Events
Partnership with Franciscans International
29/01/07 20:57
On January 18th, 2007, the Christian Brothers and the Presentation Brothers signed an Agreement with Franciscans International to collaborate in the promotion of social justice and human rights in Geneva. This new partnership is a response to the Chapter 2002 call ¨to network for global justice¨ in the context of the Prophetic Call to Justice.
Franciscans International, together with Dominicans for Justice and Peace and the Marist Brothers Bureau of International Solidarity, are a significant presence in the area of social justice and human rights. Already in the 1980s the Franciscan family had established an NGO for the purpose of engaging in advocacy actions at the United Nations in New York. In 1996 Timothy Radcliffe proposed that the Dominicans would collaborate with the Franciscans in setting up an office in Geneva. From a modest presence in 1997 that began in a student room in the Cité Universitaire, consisting of Father John Quigley OFM and Alessandra Aula, the Franciscans International Geneva office now consists of twenty people, all engaged in advocacy support initiatives linked to the various United Nations entities located in Geneva. In 2005 the Marist Brothers signed a partnership agreement and there are currently three Marist Brothers engaged in advocacy work in Geneva. Franciscans International also has offices in New York and Bangkok, as well as local nodes in various countries.
Mike Hasenmüeller (FI), Donal Leader, and Chris Duckett (FI)
Indicating the significance of the Edmund Rice International partnership agreement with Franciscans International, the signing ceremony was attended by the local Swiss Provincial of the Dominicans, the Marist Brothers, the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary and by the Head of the Human Rights Section at the Irish Mission in Geneva. It was a very moving ceremony that began with the evocative Liam Lawton musical reflection, ¨Pity Then the Child¨, a piece specially composed to mark the beatification of Edmund Rice.
It is anticipated that an international community will be established in Geneva to support the work of Edmund Rice International. The community will be composed of Christian Brothers and Presentation Brothers. There will also be, in time, Edmund Rice International interns associated with the community. All will be working in the Franciscan International offices on the rue Varembé, a very convenient location that is about ten minutes from the UN complex and within easy reach of almost all the major NGO offices in Geneva.
Those involved in the advocacy support work will be engaged in developing status reports, emergency action interventions and country shadow reports on issues identified by the worldwide Edmund Rice community. An important aspect of the work will be the development of strong links with local projects, initiatives and communities around the world.
Although Edmund Rice International is an incorporated body with legal status, it will take time for it to acquire representative status at the United Nations. Achieving this status will be totally dependent on the degree to which the Edmund Rice community around the world can demonstrate and implement strong advocacy actions in the areas of education, child rights, support for the Millennium Goals, and the struggle to combat HIV/AIDS.
Major Award to the ERC in Sydney
14/12/06 10:29
The Edmund Rice Centre in Sydney,
Australia, has been awarded the Australian Human Rights and Equal
Opportunity Commission (HREOC) Human Rights Award for Community
Organisations 2006. The Award recognised the Centre's work
uncovering the fate of deported asylum seekers, as well as the
broader human rights work of the Centre.
Marking Human Rights Day, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) held its annual Human Rights Lunch and Awards, hosted by Julie McCrossin. The Awards recognise the efforts of those in a range of fields working to promote human rights.
Senior researchers Zeena Elton and Dr Ben Spies-Butcher received the Award on behalf of the Centre.
"Receiving this human rights award is a significant honour. The award specifically recognises research into the fate of deported asylum seekers, but more broadly recognises the importance of achieving rights based Reconciliation with Indigenous Australians, sharing our history and our country, and ensuring we treat those who come to our shores seeking asylum with dignity and compassion" Dr Spies-Butcher said.
"It is a tribute to the many volunteer networks, and the broader social movement of which we are apart. From researcher Margaret Hetherton and Dominican Sisters Mary Britt and Carmel Leavey, who helped to uncover the fate of deported asylum seekers, to the many other volunteers, from all backgrounds, faiths, cultures and ages who we work with to fight for human rights and the dignity of the person." he said.
"The Edmund Rice Centre staff would also like to thank the continuing support of Indigenous elder Patrick Dodson who has been a great inspiration and mentor for our work" said Ms Elton.
ERI congratulates ERC Sydney on this major award. It is testimony to the power of advocacy and to the capacity of the Edmund Rice spirit to mobilise so many different people on behalf of the poor, the dispossessed and the marginalised.
Well done ERC Sydney!
Marking Human Rights Day, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) held its annual Human Rights Lunch and Awards, hosted by Julie McCrossin. The Awards recognise the efforts of those in a range of fields working to promote human rights.
Senior researchers Zeena Elton and Dr Ben Spies-Butcher received the Award on behalf of the Centre.
"Receiving this human rights award is a significant honour. The award specifically recognises research into the fate of deported asylum seekers, but more broadly recognises the importance of achieving rights based Reconciliation with Indigenous Australians, sharing our history and our country, and ensuring we treat those who come to our shores seeking asylum with dignity and compassion" Dr Spies-Butcher said.
"It is a tribute to the many volunteer networks, and the broader social movement of which we are apart. From researcher Margaret Hetherton and Dominican Sisters Mary Britt and Carmel Leavey, who helped to uncover the fate of deported asylum seekers, to the many other volunteers, from all backgrounds, faiths, cultures and ages who we work with to fight for human rights and the dignity of the person." he said.
"The Edmund Rice Centre staff would also like to thank the continuing support of Indigenous elder Patrick Dodson who has been a great inspiration and mentor for our work" said Ms Elton.
ERI congratulates ERC Sydney on this major award. It is testimony to the power of advocacy and to the capacity of the Edmund Rice spirit to mobilise so many different people on behalf of the poor, the dispossessed and the marginalised.
Well done ERC Sydney!
BONO at the Washington Prayer Breakfast
16/02/06 19:47
Rather than posting the whole speech here, you can read it here. Enjoy!
Ecumenical Advocacy Days
15/02/06 08:35
Do you live in the United States? If
you do, you may be interested in the Ecumential Advocacy Days for
Global Peace with Justice conference taking place in Washington DC
from March 10th to March 13th 2006. You can check this out and
download a brochure from the following site: advocacy days