At a certain
point you say
to the woods, to the sea,
to the mountains,
the world,
Now I am ready.
Now I will stop and be wholly attentive.
You empty yourself and wait,
listening...
Annie Dillard
Five years ago, caught up in the excitement of a new millennium, many people “stiffened the sinews and summoned up the blood” to do great things for our world community. The U.N. held a Millennium Summit and set 8 goals to be met as speedily as possible.
These Millennium Development Goals, with “step-by-step” targets, are to:
-
Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
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Achieve universal primary education
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Promote gender equality and empower women.
-
Reduce child mortality
-
Improve maternal health
-
Combat HIV/AIDS, the incidence of malaria and other major diseases by 2015
-
Ensure Environmental Sustainability
Progress is to be measured by 2015 0r 2020, with lesser checks yearly.
Our two nations are among the 189 nations which signed the goals on behalf of their populations.
As the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Committee of the Australia-New Zealand Province of the Society of the Sacred Heart we affirm and support the apology made by the Prime Minister of Australia, Mr Kevin Rudd, to the Aboriginal people of Australia, especially the members of the Stolen Generations:
“For the pain,
suffering and hurt of these stolen generations, their descendants and
for their families left behind, we say sorry. To the mothers and the
fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families
and communities we say sorry. And for the indignity and degradation
thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture we say sorry.”
March 1st 2008
International Treaty to Ban Landmines Day
'...there
is a significant ‘dud’ rate among cluster bombs, and the unexploded bomblets
are to all intents and purposes landmines, lying around in large numbers
wherever dropped and causing many casualties and deaths...
Patricia Coyle, RSCJ
more
http://www.cws.org.nz -
Christian World Service - Action Against Poverty -
an excellent Social Justice website
Fight Hunger: Walk
the World - World Food Programme
You can play a critical
role in a worldwide effort to end child hunger. In 2005, Fight Hunger:
Walk the World brought together 201,000 people in 266 locations... raising
enough money to feed 70,000 children for one school year. The aim for
2006 is to gather at least 750,000 walkers across the globe on May 21st.
Will you be there?
NZ Bishop's Conference on Environmental Justice
Saying 'NO' to
Poverty
Landmines - what can we
Australians/New Zealanders do?
No one is exempt from engaging in the process of reconciliation between Indigenous and other Australians and accepting "historical truth" is vital for building a harmonious future, Pope Benedict wrote in a message to an Alice Springs conference at the weekend.
More Justice and Peace: Websites of Interest
http://www.cathnews.com/news/610/35.php
Aboriginal People Claim Rights at Redfern
Aboriginal People silently claim rights at Redfern - our God of surprises.
Pope Benedict challenges Australians on Indigenous Reconciliation