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"
If you want to end the war then instead of sending guns, send books. Instead of sending tanks, send pens. Instead of sending soldiers, send teachers."
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- Malala Yousafzai
Thank you for all you do to promote peace and justice in our world in the SSND spirit of Shalom.
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Shalom North America Contacts
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Click here
for our printer-friendly (pdf) version of the newsletter. (Please note - our next newsletter will be delivered on August 29.)
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Integrity of Creation
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 'Climate Apartheid' to Push 120 Million into Poverty
A recently published report estimates that more than 120 million people could slip into poverty within the next decade because of climate change. "We risk a 'climate apartheid' scenario where the wealthy pay to escape overheating, hunger and conflict while the rest of the world is left to suffer," said Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights. "Even the unrealistic best-case scenario of 1.5 (degrees Celsius, or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming by 2100 will see extreme temperatures in many regions and leave disadvantaged populations with food insecurity, lost incomes, and worse health," the report said.
Learn more.
Ideas/resources for taking action.
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| UN says climate change will hit the poor hardest |
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Integrity of Creation
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 California Bishops - Protect Our Common Home
On June 18, the California Conference of Catholic Bishops issued their own pastoral statement on threats to the state's environment.
God Calls Us All to Care for Our Common Home is a resource "to animate and energize the implementation in California of what Laudato Si' calls us to do, and to offer a dynamic teaching and evangelization tool for our Catholic faith community and beyond, especially for young people."
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Integrity of Creation
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 Prepare for the Season of Creation (9/1-10/4)
The Vatican has issued a letter encouraging pastors and communities to
celebrate the Season of Creation. This year's Season of Creation theme is the "the web of life" and it will highlight biodiversity. You can learn more and find resources at
SeasonofCreation.org.
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| Pope Francis Asks Us to Pray for Creation on September 1st |
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Human Life and Dignity
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 2019 Trafficking in Persons Report
The 2019 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report highlights the national nature of trafficking: in 77% of the cases, victims are trafficked within their own countries of residence, rather than across borders. Victims of sex trafficking were more likely to be trafficked across borders while victims of forced labor were typically exploited within their own countries. According to the report, the top three nations of origin for victims of human trafficking in 2018 were Mexico, the U.S. and the Philippines.
Summary and critical commentary,
full report.
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Human Life and Dignity
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 Causes and Vulnerabilities that Contribute to Human Trafficking
At the public release of the Trafficking in Persons Report, S. Gabriella Bottani SMC, the coordinator of
Talitha Kum, was recognized by the U.S. State Department for the network's anti-trafficking efforts. In her comments at the report's public release, S. Gabriella identified three "causes and vulnerabilities that contribute to human trafficking": 1) unequal power structure in society, especially related to women, children, and indigenous; 2) inadequate migration policies that leave people vulnerable in an increasingly interconnected world; 3) an economic model that exploits human and environmental resources for the profit of the few in contrast with the exploitation of the many. July 30 is the World Day Against Human Trafficking. What will you do to commemorate the day?
Learn more,
resources,
solidarity reflection.
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Human Life and Dignity
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 UN Says Nearly 71 Million Displaced Worldwide
We are now witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record. An unprecedented 70.8 million people around the world have been forced from home. Among them are nearly 25.9 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18. There are also millions of stateless people who have been denied a nationality and access to basic rights such as education, healthcare, employment and freedom of movement. In a world where nearly 1 person is forcibly displaced every two seconds as a result of conflict or persecution, certainly we can do more. Learn more, take action.
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Human Life and Dignity
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 UN Human Rights Chief 'appalled' at Condition of Migrant Facilities in U.S.
The U.N. high commissioner for human rights Michelle Bachelet on Monday said she is appalled by conditions in which the U.S. is holding migrants and refugees, as reported by
The Hill. "I am deeply shocked that children are forced to sleep on the floor in overcrowded facilities, without access to adequate healthcare or food, and with poor sanitation conditions," Bachelet said in a statement, "This should never happen anywhere." The Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General
released a report last week, outlining "dangerous overcrowding" and "prolonged detention of children and adults" at border facilities in Texas -
learn more. Take action by joining in the
July 12 Lights for Liberty vigils.
Contemplative prayer resource.
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| Lights for Liberty |
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Dolores Huerta - Lights for Liberty |
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Human Life and Dignity
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 Celebrating Civil Rights, the Dream of MLK and Lamenting Racism
July 2 marked the 55th anniversary of signing into law of the Civil Rights Act in the United States. The act gave federal law enforcement agencies the power to prevent racial discrimination in employment, voting, and the use of public facilities. Learn more. On August 28 we will commemorate the 56th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech in Washington DC. Although we have come a long way in the ongoing struggle to dismantle racial prejudice, we are far from accomplishing racial justice. Read more. Prayer, reflection resources.
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| MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech |
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Human Life and Dignity
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 World Indigenous People's Day (8/9)
"On this annual observance, let us commit to fully realizing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including the rights to self-determination and to traditional lands, territories and resources," said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. "Indigenous Peoples are culturally distinct societies and communities. The land on which they live and the natural resources on which they depend are inextricably linked to their identities, cultures, livelihoods, as well as their physical and spiritual well-being."
Learn more. After two years of intensive research and interviews across Canada, the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls has completed its investigation and published the results. Kairos Canada, a tireless voice for Indigenous Rights offers us
this reflection on the inquiry closure.
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Human Life and Dignity
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 World Not on Track for SDG #4 Education Goal
New UN projections indicate that without a shift from 'business as usual', the world will miss its goal of a quality education for all by 2030 (SDG 4). If current trends continue, in 2030, when all children should be in school, one in six aged 6-17 will still be excluded. Many children are still dropping out too: by 2030, only six in ten young people will be completing secondary education. There is a real risk that the world will fail to deliver on its education promises without a rapid acceleration of progress. Learn more.
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Peace and Non-Violence
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 Youth Voices Matter
People who say youth voices don't matter because they are too young don't like what the youth say and use age as a distraction from engaging discussion. So says Greta Thunberg, Swedish activist who, at age 15, began public protesting about the need for immediate action to combat climate change. Malala Yousafzai stresses the importance of books and pens instead of guns and challenges youth, especially girls, to embrace the strength within themselves and realize their full potential. A good reminder and a challenge for all of us to consider. It's time we took a seat 'at your table'.
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| Greta Thunberg speech at UN Climate Change Conference |
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Peace and Non-Violence
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Remembering Hiroshima (8/6) and Nagasaki (8/9)
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Peace and Non-Violence
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 Global Peace Index
The Global Peace Index, produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace, is the world's leading measure of global peacefulness. It uses 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources and measures the state of peace using three thematic domains: the level of societal safety and security, the extent of ongoing domestic and international conflict, and the degree of militarization. Iceland remains the most peaceful country in the world. All three regions of the Americas recorded a deterioration in peacefulness in 2019 with increasing political instability, exemplified by the violent unrest seen in Nicaragua and Venezuela, and growing political polarization in Brazil and the United States.
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| 2019 Global Peace Index key findings in 60 seconds |
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The SSND International Shalom Network witnesses to the Gospel with audacity and hope as we collaborate to build just relationships and respond to the urgent needs of our times.
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 Shalom News North America is an e-publication of the Shalom North America Contacts (SNAC) of the School Sisters of Notre Dame - Arlene Flaherty, Ethel Howley, Jeanne Wingenter, Kathleen Bonnette, Rose Mary Sander, and Tim Dewane. Your comments, suggestions, and feedback are always welcomed. Email us at
[email protected].
Please only print this e-publication if necessary.
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