionwith him. It would havebeen interesting to hearSenator Cornyn, who isone of the principal spon-sors of another plan beingdrafted, answering ques-tions from persons whoassist immigrants on a dailybasis. Besides the dozen or sobishopsfrom bothcountriesattendingthe confer-ence –includingCardinalMcCarrickof Wash-ington,D.C., andBishopSamuelReyes,retiredbishop ofChiapas –there wereabout 150otherpartici-pants,mostlypersons involved in Catho-lic efforts in Mexico andthe United States toprovide direct ministry andadvocacy on behalf ofimmigrants. The participa-tion by bishops, priests,religious and laity fromboth countries proved to bevery enlightening andenriching. Doug Massey(Princeton University),author of a highly-praisedanalysis of Mexicanimmigration entitled

Beyond Smoke andMirrors, pointed out thatthe rapidly increasingMexican population in theU.S. coincides with and isindeed largely due to twopolicy decisions in 1986. Inthat year Mexico aban-doned its longtime policy ofsupporting locally producedbasic goods (for example,

grain) over imports, as anecessary condition forentering into the GeneralAgreement on Tariffs andTrade (GATT) under U.S.pressure. That major shift,further advanced by theNorth American FreeTrade Agreement(NAFTA) finally enactedin 1994, left very importantsegments of the ruralMexican economy inhavoc. The ForeignMinister of Mexico, LuisDerbez, defended NAFTA

as beneficial to Mexico onthe whole, even thegeneral agricultural sector,but acknowledged thatproper compensatorypolicies had not beenestablished by previousMexican administrationsto moderate its adverseimpact on local grainproduction, which has led

to a real crisis which thecurrent administration istrying to address. Heasserted that an essentialdimension of the issue isthe internal economy ofMexico: that countrycannot demand that all thesolutions come solely fromthe U.S. Several speakersfrom both sides of theborder emphasized that asecond major reason forthe rapidly rising popula-tion of Latino, especiallyMexican, immigrants in

the U.S. is the new immi-gration act of 1986 and thesubsequent militarization ofthe border, which severelyrestricts the possibility ofeasily going back and forthbetween countries. As aresult significantly moremigrants are opting toremain permanently in theU.S. than was the case

previ-ously,which isa majorfactor intheLatinopopula-tionexplo-sion andthein-creasedpresenceofundocu-mentedpersonswith allof theaccom-panyingsocial

issues. And yet, accordingto research by Massey andothers, for all the increasedborder militarization, theprobability of apprehensionof the undocumented byfederal agents has droppedto a 40-year low. To avoidthe employer penaltiesenacted by the 1986 immi-gration act and still obtaincheaper immigrant labor,businesses such as WalMarthave shifted to laborcontractors, who often do

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Crosses at the US/Mexico Border with Tijuana commemorate 1qthose who have died at the border.

Page 6 JPIC REPORT

Response of OMI JPIC to the AIDS Pandemic Séamus P. Finn, OMI

The response of the OMIJPIC ministry to the AIDSpandemic and the oppor-tunistic diseases of Malariaand TB, was launched in2000. It has been orga-nized in three areas:

1) Addressing multinationalpharmaceutical corpora-tions2) Addressing multinationalcorporations that have asignificant presence inregions where the diseaseinfection rate is very high3) Advocating and Net-working in coalition withreligious organizations civilsociety and other NGO’s,for a generous sustainedresponse by the USgovernment

Areas one and twohave been organizedthrough the OMI ourSocially ResponsibleInvestment Program incollaboration with thecoalition of faith-basedinvestors at the InterfaithCenter for CorporateResponsibilitywww.iccr.org. This workis carried out throughactive exercise of ourownership of shares inthese companies andthrough meetings anddialogues with manage-ment and directors ofthese corporations.

Areas three is organizedthrough coalitions andnetworks that we havejoined in Washington, DC.

PharmaceuticalCompaniesThe following priorities area part of our advocacyand dialogues with phar-maceutical companiesbased both in the U.S. andin Europe. This is anevolving list of priorities,which have been identifiedthrough research and inconsultation with col-leagues and collaboratorsin different regions of theworld, because of thechanging nature of theidentified needs and thevarious challenges whichpeople and communitiesconfront depending onwhere they live.

1. Pricing PoliciesWe ask companies topublicly support increasedaccess and supply ofrequired drug treatments,primarily through the UNGlobal Fund for AIDS.This can be largelyachieved through substan-tially lower prices ofmedicines in developingcountries.All company products thatcan address the emer-gency health crises ofHIV/AIDS, TB and

Malaria should be reducedin price. In addition, we askcompanies to develop apolicy for a systematic,transparent, segmented,global pricing structure forHIV/AIDS products in allregions that are severelyimpacted by the pandemic.

2. Patent RightsCompanies are asked torefrain from enforcingpatents in developingcountries where enforce-ment will exacerbate healthproblems, and to make apublic statement of thisintention. We ask companies tosupport lifting the TradeRelated IntellectualProperty (TRIPS) restric-tions on the export ofgeneric versions of pat-ented medicines to devel-oping countries, where apatent is not in force, inline with the World TradeOrganization Doha Decla-ration. Companies are askedto refrain from lobbying fortrade agreements that seekto weaken the WTO DohaDeclaration by lobbyinggovernments for strongerpatent protection than thatmandated by TRIPS, orfor weaker public healthsafeguards.

3. Joint Public PrivateInitiatives (JPPI’s)JPPI’s focus on the mostvulnerable sectors ofsociety, so that pricingpolicies of companiesensure that productsdeveloped as part of aJPPI are affordable todeveloping countries. The company providestransparent information onits involvement in thegovernance of JPPI’s,including details of anyconditions. The company ensuresthat its JPPI’s integratewith and strengthennational health systems andreport on their impact.

4. Research and Devel-opment (R&D)Companies are urged tosupport and participate inJPPI’s that address R&Dfor infectious diseases andto forego patent rights indeveloping countries fordrugs used for infectiousdiseases that are devel-oped under JPPl’s. Companies are encour-aged to explore creativeapproaches to funding forR & D for diseasesprevalent in developingcountries and for medi-cines for their treatment.

Volume 7, Issue 2 Page 7

5. PhRMA’s (Pharmaceu-tical ManufacturersAssociation) LobbyingPosition on PatentsCompanies are urged tosupport lobbying positionsadvocated by PHARMAat the US Congress andWTO to facilitate greateraccess to medicines forinfectious diseases indeveloping countries.

Pharmaceutical companieswere addressed in 2004-2005 include: AbbottLaboratories,Bristol-Myers SquibbCompany, Caremark Rx,(MedPartners) ,GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson& Johnson, Lilly (Eli) andCompany, Merck, Pfizer,GlaxoSmithKline.

Multinational Corpora-tionsIn dialogues with non-pharmaceutical companiesthe emphasis is on assess-ing and reporting on howthe HIV/AIDS pandemicaffects and will affect thecompanies business andwhat measures a companyis taking to combat thedisease and its effects.Issues on the agendainclude:• Offer complete care,including ARV treatment,to any HIV+ employeesand their dependents.• Implement effectiveworkplace policies toprevent the spread of HIV,

including strict nondis-crimination and confidenti-ality policies and full-scaleprevention efforts.• Evaluate companyoperations to ensure theydo not contribute to thespread of the epidemic(i.e. use of same sexworkforces, migrant labor,etc.).• Partner with othercorporations and withgovernments to increaseaccess to health servicesand mitigate the impact ofthe pandemic.• Evaluate the impact ofthe Pandemic on thecompany’s markets,consumers, workforce,and so on, using the bestcase, worst case, andmost likely scenarios.• Empower a BoardCommittee to receive andmonitor reports on Pan-demic and the company’sinterventions to contain it. Action taken withregard to non-pharmaceu-tical companies includedthe following corporations,among others: AmericanInternational Group,Caterpillar, ChevronTexaco Corp, Coca Cola,Colgate Palmolive Co.,ExxonMobil Corp., FordMotor Co., GeneralMotors Co.PepsiCo, Placer Dome,Procter & Gamble Co.,Texas Instruments. A push for HIVReporting has meant

pressing for companies toissue a report analyzing theimpact of HIV/AIDS onthe company, as well astheir response to the HIV/AIDS crisis.

Advocacy & NetworkingIn his 2003 State of theUnion address PresidentBush announced theaudacious plan to spend$15 billion over five years.The bulk of the Bushadministration’s overseasspending against theepidemic is weightedtoward the President’sEmergency Plan for AIDSRelief (PEPFAR). Somefunding however is alsodirected to the GlobalFund to Fight AIDS, TBand Malaria which is amultilateral collaborativeeffort of many countries Advocacy efforts inWashington are focusedon monitoring the annualappropriations requestswhich the White Houserecommends for thePEPFAR program and forthe Global Fund. Workingtogether religious organiza-tions and other NGO’shave organized an effectivegrassroots constituencythat is ready to contactlegislators in their homedistricts to advocate forincreased funding as theappropriation processtakes place. Advocacywas instrumental in passingan amendment that ap-

proved $800 million as theU.S. contribution to theGlobal Fund. A goodexample of how thisprocess works is recordedin the spring 2005 updatefrom the Global AidsAlliance in WashingtonDC.www.globalaidsalliance.org/Spring_2005_newsletter.cfm

New Campaign Focuseson Access to AffordableGenericsBecause India is nowrequired to comply withWTO regulations onpharmaceutical patents anew advocacy campaignhas been launched toprotect the critical supplyof low-cost genericmedications for peoplewith HIV/AIDS and otherdiseases across thedeveloping world. Indiawas the most importantsupplier of generics forHIV/AIDS. The monthlycost of a generic AIDSdrug cocktail is about $30,compared to $500-$750for drugs sold by majorpharmaceutical companies,and roughly half of the700,000 people receivingARV treatment in poorcountries rely on Indiangenerics.

This report in itsunedited form, withfurther resources formore information can befound at omiusajpic.org.

Page 8 JPIC REPORT

The G-8 Debt Deal: First Step on a Long Journey Debayani Kar and Neil Watkins

Reprinted from ForeignPolicy In Focuswww.fpif.org

Jubilee campaigns and debtcancellation advocates canbe proud of their efforts.The Finance Ministers ofthe eight rich-countrygovernments as repre-sented at the Group of 8(G-8) have announced adeal on 100% debtcancellation of Interna-tional Monetary Fund(IMF), World Bank,and AfricanDevelopment Funddebt for some impover-ished nations. But muchmore work remains tobe done to achieve thefull Jubilee vision ofdebt cancellation for allimpoverished countriesand countries in crisis,without harmful eco-nomic conditions.

The debt deal enacts100% cancellation to thesecreditors for 18 countriesin the Highly IndebtedPoor Countries (HIPC)Initiative. The other 20countries that are part ofthe HIPC Initiative will beeligible for debt cancella-tion on much less favorableterms: only after reachingthe “completion point” inthe HIPC Initiative; toreach this point, thesenations must adhere to

economic policy conditionswhich have been detri-mental to growth andpoverty eradication. TheHIPC Initiative was setup by the IMF and WorldBank to address the severedebt burdens of impover-ished countries. The limiteddebt relief delivered underHIPC created the need forthis G-8 agreement.

Efforts by campaigners andpeople of faith and con-science all across the U.S.and around the world overthe past several yearshelped result in thisimportant first step ondebt.

Precedents SetSeveral important prece-dents were set by the G-8agreement. First, theprinciple of 100% multilat-

eral debt cancellation wasestablished. Up until thispoint, the HIPC Initiativeallowed only partial relief –on average 33% reductionsin debt service paymentsfor elgible nations.

Second, the debt stockcancellation approach wonout over a more limitedapproach put forward by

the UK government fordebt service relief. The UKproposal would havemeant 100% debt servicerelief rather than full stockcancellation, and only forthe next 10 years. The UKgovernment would havepaid debt service on behalfof the impoverishednations, and then revisitedthe situation in 2015. Butthe debt stock cancellationapproach favored by

the US carried the day.

Another important stepwas inclusion of debt of thequalifying countries tothe IMF, which had been indanger of not being in-cluded. In April the U.S.government had taken IMFdebt cancellation off thetable at the G-8 negotia-tions due to their opposi-tion to utilizing IMF goldsales to finance that cancel-lation. Campaignersmobilized to highlight theunacceptable nature of thisimportant missing piece,which helped to includeIMF debt in the final G-8deal.

It is important to acknowl-edge victories when theyhappen. But it is importantto put the G-8 deal inproper perspective. TheG-8 deal on 100% debtcancellation, though acritical first step, falls wellshort of what is necessaryto conclusively end thedebt crisis facing impover-ished nations. There haveunfortunately been manypremature announcementsin the media claiming thatthe G-8 deal represents fulldebt cancellation for Africaand the global South.

More Work AheadAfter this weekend, ourwork is not done. Too

Volume 7, Issue 2 Page 9

many impoverished nationsin Africa, Asia, and LatinAmerica will continue topay more in debt servicethan they spend on healthcare and education.

Nigeria for instance willcontinue to spend $1.7billion a year on debtservice payments. Lastyear, this amount devotedto debt service paymentswas five times what Nigeriaspent on education and 13times that spent on health.The four Latin Americannations included among the18 beneficiaries – Bolivia,Guyana. Honduras, andNicaragua — will still pay atotal of almost $1.4 billionin debt service over thenext five years to theInter-American Develop-ment Bank (IDB). Thegovernment of Guyana putout a statement Tuesdayurging the full cancellationof their IDB debt.

For the 20 HIPC countriesbeyond the 18 that havenow qualified forcancellation, it could takeyears before they becomeeligible for cancellation.After all, it took the 18countries included in the G-8 proposal eight years tosatisfactorily implement theharmful economicconditions mandated in theHIPC process and therebyreach “completionpoint”. In order to progress

to these points, nationsmust draft and havethe IMF/World Bankapprove Poverty Reduc-tion Strategy papers(PRSPs) and be in compli-ance with conditions onother World Bank andIMF loan agreements,including the PovertyReduction and GrowthFacility (PRGF) of theIMF. PRSPs and PRGFloans contain hundreds ofpolicy conditions thatnations must enact in orderto qualify for debt cancel-lation. Jubilee USA andsocial movementsoppose the linking of debtcancellation to countries’implementation of sucheconomic policies.

These economic policiesinclude privatization ofgovernment-run servicesand other entities, in-creased trade liberalization,and budgetary spendingrestrictions, as mandatedby the IMF and WorldBank. These policies havenot been proven to in-crease per capita incomegrowth or reduce povertyas found in research by theCenter for Economic andPolicy Research. JubileeUSA and social move-ments clearly call for theseconditions and polities tobe abandoned.

Left Out of the DealBeyond the 38 countries

contained in the HIPCInitiative, there are dozensof other countries in urgentneed of 100% debtcancellation that the G-8deal leaves out. As theJubilee Debt Campaignand Christian Aid haveidentified, there are 62low-income countries thatneed full debt cancellationto meet the MillenniumDevelopment Goals(MDGs). The $56 billionin debt stock being can-celled under the current G-8 agreement amounts toless than 10% of the totalexternal debt of all low-income countries that need100% cancellation to meetthe MDGs. The WorldBank itself identifies 26middle-income countriesas having “severe” debtburdens, including Indone-sia and Ecuador. Govern-ments in non-HIPCcountries such as Kenyahave expressed in recentdays their disappointmentin being excluded from theG-8 deal.

Jubilee South identifiesmany more countries thatrequire the cancellationof their odious or illegiti-mate debts. In advocatingthe cancellation ofIraq’s debt, the U.S.government had made theargument that loanscontracted by undemo-cratic regimes whichworked to the detriment of

their populations should beannulled. This odious debtargument applies to debtscontracted by the apartheidregime in South Africa, byMobutu Sse Seko in whatis now the DemocraticRepublic of Congo,Ferdinand Marcos in thePhilippines, the militaryjunta in Argentina, andmany more.

Some G-8 nations haveargued they have limited thecountry list becausefurther cancellation isunaffordable. But resourcesexist to finance thisfurther debt cancellation..One financing option thathad been proposed bythe U.K. government wasthe limited sale of the IMF’sgold reserves, which theIMF demonstrated as beingfeasible in a March report.Another potential resourceat the international financialinstitutions is the accumu-lated and future profits ofthe World Bank. Drawingfunds from the IMF’s low-income lending arm isanother possibility, whichapparently the U.S. consid-ered during the course ofthe negotiations.

None of this should takeaway from the significanceof the G-8 deal for the18 countries that qualifiedfor 100% cancellation.Debt relief to date has

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Social Justice Movies: Some titles to check out

Many of us prefer to get information about social justice issues ranging from the death penalty to immigration,to genocide from documentaries and from films that tell a story. The most recent Blueprint for Social Justiceissue listed films submitted by their readers as the best socially aware films out there. We have included here ashort selection of the titles of some of the movies suggested. The magizine includes extensive descriptions, sogo to http://www.loyno.edu/twomey in order to learn more about these films. If you would like to subscribe tothat publication, please e-mail blueprint@loyno.edu in order to subscribe.

The Battle of aAlgiers (1965 - 125 minutes) Focuses on Algeria’s struggle for independence from France.Bloody Sunday (2002 - 110 minutes) Depicts Irish massacre of 1972, nominated for Independent Spirit Awards.City of God (2002 - 130 minutes) Tells the story of several people who live in a housing project in Rio de Janeiro.Cry Freedom (1987-159 minutes) In segregated South Africa, unlikely friends work together to end Apartheid.Dead Man Walking (1995 - 122 minutes) Sr. Helen Prejean ministers to a man about to be put to death for murder.El Norte (1983 - 139 minutes) Guatemalan peasants make the journey North, to the United StatesEntertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story (1996 - 110 minutes) Tells the story of the spiritual journey of Day.Gandhi (1982 - 190 minutes) Awe-inspiring story of the Indian lawyer who became a symbol of nonviolence.Hotel Rwanda (2005 - 122 minutes) Amid the holocaust of Rwanda, one man musters the courage to save 1000.In This World (2003 - 88 minutes) TwoAfghan cousins become refugees and embark on a clandestine odyssey.Iron Jawed Angels (2004 - 124 minutes) Fiery young suffragettes band together to change the U.S. constitution.Johnny Got His Gun (1971 -111 minutes) In WWI, a young American soldier loses his limbs, remembers his life.The Long Walk Home (1990 - 98 minutes) A housewife in Montgomery, Alabama gets involved in civil rights work.Maria Full of Grace (2004 - 101 minutes)A Colombian woman becomes involved with drug trafficking, awards won.Matewan (1987 - 142 minutes) A union organizer travels to West Virginia in 1920 and touches off violence.Milagro Beanfield War (1988 - 120 minutes) New Mexican farmers face off against a local resort owner.Missing (1982 -123 min.) An American expatriate vanishes in a South American coutry, exposes Chile’s dicatorship.Mission (1986 - 125 minutes) A Jesuit missionary establishes a church in the hostile jungles of Brazil (circa 1750).Motorcycle Diaries (2004 - 128 min.) A young Che Guevara travels across South America.Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002 - 93 min.) Australia’s aboriginal integration program of the 1930s broke countless hearts.Romero (1989 - 102 minutes) The inspiring story of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador.Veronica Guerin (2003 - 98 minutes) Real life story of a Dublin reporter who explores the world of drug lords.

Documentaries:Amandla! An Evolution in 4-Part Harmony (2002 - 103 minutes) Music and political change in South Africa.American Dream (1991 - 102 minutes)Unsettling account of months long strike at Hormel in Minnesota (1984).Control Room (2004 - 83 minutes) Focuses on controversial and dangerous operations of Al Jazeera news network.The Corporation (2004 -145 minutes) Charts the spectacular rise of corporations as a dramatic presence in our lives.A Day’s Work; A Day’s Pay (2001 - 57 minutes) Follows welfare recipients in NYC in a welfare-to-work program.The Farm: Life Inside Angola Prison (1998 - 100 minutes) Focuses on life in a Louisiana Prison - award winning.Hearts and Minds (1974 - 112 minutes) Academy Award winning - Critical of US actions during the Vietnam War.The Hidden Face of Globalization (2003 - 34 minutes) Documents lives and working conditions in Bangladesh.Life and Debt (2001 - 86 minutes) Documentary examines impact of World Bank, etc. on the Jamaican economy.The Lost Boys of Sudan (2003 - 87 minutes) Follows two Sudanese refugees throughout their intense journey.Panama Deception (1992 - 91 minutes) Examines motivation behind the 1989 invasion of Panama by the U.S.The Tuskeegee Airmen (2003 - 60 minutes) Examines these African-American soldiers’ efforts to combat racism.

Volume 7, Issue 2 Page 11

Slavery Today: Human Trafficking by Mary O’Herron

Human trafficking is thepractice of moving peopleusually against their willsfrom one place to another.Estimates claim that be-tween 800,000 and 900,000people are taken acrossinternational bordersannually and forced to workin factories, fields, asdomestic servants or usedfor sexual purposes. Be-tween 18,000 and 20,000are brought into the U.S.each year. Over half ofthose trafficked each yearare children.

Unsophisticated and poorpeople — particularlywoman and girls— areenticed by the prospect ofhigh-paying jobs. Uponreaching their destination,victims’ documents areoften taken and they aremade work to pay “debts”incurred in their transport.Sexual exploitation, beatingand other abuse is fre-quently involved. Humantrafficking is second only todrug trafficking as a crimi-nal endeavor and is increas-ing at a great rate.

The following informationmay be helpful if you areconcerned that someone is avictim of human trafficking.

The U.S. Department ofHealth and Human Servicessuggests the following signsto look for and questions toask:

Evidence of being con-trolled/accompanied byanother person who seemsto dominate

Evidence of inability tomove, leave a job or evenallowed in public unaccom-panied

Bruises or other signs ofphysical abuse

Fear, depression, submis-siveness

Not speaking on own behalfand/or non English-speaking

No passport or otheridentification

What type of work do youdo?

Are you being paid?

Can you keep what youearn or is someone holding itfor you?

Can you leave your job ifyou want to?

Can you come and go asyou please?

Have you or your familybeen threatened?What are your working andliving conditions like?

Where do you sleep andeat?Do you have to ask permis-sion to eat/sleep/go to thebathroom?

Are there locks on yourdoors/windows so youcannot get out?

Has your identification ordocumentation been takenfrom you?

For children:

Why did you come to theUS?

What did you expect whenyou came?

Were you scared?

Do you have any papers?

Who has them?Are you in school?

Are you working?

If you suspect someone may be a victim of humantrafficking:

Call the Trafficking Information and Refer-ral Hotline 1-888-373-7888

Other Resources:

US Department of Health and Human Ser-vices – www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking

Protection Project —www.protectionproject.org

Pray for the victims, those trying to stop hu-man trafficking and those benefiting from it.

Can you leave if you want?

Where do you live?

Who else lives there?

Are you scared to leave?

Has anybody ever threat-ened you to keep you fromrunning away?

Did anyone ever touch youor hurt you?

Page 12 JPIC REPORT

The men in this photo are members of St. John Fisher parish in West Palm Beach, Fl.,the site of Fr. Darrell Rupiper, OMI’s first Ecological Mission. Pat Hilgardner, theliason with Fr. Darrell, informed us that the Men’s group took an important step incaring for Earth by replacing hundreds of plastic disposable table settings used in theparish hall with reusable ones. Bravo!

Pat also participated in the organization of a clean-up of West Palm Beach for Earthday. She writes: “No effort is too small. Over time each small step can lead to savingGod’s beautiful masterpiece, “the planet Earth” for future generations to marvel at.” Fr.Darrell has given his mission in 25 parishes. At this time he has another 13 scheduled.Contact him at 760-469-7323.

Left to right: Frank Betz, Rueben Cooley, President, Joe Jukubiak, Mike Kintzel, Sam Smith.

worked. The limited debtrelief so far has doubledpoverty alleviationexpenditures in the coun-tries that received it.Savings from debt reliefhave more than doubledschool enrollment inUganda, provided 3 extrayears of school for Hondu-ran children, and providedresources to fight againstHIV/AIDS in Mali,Mozambique, Senegal and

Cameroon. 100% debtcancellation for 18 coun-tries means real resourcesfor real people. But asArchbishop NjongonkuluNdungane of South Africanoted: “Our objectiveis a clean slate - a totalcancellation of odious andunpayable debts owedby African countries.” TheG-8 deal has fallen short onthis and other measures,and the global Jubileemovement will continue to

work to break the chains ofdebt in the global South.While we celebrate animportant step forward,only full debt cancellationwill fulfill the Jubilee visionof a world where externaldebt no longer divertsresources from impover-ished people or constrainspolicy choices. For a fullanalysis of the G-8 deal,see www.jubileeusa.org.

G-8 Debt Reliefcontinued from page 9 not provide benefits to their

workers. The result hasbeen that wages earned byundocumented laborerssince 1986 have remainedlargely unchanged, whilethose of documentedworkers have decreased.Thus in the U.S. labor forcethe proportion of undocu-mented workers with nolabor rights is increasingwhile that of documentedworkers with labor rights isdecreasing. Particularly striking wasthe great concern amongMexican pastoral agentsabout the treatment ofCentral Americans inMexico. Most of thequestions posed to theMexican Foreign Ministerwere from his own co-nationals on this issue. Mr.Derbez acknowledged thatlaw enforcement andpolitical processes inMexico are still too taintedby the deep-seated cultureof corruption there, but heencouraged the participantsto help victims denounce theperpetrators, whetherofficials or people-smug-glers, to the authorities.Some participants noted,however, that in many casesthe authorities were pre-cisely the problem. Mr.Derbez shared how this isnot just a policy issue forhim, since his own sisterruns an immigrant hospitalityhouse in San Luis Potosiwhich he has often visited. Several speakers fromMexico emphasized howpart of the ministry amongmigrants has to be a minis-

Continued from page 5…

Volume 7, Issue 2 Page 13

Parishioners at St. Johnthe Baptist Parish in SanJuan, Texas, have beenactive recently in a numberof political and legislativeissues affecting families.

The parish belongs toValley Interfaith, a localnon-partisan politicalassociation that trainschurch members to takeresponsibility for theircommunities.

Many of the parish’sactivities have focused onAustin, where the 79th

regular session of theTexas State Legislatureopened in January 2005.

In the last few months,hundreds of St. John’sparishioners have writtenletters and made phonecalls to their state legisla-tors.

They asked legislatorsto preserve the “RobinHood” law, which redis-tributes property taxmoneys from rich schooldistricts to poorer schooldistricts.

The local schooldistrict, known as Pharr-San Juan-Alamo (PSJA),

depends on redistributedtax money to meet theneeds of its poor, butrapidly growing studentpopulation.

St. John’s parishionershave also called on statelawmakers to restorefunding cuts made in 2003to the Children’s HealthInsurance Program (CHIP).More than half the childrenin San Juan do not haveadequate health insurance.

The parish’s Catholicsalso urged legislators toreject several bills thatwould legalize and taxcasino gambling and videoslot machines.

In February, St. John’spastor, Fr. John Lasseigne,OMI, testified before theHouse Ways and MeansCommittee of the TexasLegislature about the harmlegalized gambling hascaused to his home state ofLouisiana since the early1990s.

As can be seen fromtheir legislative agenda,Valley Interfaith leadersfrom poor cities like San

Juan have needed to fightmostly defensive battles.

Many have noted thatconservative, corporate-sponsored politicians—mostly, though not onlyRepublicans—currentlycontrol every branch of theTexas state government,including the legislature andthe governor’s mansion.

Closer to home, St.John’s Parish organized anaccountability session forschool board and San Juancity candidates on April 14.

At the accountabilitysession, parish leadersasked candidates to take astand on a number ofissues, including improvedsewage and trash pick-upservices and greater schoolsafety.

In the weeks followingthe session, the parish’sValley Interfaith leadersthen conducted a “get outthe vote” drive to encour-age residents to vote in theMay 7 elections.

The leaders wereespecially pleased with thehigher than usual voterturnout in the city races.

Community Organizing Along the Texas Border John Lasseigne, OMI

believes that some of thegangs (not all) which arebecoming an increasinglyserious problem in Mexicoand are harassing defense-less immigrants are actuallyparamilitary operations. Inrecent days, the turf wars

and escalating violence ofthese gangs along theMexican side of the borderhave gained internationalattention. In a very informativeworkshop on how to

advocate for immigrationreform, Doug Rivlin of theNational Immigration Forummade several recommenda-tions. For 80% of the likelyU.S. electorate, immigrationis not a top priority issue.

try among the families backin their home towns whichhave been weakened bytheir departure. Somepastoral agents from theU.S. Midwest shared howthey help facilitate commu-nications between migrantsand the families which theyhave left behind. On the“sending” end, an Americanpriest working fulltimeamong the migrant-sendingcommunities for a diocese inMichoacan shared how hewas facilitating thecontacting of Mexicanmigrants in the UnitedStates by U.S. pastoralagents by working throughtheir families in Michoacan.Fr. Dan Groody (Universityof Notre Dame) shared howa culturally adapted Cursillo-type ministry among immi-grants in the CoachellaValley of California by oneof his Holy Cross elderseffectively addressed theirstrong experience ofmarginalization and loneli-ness in this country and theirquestioning of their purposeor actual accomplishments.Another speaker empha-sized that those who hireimmigrants needed to learntheir stories, to see them asequal persons and not justas less expensive laborers. Bishop Samuel Ruizasserted that in order toaddress the root causes ofmigration people needed tobe sensitized to the realitythat the increasing migrationworldwide is an effect ofthe globalization of povertyby neoliberal economics andpolitics. From his ownexperience in Chiapas, he

Page 14 JPIC REPORT

Legislative and Advocacy Updates

Immigration BillIntroduced On May 12, a broadcoalition of Republicansand Democrats led bySenators John McCain andEdward Kennedy intro-duced an immigration billwhich would allow for alegal means of entry andeventually would permitimmigrants to becomecitizens if they choose to. While this bill is notperfect, it is worth support-ing because it represents aviable alternative forundocumented peoplecrossing into and living inthe United States.Please let your representa-tives know that you are infavor of comprehensiveimmigration reform such asthat offered by this bill,which has received billnumber H.R.2330.IH inthe House and S.1033.ISin the Senate.

Important HungerLegislationUrge your senators andrepresentatives to cospon-sor the Hunger-FreeCommunities Act of 2005(S. 1120 in the Senate,H.R. 2717 in the House)and to oppose cuttingfunding or compromisingthe entitlement status of theFood Stamp Program.

Some points to make tothem:• Hunger has increasedin the United States. Morethan 36 million people -including 13 million children- live in households thatstruggle to put food on thetable.• The national nutritionprograms are the fastest,most direct way to preventhunger.• With leadership at thenational and communitylevels, we can cut hungerby half in 2010 and end itby 2015

Have you added yoursupport to the PaxChristi Iraq War Sign-On Statement?Pax Christi staff write:Three years of occupationand war in Iraq have leftmore than 1,600 U.S.soldiers dead, more than10,000 wounded, and tensof thousands of Iraqicivilians dead andwounded. As people offaith, we believe that tohonor the legacy of PopeJohn Paul II requires thatwe oppose this war andwork tirelessly to bring theU.S. occupation to an end.We also affirm that our bestefforts to assist the Iraqipeople will not comethrough sustained militaryoccupation, but through

Half of those 80% say tokeep the level of legalimmigration as it is, theother half say to reduce it.It is these two groupswhom advocates of a betterimmigration policy need toaddress, not the 10% oneither end who say eithertotally eliminate immigrationor increase the level ofimmigration. To do thiseffectively, the publicdialogue on immigrationshould do the followingthings: 1) define the realproblem, rather than lettingothers misrepresent it (e.g.,national security, we’rebeing overrun by immi-grants, etc.): the currentsystem is broken, it is notworking for either thosetrying to prevent immigra-tion nor those trying to treatimmigrants humanely;immigration laws arecolliding with reality andreality is winning; 2)attacking the anti-immigrantgroup (10% of likely voters)is counterproductive (i.e.,calling them ‘racist,’‘xenophobic,’ etc.); 3)rather give the solution: weneed to have a certain levelof immigration to supportour economy (Congress,business, labor unions allagree), and immigrationneeds to be properlycontrolled, so that it isknown who is entering thecountry and so that thoseentering are safe andrespected; 4) speak of thevalues that immigrantsreally represent — hard-working, tax-paying,

Continued from page 13 wanting to play by the rules,usually having strongfamilies – and that they arenot going to disappear; 5)speak to the values of whowe have historically beenas a country and church: anation of immigrants, a landof opportunity, a beacon ofhope not based on whereyou came from (all of ourancestors were given thisopportunity); 6) distinguishbetween the U.S. sense oflaw which makes undocu-mented immigrants illegaland the natural and divinelaw which gives people theright to migrate for a betterlife while respecting anation’s right to preserve itsown society; 7) do notadvocate amnesty for theundocumented, but rather apath for them towardearned legalization; 8) forthe general public audience,stay away from too manyfacts and figures, peoplewant the gut issues; 9) indialoguing with politiciansand making public state-ments, it is more effectiveto work ecumenically(evidencing broad-basedsupport). A website is beingestablished by the bishopsalong the Texas-Mexicoborder:www.texmexbishops.com.The Casas de Migrantessponsored by the MexicanChurch along the entirestretch of its border withthe U.S. have a communi-cations websitewww.migracion.org.mx.

Volume 7, Issue 2 Page 15

determined humanitarianand political support as thecountry charts its newcourse through history. Please visit the PaxChristi website atpaxchristiusa.org in orderto sign the statement.

CAFTA Alert As this newsletter goes

to print, the House ofRepresentatives is prepar-ing to consider the CentralAmerican Free TradeAgreement (CAFTA).Many peace and justicegroups have opposed thisagreement for manyreasons among them: thatCAFTA will likely drivesmall farmers in Central

America out of business,and that AIDS drugs willbecome increasinglyunavailable with newregulations brought byCAFTA. From a moralperspective, it is clear thatCAFTA fails John Paul II’stest that those who canintervene to safeguard thedignity of the person must

do so. Instead, CAFTAintervenes to preserve theprofits of pharmaceuticals,at the expense of humanlife itself. If CAFTA hasnot yet passed when yourecieve this newsletter,please let your legislatorsknow of your stance onthis important issue.

Items from Bangladesh for Sale

The Oblates in Bangladesh continue to work with the indigenous Garo and Khasi people there. In aneffort to raise much-needed financial resources they have produced crafts for sale. We appreciatethe generous response to our sale of items last year.

To support this effort, the JPIC Office of the US Province has purchased more of these items andoffers them to you at cost plus postage. Each item is made from a heavy fabric and is carefullycrafted. A list of objects and the cost for each is below. Please contact the JPIC office at (202)483-0444 or maryoh@omiusa.org if you are interested in any of these items. In some cases,we have only a few of each item, but we will happily sell what we have as the requests arrive.

Item Cost Each

Passport Holders $ 3 Unisex travel pouch with a thin fabric strap.

Shoulder Bags in 4 Sizes. Each closes with a fold-over flap and has at least one zippered compartment:

A. (7" x 9") $6B. (9" x 9") $7C. (9" x 11") $8D. (10" X 14") $9

Fold-over Wallets $2

Ladies Handbags: $8 (12" x 12") with fabric handles and zippered closing

Computer Bags: $17 (12" x 13") with shoulder strap and several compartments

Placemat and Table Runner Set: $30 The set contains 6 placemats (14" x 21") and 1runner (14" x 60").

NON-PROFITORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE PAIDWASHINGTON, DCPERMIT NO. 1749UNITED STATES PROVINCE

MISSIONARY OBLATES OF MARY IMMACULATE391 MICHIGAN AVENUE, NEWASHINGTON, DC 20017Return Service Requested

Printed on Recycled Paper

“Preach the Gospel. Use words if necessary.” St. Francis of Assisi

How can we notthink with profound

regret of the dramaunfolding in Iraq,

which has given riseto tragic situationsof uncertainty andinsecurity for all.

Pope John Paul II

Please visit our new website atwww.omiusajpic.org!