SEMILLAS Sowing Seeds of Social Justice

Pope on Conflict in Lebanon

2006-07-21T09:35:00.000-07:00

When will pro-war Cafeteria Catholics ever get it. The Pope`s position on warfare is crystal clear. He says it is wrong and can never be justified.

From AlertNet:

Pope Benedict on Sunday condemned "terrorist" acts and reprisals in Lebanon and Israel, saying the violence was unjustifiable.

Benedict, in his first public comments on the escalating crisis, said that violations "of law and justice" at the root of the conflict could not be used to sanction bloodshed.

He called on both sides to resume dialogue.

"The causes of such fierce confrontation are unfortunately objective situations of violation of law and justice," Benedict said, speaking from his holiday retreat in the Aosta valley.

"But neither the terrorist acts nor the reprisals, above all when there are tragic consequences for the civilian population, can be justified."

COHA on WHINSEC: "Torture is Un-American"

2006-06-12T15:23:00.000-07:00

The Council on Hemispheric Affairs comments on the legacy of the U.S.'s training of Latin American military officers at the WHINSEC (Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, formerly the SOA or School of the Americas). Combining the current anti-terrorist fears in the U.S. public, an administration policy that tends to ignore or dismiss torture as legitimate interrogation techniques, and border security concerns, one wonders if WHINSEC might not just stay open, but might also ramp up its old ways again.

Justice as an Answer to Terrorism

2006-05-25T10:03:00.000-07:00

From America:

Just solutions to political, social and economic problems that frustrate young immigrants worldwide “can rob terrorists of the oxygen of hatred” and thwart efforts to “recruit the impressionable,” the Vatican’s representative to the United Nations said on May 11. Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the permanent representative of the Holy See to the international body, spoke before the General Assembly during its informal consultations on a counterterrorism strategy. “The political, social and economic exclusion of immigrant communities stokes the frustration of young people and has led to breakdowns in order in some places; but the demand for a just solution to these questions remains a legitimate one,” the archbishop said. “By resolving such questions swiftly and justly, nations can rob terrorists of the oxygen of hatred and of grievances, real or imagined, by which they attempt to legitimize their evil deeds and recruit the impressionable,” he added.

Editorial from America: True Costs of War

2006-05-10T15:57:00.000-07:00

How can anyone argue against this:

The irony in this silent erosion of American values is that it surrenders the most important weapon we possess in the present struggle against Islamic fundamentalism. The campaign against international terrorism confronts a new kind of challenge. Unlike conventional wars between nation-states or the decades-long confrontation of the cold war, this campaign will not conclude with a surrender or a treaty. When the two global superpowers confronted each other in a climate of mutual assured destruction, the danger was all too real, but the competing interests of the adversaries were clear. Such clarity is not present in the campaign against international terrorism. Suicide bombers will not be defeated by missiles and tanks but by the promise of a life of opportunity with hope for future generations. While military responses to clearly defined targets must be part of our response to terrorist attacks, the fundamental and continuing conflict will be one of ideals and values. If American citizens accept the diminishment of constitutional safeguards and American values without protest, we will slowly surrender our most valuable resource in the continuing campaign against terrorism. By failing to understand our adversaries, we run the risk of becoming their mirror images.

This is the piece's concluding paragraph. Read it from start to finish.

Immigration Myths

2006-04-22T14:25:00.000-07:00

Check out this site, which is from the USCCB's formal "Justice for Immigrants" website. In it, some common myths about immigration are provided. They're all interesting, but the one I found most surprising is the following:

Most immigrants cross the border illegally
Around 75% of today’s immigrants have legal permanent (immigrant) visas; of the 25% that are undocumented, 40% overstayed temporary (non-immigrant) visas.

(Source: Department of Homeland Security (http://uscis.gov/graphics/shared/statistics/index.htm)

Interesting. Check out all the other myths they debunk.

Back in the Saddle

2006-04-22T14:05:00.000-07:00

I figure it's time to get this blog rolling again. We in New Orleans have had a lot to contend with over the past 8 or 9 months, and we're gearing up for another hurricane season, so who knows what surprises are in store for us; but social injustice in the world doesn't stop just because Katrina hit us hard.

We in the local chapter of the Maryknoll Affiliates movement have been very active in attending to the needs of our own community, which are tremendous. Social injustices in our City have always been palpable, and they are even more so in the post-Katrina world that is New Orleans today. So, my hope is that we can restart the blogging part of our efforts small, with a renewed focus on mission to our own in New Orleans, and then build it where we can to other issues of justice facing our nation and our world, of which there are many.

So, please do get in the habit of visiting Semillas with more regularity. I promise that there will be more things to ponder in the weeks to come.

Peace in God.

Justice for Immigrants

2005-05-12T13:56:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is heading up an initiative entitled "Justice for Immigrants" that it is about to roll out. The official website for this initiative can be found by clicking here.

This initiative came out of the recent work done jointly between the Catholic Bishops of the United States and Mexico. This collaborative effort resulted in the publication of Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope. The full text of this joint Pastoral Letter can be found by clicking here. But to whet your appetite for what this Pastoral Letter says, here's a bit of my favorite parts:

33. Both of our episcopal conferences have echoed the rich tradition of church teachings with regard to migration. Five principles emerge from such teachings, which guide the Church's view on migration issues.

I. Persons have the right to find opportunities in their homeland.
34. All persons have the right to find in their own countries the economic, political, and social opportunities to live in dignity and achieve a full life through the use of their God-given gifts. In this context, work that provides a just, living wage is a basic human need.

II. Persons have the right to migrate to support themselves and their families.
35. The Church recognizes that all the goods of the earth belong to all people. When persons cannot find employment in their country of origin to support themselves and their families, they have a right to find work elsewhere in order to survive. Sovereign nations should provide ways to accommodate this right.

III. Sovereign nations have the right to control their borders.
36. The Church recognizes the right of sovereign nations to control their territories but rejects such control when it is exerted merely for the purpose of acquiring additional wealth. More powerful economic nations, which have the ability to protect and feed their residents, have a stronger obligation to accommodate migration flows.

IV. Refugees and asylum seekers should be afforded protection.
37. Those who flee wars and persecution should be protected by the global community. This requires, at a minimum, that migrants have a right to claim refugee status without incarceration and to have their claims fully considered by a competent authority.

V. The human dignity and human rights of undocumented migrants should be respected.
38. Regardless of their legal status, migrants, like all persons, possess inherent human dignity that should be respected. Often they are subject to punitive laws and harsh treatment from enforcement officers from both receiving and transit countries. Government policies that respect the basic human rights of the undocumented are necessary.

39. The Church recognizes the right of a sovereign state to control its borders in furtherance of the common good. It also recognizes the right of human persons to migrate so that they can realize their God-given rights. These teachings complement each other. While the sovereign state may impose reasonable limits on immigration, the common good is not served when the basic human rights of the individual are violated. In the current condition of the world, in which global poverty and persecution are rampant, the presumption is that persons must migrate in order to support and protect themselves and that nations who are able to receive them should do so whenever possible. It is through this lens that we assess the current migration reality between the United States and Mexico.

Bill Quigley on Ratzinger

2005-04-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

New Orleans and Louisiana are so blessed to have such courageous and faithful (not to mention famous) voices on behalf of justice. We have Sister Helen Prejean and Father Roy Bourgeois. And we also have Loyola University Law Professor Bill Quigley. Here is Bill's latest on what the selection of Ratzinger as Pope means to progressive Catholics:

Within minutes of the media announcement that Cardinal Ratizinger was selected Pope Benedict - I refuse to call a process whereby less than 1% of 1% can vote an election - I received an email asking if I was going to switch churches or wait to be excommunicated! My friends laughed and said “A progressive American Catholic is now a double oxymoron!”

The first Pope joke is already racing around Rome. When gregarious and generous Pope John XXIII was made pope, his first words were “Be not afraid!” Now when Pope Benedict is sworn in his first words will be “Be afraid! Be very afraid!”

For those of you who are not Catholic, selecting Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as Pope is a lot like selecting Attorney General John Ashcroft as President. Ratzinger has been the enforcer of orthodoxy for years. No women priests. No gay unions. No questioning authority. Fall in line.

As a progressive American Catholic I feel uncomfortably out of place - both in country and in church. While the last Pope spoke passionately about poverty and peace and solidarity - these principles were undercut by the practices of protection of the all-male clerical hierarchy.

Likewise, we have a president who speaks boldly about freedom and democracy and opportunity - yet these same principles are undercut by practices of global military and economic domination and widespread denial of social and human rights at home and abroad.

Yet I, and millions of others, are not leaving - country or church. Millions refused to give up and go to Canada when our current fundamentalist president was elected.

And we millions are not leaving the catholic church just because the fundamentalists have assumed power there as well.

Our church and our country have wandered far away from the principles of respect and justice and equality that are supposed to be the foundations of each. Yet, we will not leave.

It is time to stand and struggle for the soul of church and country - and, I am afraid, more frequently than I would like, to struggle with both our church and country to force them to stand consistently for their principles.

If our country will not stand up for justice for civilians in Iraq, prisoners here and abroad, a living wage, racial justice, quality public schools, fair healthcare, and reigning in national and international corporate power - then it is up to us to do it. Our country is the one of Harriet Tubman, Patrick Henry, Eleanor Roosevelt, Cesar Chavez, and Martin Luther King. They inspire us and they give us hope to push forward in these times.

If our church will not stand up for women leaders, accountability for abuses, democracy in our institutions, healthy sexuality, equality for people of all orientations, and real respect for all life - including the born - then it is up to us to do it. Our church is the one of Archbishop Oscar Romero, Joan of Arc, Philip Berrigan, Dorothy Day and Francis of Assisi. They inspire us and give us hope to push forward in these times.

Benedict and George - we are not leaving. It is our church and our country. We are going to stay and struggle for the soul of both, with love and justice for all.

Have faith, stay firm: truth will out.

Misunderstanding the Principle of Subsidiarity

2005-04-08T00:49:00.000-07:00

Many conservative Catholics like to pull out the "Principle of Subsidiarity," first articulated in the Papal Encyclical Quadragessimo Anno and referred to in subsequent Papal Encyclicals on social and economic justice, as some kind of official Church policy that calls for the dismantling of the welfare state in ways that punish the poor. In essence, such folks argue that the Church position through this Subsidiarity Principle is that the welfare state diminishes the dignity and the sanctity of the individual by absolving the individual and his/her local community from conquering or overcoming the conditions which oppress him/her. To me, this sounds like the old "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" line, which is accompanied by an attitude that no one has a moral claim on the government to help one get a leg up in life when one can do it by himself and with the help of the people around him. But, while individual initiative is, indeed, to be encouraged, the social justice teaching of the Church also CLEARLY recognizes that sometimes societal and economic structures oppress and that government has a moral duty both to rectify this structural condition of oppression and to provide for the well-being of its poor and disadvantaged citizens until such structural impediments to individual self-actualization are eliminated. I admit that I do not have as much of a complete understanding of this "Principle of Subsidiarity" as it factors into the Social Justice teachings of the Church as I would like, and so I would appreciate any elaboration, clarification, or opinion on the subject that anyone more knowledgable about this subject can provide.

Taxpayer Justice for Illegal Immigrants

2005-04-05T19:20:00.000-07:00

Eduardo Porter has written a revelatory article in the New York Times about the real contributions Illegal Immigrants make the the Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid programs in the United States and the exploitation that they face in never being able to benefit from their contributions. His article explodes the cost/benefits myth that illegal immigrants take more from the US public coffers than they contribute to it. After you read this article, if you aren't moved by the injustice of the situation, you might be inclinded to get on your knees and thank the illegal immigrants for their selfless sacrifice on behalf of the U.S. Citizen's welfare in retirement. For instance, read this little bit from the beginning of Porter's article:

Since illegally crossing the Mexican border into the United States six years ago, Ángel Martínez has done backbreaking work, harvesting asparagus, pruning grapevines and picking the ripe fruit. More recently, he has also washed trucks, often working as much as 70 hours a week, earning $8.50 to $12.75 an hour.

Not surprisingly, Mr. Martínez, 28, has not given much thought to Social Security's long-term financial problems. But Mr. Martínez - who comes from the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico and hiked for two days through the desert to enter the United States near Tecate, some 20 miles east of Tijuana - contributes more than most Americans to the solvency of the nation's public retirement system.

Last year, Mr. Martínez paid about $2,000 toward Social Security and $450 for Medicare through payroll taxes withheld from his wages. Yet unlike most Americans, who will receive some form of a public pension in retirement and will be eligible for Medicare as soon as they turn 65, Mr. Martínez is not entitled to benefits.

He belongs to a big club. As the debate over Social Security heats up, the estimated seven million or so illegal immigrant workers in the United States are now providing the system with a subsidy of as much as $7 billion a year.

How is this possible, you might ask? Well, employers demand that potential employees provide a Social Security number to prove that they can work legally in the United States. Then, without verifying or checking the accuracy of these Social Security numbers, many of which are fraudulent, employers deduct payroll taxes from the earning of these employees and turn this over, along with their own matching contributions, to the U.S. Government. This money just sits there, adding to the available pool of resources that help to keep Social Security and Medicaid/Medicare solvent. Current and future retirees in the United States will benefit from the contributions that these illegal immigrants make to the system by their hard work, and these illegal immigrants will never see a dime of their contributions in their own retirement.

Not only does this demolish the claim by the anti-immigrant, nativist crowd that illegal immigrants are leeches on the U.S. welfare state, but it also shows, once again, the double exploitation illegal migrants face in our country. They contribute mightily to the local, state, and federal treasuries of the United States by way of paying taxes (and not only payroll taxes, but also sales taxes, and property taxes via rents), but they are facing efforts to exclude them from receiving the benefits that their tax contributions have earned them.

The next time you hear anti-immigrant, pro-Minutemen, xenophobic blowhards bring out this reason to justify their border vigilantism, feel free to mention this little fact to them.

Read Porter's whole article for the full extent and ramifications of this reality. It will give you a new appreciation for the value of the illegal immigrant. It will also give you a new read on the US Bishops Pastoral Letter calling for "Economic Justice for All."

A Reminder from "Economic Justice for All"

2005-04-02T21:30:00.000-07:00

"320. Third, the serious distortion of national economic priorities produced by massive national spending on defense must be remedied. Clear-sighted consideration of the role of government shows that the government and the economy are already closely intertwined through military research and defense contracts. Defense-related industries make up a major part of the U.S. economy and have intimate links with both the military and civilian government; they often depart from the competitive model of free-market capitalism. Moreover, the dedication of so much of the national budget to military purposes has been disastrous for the poor and vulnerable members of our own and other nations. The nation's spending priorities need to be revised in the interests of both justice and peace."

From Economic Justice for All: Pastoral Letter on Catholic Social Teaching and the U.S. Economy by the U.S. Catholic Bishops, 1986. [Emphasis added.]

Karol Josef Wojtyla - Pope John Paul II (1920-2005)

2005-04-02T21:23:00.000-07:00

May he rest in peace in the presence of the God he loved and served.

Save Darfur

2005-03-24T10:40:00.000-07:00

Click here to visit a great site -- of which some of you may already know -- on the crisis in Darfur. Also, let's remember that the victims of this genocide are humans with faces, names, and stories.

The Terri Schiavo dilemma

2005-03-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

The whole debate about Terri Schiavo going on these days is not necessarily an issue of social justice, but it is an issue about the dignity of life versus the dignity of death. And this is, in some way, a justice issue. The official Catholic Church is against the removal of Terry Schiavo's feeding tube; and many so-called "pro-lifers" are staging poignant protests to keep this woman alive in a condition that no one can really claim is any kind of positive quality of life for anyone.

Personally, I am very torn by this whole ordeal. On the one hand, we have a woman who can’t speak for herself and who actually might have expressed a wish to not be kept alive by artificial means. I know that my wife has made that abundantly clear to me in our discussions, but I don’t think she has ever put this on paper. But, as a pro-life liberal, I am inclined to opt on the side of life when there is a clear question as to Terri Schiavo’s intent. I don’t think the husband and his transgressions, or the parents and their pleas, or Congress and its absurd and abusive use of its “subpoena” powers really matters at the core of this issue. What this really boils down to, in my mind, is the absolute sanctity of life versus an individual’s right to choose death.

Here we have a case where, if a living will existed, or if there were any clear indication that Terri Schiavo herself expressed her wishes not to be kept alive by artificial means, then it would somehow be morally acceptable to “pull the plug,” so to speak. Is that any way to defend the dignity of life? Why not then support assisted suicide?

Also, I read recently that there are many, many cases (in the thousands per year) where families are faced with this agonizing decision to “pull the plug” on their loved ones in “permanent vegetative states” - just like Terri Schiavo. And the fact is that many families come to the mutual consensus decision to terminate a life without knowing what is the will of the person subject to death regarding being kept alive artificially. Yet, I don’t see anyone protesting these arbitrary decisions to terminate a life.

Is a simple consensus of guardians who decide to terminate a life any morally different that a decision to terminate a life without a consensus of guardians? This is what troubles me about singling out this particular case and making it such a “pro-life” cause celebre. Where are the pro-lifers when the thousands of others in permanent vegetative states are starved to death because someone else (parents, spouses, children, legal guardians) says its o.k. to disconnect the feeding tube, but when no one else has the heart to challenge this decision?

Do we as a society respect the right to die with dignity via the whole "living will" process? Do we who are Catholic accept the right to die with dignity even if technology exists to artificially lengthen our lives? Does the "quality of life" matter in terms of respecting the "dignity of death"? I would appreciate your thoughts on this to help me sort through this isse.

The "Pro-Life" Lie

2005-02-24T16:17:00.000-07:00

Daniel C. Maguire writes that "People shoud be judged by the ideals they most loudly profess." What else does Maguire say? Try this:

Pregnant women and their fetuses suffer from these same lethal deprivations and pregnant women and their fetuses are being bombed in their homes. If you who sanctimoniously wear the 'pro-life' banner were really pro-life-and pro-fetus, that would bother you and we would be hearing your voices raised powerfully in peace protests around the world. We don't. Therefore we must conclude that you are not 'pro-life' and that if you say you are, you are liars.

Reminds me of a scene from the movie Romero when Archbishop Oscar Romero (played by Raul Julia) tells the Salvadoran President (and Military General): "You are a liar." No mincing words. No splitting hairs. No regrets. No hemming and hawing. Crystal clear. ... "You are a liar" ... "You are liars." And, absolutely, 100% right. Daniel C. Maguire's recent piece is scathing and reminds me of what true, Christian fire-and-brimstone moral clarity ought to be. Read it all, revel in its delicious boldness. George Bush likes his advice "unvarnished." Well, he just got what he likes. Good for you, Danny-boy! You speak for a lot of us!

We Ain't Too Generous!

2005-02-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

Professor Jeffrey Sachs, lead author of U.N. Millennium Project’s report re: investing in development says that “the present system is not working…there’s a tremendous imbalance of focus on the issues of war and peace, and less on the dying and suffering of the poor who have no voice.” According to the report, one billion people live on a dollar a day or less; life expectancy in the poorest countries is half that in high-income countries. And every month 150,000 Affican children die of malaria because they do no not have bed nets to keep out mosquitoes, a tragedy Sachs called the “silent tsunami.”

The world’s nations agreed to provide 0.7% of their gross national income for development assistance. Only 5 countries have met or surpassed the target (Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden). Six others have made commitments to reach the target by 2015 (Belgium, Finland, France, Ireland, Spain and Great Britain).

Eleven of the 22 richest donor nations are far from the target and have not even set timetables to reach it – included in this number are the United States, Japan, and Germany.

The United States now spends only about 0.15% of its gross domestic product on development aid, well below the 0.7% it agreed to. See the entire UN Millenium Report for more information.

Action: Write to President and Congressional Representatives requesting that they keep the promise of providing at least .7% of our gross national product for development assistance. See Bread for the World for a sample letter.

Debt Cancellation for the Poor: Act Now

2005-01-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

On February 4-5, 2005, Finance Ministers from the seven wealthiest countries are meeting to consider 100% debt cancellation for many of the world's poorest countries. The lives of thousands of people could be saved every day if the debt of these countries were cancelled and the savings put towards vital health, education, economic, environmental and other development projects. Sign this simple E-petition urging the US to push for 100% debt cancellation for impoverished countries.

[Thanks to SEMILLAS member, B, for this call to action.]

Proud To Be An American?

2005-01-24T08:03:00.000-07:00

Last month representatives of 140 nations were present at the UN World Conference on Land Mines in Nairobi, Kenya. Conspicuously absent was the United States! Since the treaty to ban landmines was signed at the Ottawa Conference in 1999 (with the Vatican being one of the early signers and the United States refusing to ratify) an estimated 30 million stockpiled landmines have been destroyed and 4 million cleared. A total of 14 United Nations agencies are working on the issue in more than 30 countries. How can anyone be proud of a country for refusing to sign this treaty and to continue to thump its nose at the many nations who want to eliminate one of the most persistent scourges of war from the face of the Earth?

"The Salvador Option"

2005-01-24T07:30:00.000-07:00

Newsweek recently reported that the Pentagon is considering a
new plan for Iraq, known as "The Salvador Option," modeled on
U.S. support of paramilitary "death squads" in Central America
in the 1980s. In El Salvador and Guatemala alone such groups
assassinated or "disappeared" well over 150,000 civilians.

The invasion of Iraq was sold to the American public as a
necessary means to stop terrorism and to promote democracy. Two
years later, the United States is on the verge of initiating
death squads. Urge your elected officials to oppose "The Salvador Option".

Latin American Leaders on Globalization

2005-01-12T21:04:00.000-07:00

A very good article which emphasizes Latin America's leaders waking up to the failures of globalization in taking care of the most marginalized of their peoples. The article begins:

Latin American leaders united to criticize globalization for failing to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, and urged global lenders like the International Monetary Fund to allow them to spend more on social projects and infrastructure.

'The perverse logic of draining the needy to irrigate the bountiful still stands,' Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

Lula da Silva, a socialist who has implemented an IMF-sanctioned economic program, called for 'an important shift in the financial flows from international multilateral organisms' to foster 'just and sustainable development.'

Read the whole article. By the way, for those of you particularly interested in Latin America, the Latin American Post is an excellent online clearinghouse for news on Latin America.

A Call to Inaction

2005-01-12T16:01:00.000-07:00

"Not One Damn Dime Day - January 20, 2005"

Since our religious leaders will not speak out against the war in Iraq, since our political leaders don't have the moral courage to oppose it, since Bush is wasting 40 MILLION dollars on his inauguration party...while the soldiers have inadequate armor and too few of them to create or maintain peace in Iraq... Inauguration Day, Thursday, January 20th, 2005 is "Not One Damn Dime Day" in America.

On "Not One Damn Dime Day " those who oppose what is happening in our name in Iraq can speak up with a 24-hour national boycott of all forms of consumer spending. During "Not One Damn Dime Day" please don't spend money. Not one damn dime for gasoline. Not one damn dime for necessities or for impulse purchases. Not one damn dime for nothing for 24 hours. On "Not One Damn Dime Day" please boycott Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target...Please don't go to the mall or the local convenience store. Please don't buy any fast food (or any groceries at all for that matter). For 24 hours, please do what you can to shut the retail economy down.

The object is simple. Remind the people in power that the war in Iraq is immoral and illegal; that they are responsible for starting it and that it is their responsibility to stop it. "Not One Damn Dime Day" is to remind them, too, that they work for the people of the United States of America, not for the International corporations and K Street lobbyists who represent the corporations and funnel cash into American politics. "Not One Damn Dime Day" is about supporting the troops. The politicians put the troops in harm's way. Now 1,300 brave young Americans and (some estimate) 100,000 Iraqis have died. The politicians owe our troops a plan - a way to come home.

There's no rally to attend. No marching to do. No left or right wing agenda to rant about. On "Not One Damn Dime Day" you take action by doing nothing. You open your mouth by keeping your wallet closed. For 24 hours, nothing gets spent, not one damn dime, to remind our religious leaders and our politicians of their moral responsibility to end the war in Iraq and give America back to the people.

Please share this call to action with all your friends and colleagues.

(Thanks to Semillas member Dan DeMers for circulating this message.)

The "Salvador Option" in Iraq

2005-01-10T12:33:00.000-07:00

One of our Semillas members has uncovered a worrisome story that indicates that the U.S. Government (and particularly the Department of Defense) is pondering the creation and support of Iraqi "Death Squads" much like the Reagan Administration did in El Salvador in the 1980s. These paramilitary units would be used to "crush" the Rebels. We know what happened in El Salvador ... a protracted, violent, and bloody civil war in which the U.S. paid mere lip service to democracy while the forces of repression went to work with impunity. This is a frightening story, and if it is true, the sham of Bush's Iraq policy is exposed. Thanks to my Semillas colleague for alerting us to this story.

UPDATE: 1/1/05 12:44pm: The original Newsweek story on this development, on which the above article is based and to which it links, can be found here.

Focus on the Congo

2005-01-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

As aid pours into Asia as part of tsunami relief efforts, Africans in the Congo lament that, once again, the forgotten continent's own humanitarian crises go essentially unheeded:

Even now, as thousands of children die each week from drinking dirty water and not having enough food, and the people of once-thriving communities hide like the hunted in the forests, the Congolese expect little from the world's big spenders.

But as Congo watches the global scramble to raise billions in aid for victims of the Dec. 26 tsunami, many here wonder why Asian suffering stirs action while African suffering is greeted largely with apathy.

The New York-based International Rescue Committee says nearly 4 million people have been killed in Congo since the start of five-year war in 1998, most from war-induced disease and starvation. Fighting persists in the county's east -- the epicenter of the war -- and 1,000 are dying each day, half of them younger than 5.

The tsunami, in comparison, killed an estimated 150,000 as of Friday. The disaster was a sudden scourge of nature, while Congo's toll has accumulated slowly, at the hands of man.

1,000 deaths per day. Half of these younger than age 5. 4 million dead since 1998. Darfur is a similar story. We must remember to keep perspective.

Pope John Paul II's World Day of Peace Message

2005-01-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

From the message of His Holiness Pope John Paul II for the Celebration of the World Day of Peace, 1 January 2005:

To attain the good of peace there must be a clear and conscious acknowledgment that violence is an unacceptable evil and that it never solves problems.

An excellent, simple, and clear message. Read the whole message.

Don't Forget The People of Darfur

2005-01-05T12:40:00.000-07:00

The suffering caused by the Tsunami disaster is almost unimaginable for the majority of us. These early weeks of TV reporting, with countless vivid images and on-the-scene videos, have focused the attention of the world and moved the human family to acts of compassion and kindness unprecedented.

At the same time, in other parts of the world human tradegy continues - tragedies not caused by the forces of nature but rather by "man's inhumanity to man." The genocide of the Africans in Darfur (West Sudan) and the deaths due to malnutrition and disease continue unabated. We could not stop the Tsunami - but we can stop these crimes that have been termed "war crimes" by the UN Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide, Juan Mendez. Bishops of the Catholic Church in their November 17th meeting issued a document entitled "Cry of the People of Darfur" in which they plead for mercy of these people and the organization Africa Action provides us with e-mail access in which we can ask our newspaper editors to report this grave humanitarian crisis.

Help stem the tide of further atrocities in Darfur by being a voice for the voiceless. I think this would be another wonderful way to honor those killed by the Tsunamis.

Interesting Interview on Tsunami and Social Justice/Human Rights in Indonesia

2005-01-05T09:17:00.000-07:00

On the Democracy Now! website, I came across an interesting interview that points to some of the reprehensible manipulation of this natural disaster that can take place if we advocates of social justice aren't attentive and vigilant. The interview is introducted by the following:

The disaster is killing thousands in Aceh but the Indonesian military has been doing that for years. Now activists fear the Indonesian military will use the disaster as a cover to further the killing of the Acehnese and that the Pentagon may use the disaster as an excuse to restore aid to the Indonesian military which was blocked after the military's massacre in East Timor in 1999.

If we are going to make disaster relief in the wake of the tsunami a social justice issue, then we need to make sure that this relief is administered JUSTLY and that it benefits and supports the lives and dignity of the dispossessed who were the most affected by this tragedy and that it is NOT used to make their suffering even worse. Friends, keep an eye out and watch where your government's disaster relief "aid" is really directed!

Help Haiti

2005-01-05T08:04:00.000-07:00

Network, a National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, has identified a key legislative issue that we should be pushing in the upcoming new Congress. It is a carryover initiative from the last Congress that never received Congressional action. It is a request that Congress respond concretely in a number of ways to the current situation in Haiti as it affects the poor and the oppressed. The first part of this advocacy initiative is to support a Congressionally-mandated investigation into the current Haitian regime's repressive campaign against the poor. The second advocates for a number of actions to protect Haitian refugees and defend their human rights. The third calls for the U.S. government to work closely with the UN Mission in Haiti whose mandate is to protect the Human Rights of the most vulnerable Haitians.

If you want to participate in this action on behalf of justice for Haitians, you can visit Network's action alert webpage on this issue and use their Congressional letter-writing program to send a pre-formatted letter electronically to your Congressional representatives.

If the Truth be Told

2005-01-03T13:34:00.000-07:00

I heard Colin Powell this morning say that the US was being extremely generous with contributions to stem the AIDS crisis.

Well here is the fact: "For 2005, Congress has allocated $2.7 billion for the fight against AIDS, or just 0.1% of the total U.S. budget. To put this in perspective, U.S. spending on AIDS next year will equal just 5% of annual U.S. spending on national defense. America can and should do more to fight this devastating disease."

We cannot provide humanitarian aid with one hand and cause humanitarian disaster with the other - over 100 children a day are dying in Iraq as a result of war inflicted wounds.

Matt Rousso

New Year's Resolutions on Behalf of Justice

2005-01-03T10:42:00.000-07:00

What should people interested in issues of Social Justice be thinking about as we begin the new year of 2005? There are many things that could demand our attention ... ravages of war, poverty, hunger, disease and malnutrition, natural disaster relief, fair trade, etc., etc. But there are some things looming on the immediate horizon that may demand our primary efforts and attention. What are they?

Conservative Catholic Take on Social Justice

2004-12-22T22:39:00.000-07:00

I ran across this blurb from an apparently conservative Catholic who was commenting on the Social Justice Teachings of the church. One of the things the author writes is:

To me that means that "social justice" as now understood is a denial of human dignity and a guarantee of tyranny and degradation. It means that men, families and communities don't make their lives, they get made for them by a central authority.

To be quite honest, I was completely unaware (and somewhat shocked, to tell the truth) that there is a strain of conservative Catholicism which interprets the Social Justice teachings of the Catholic Church in this way.

How does one respond to this?

Global Tax on Arms Sales to Fight World Hunger

2004-12-21T14:28:00.000-07:00

This is a bit dated, but I was just catching up on my reading of one of my favorite Latin Americanist columnists, Andres Oppenheimer, and came across this little gem in his 9/23/04 column written for The Miami Herald. He opens with the following sentence:

You may never have noticed if you read most U.S. newspapers, or watch American television, but 113 countries -- not including the United States -- teamed up at the United Nations this week to demand a tax on arms sales to fight world hunger.

First, I have to say that I am one of the many who did NOT know about this initiative and about the U.S. government's short-sighted, but typical refusal to join with the majority of the world's nations in an effort that is nothing but good all-around: tax the tools of destruction and killing, and use the proceeds to defeat hunger and save lives. If you want to read this declaration, referred to as the "New York Declaration: Action Against Poverty and Hunger," click here.

Maryknoll Affiliates - New Orleans

2004-12-20T08:33:00.000-07:00

Check out the Maryknoll Affiliates - New Orleans website.

Keeping the "Christ" in Christmas.

2004-12-18T22:30:00.000-07:00

What does it mean to keep the "Christ" in Christmas? One hears it a lot these days. At the very basic level, I think when folks say this they intend two things: (1) to protest in some way the hyper-commercialization and materialism of the season at the expense of the religious meaning of the holiday; and (2) to attack a perceived "politically correct" attitude that questions whether government promotion of the religious symbolism of the event violates the principle of the separation of church and state.

I've been thinking about this a lot, and I think these two intentions undergirding the phrase are somewhat misplaced -- at least for me. On the one hand, they both seem to come out of a confrontational or reactionary motivation. They're both rather scrooge-like and embittered motivations, if you ask me. They certainly are not celebratory motivations.

For me, the phrase bears a positive, celebratory meaning, as well as a moral challenge. First off, whether the ACLU protests the exhibit of a nativity scene on public property shouldn't have any bearing on whether I am keeping Christ in my Christmas. Keeping the Christ in Christmas means that I need to make sure that what is front-and-center for me during Advent is Christ, and not some distracting preoccupation with what City Hall or the ACLU is doing. And second, if I keep Christ front-and-center in a special way during this Advent season, I should be obligated to keep the "least of my brothers" front-and-center in a special way during this Advent season also.

So, for me, at the end of it all, the phrase "keeping the Christ in Christmas" means that I should strive to exhibit my solidarity with the poor and dispossessed of this world all the more forcefully and to work towards a justice for them worthy of God's becoming flesh in the birth of Jesus and worthy of Jesus' life-long embrace of the marginalized. That's what the phrase "keeping the Christ in Christmas" means for me. What does it mean for you?

Living Wage Resource Center

2004-12-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

For a quick, easy online reference source on the Living Wage Movement, visit The Living Wage Resource Center.

Millenium Challenge Account

2004-12-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

The Millenium Challenge Account is an ambitious effort on the part of the U.S. Government to increase development assistance to the world's poorest countries. For a quick and concise reference sheet on the goals and specifics of the Millenium Challenge Account from a Catholic Social Justice perspective, check out Catholic Relief Services' "Backgrounder" publication. The big question, though, is will the Millenium Challenge Account be different than other previous US foreign development aid programs? Not much, according to Steve Radelet's in depth assessment in his Spring 2003 article in The Washington Quarterly. The Millenium Challenge Account (MCA) is a goal well-worth pursuing and promoting, but it's got to be done right and with committed follow-through. We must be vigilant and hold our leaders to the commitment they made to the goals enshrined in this program.

Social Justice and Globalization

2004-12-17T09:10:00.000-07:00

Sam Gindin has a provocative, though lengthy, article in the June, 2002, volume of the Monthly Review. The title of the article is: "Social Justice and Globalization: Are They Compatible?" It starts out thus:

In a speech in 1999, Henry Kissinger, secretary of state under Presidents Nixon and Ford, candidly remarked that “globalization” is another term for U.S. domination.1 Such clarity tends, in itself, to negatively answer the question posed in the title of this talk. How can anyone argue that U.S. domination—or using the less polite term, “U.S. imperialism”—is compatible with social justice?

Similarly, if we agree that a minimum precondition for any notion of social justice is the extension of people’s democratic ability to shape their lives, that too might reinforce skepticism about globalization’s compatibility with social justice. Especially if we see globalization as being largely about establishing global rules that act as a constitution for investor rights, and which are beyond any parliamentary challenges. And if we went further and defined a socially just world as one that supported the full and mutual development of the potential capacities of every individual, I imagine that many—if not most of us—would judge globalization to be inconsistent with that ideal.

And yet things refuse to stay that simple or clear. Even if Kissinger has helped us see the obvious, aren’t many countries, and citizens of those countries, anxious for U.S. investment? Isn’t it true that the Canadian government, far from being forced into the free trade agreement, begged for that integration into the United States? Is China wrong when it argues that access to U.s. markets, technology, and capital will facilitate its development and that such development is a critical base for social justice? Would we disagree with the World Bank when it argues that countries that have either rejected globalization, or are now being ignored by globalization, do not seem better off for that fact?

Part of the confusion lies in ambiguities about what we mean by globalization and how we think about social justice. But it is more than that: it is also that our sense of social justice is affected by what we believe is possible. In the absence of alternatives to the U.S. Empire, and in the absence of the political capacity to put such alternatives on the agenda, our dreams are trimmed to fit the bed of “reality.” Social justice is made compatible with globalization, not by transforming society, but by shrinking our ideals.

This limiting of hope was perhaps the main measure of the world-wide defeat of the last generation. In spite of the inspiration of Seattle and its aftermath, that sense of defeat is still pervasive. Social justice demands reviving the determination to dream. Its not just that dreaming is essential for maintaining any resistance, but because today, if we do not think big—as big as the globalizers themselves think—we will not even win small.

Good stuff. Take 15 minutes and read the whole thing. It's quite worth it.

A Challenge

2004-12-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

To my friends in the Maryknoll Affiliates, the Public Discipleship Group, and the New Orleans Social Justice Network:

I'd like to put a graphic in the blog that symbolizes who we are and what we're all about. But, I'm not the visually creative type. So, if any one of you wants to propose a graphic symbol specifically for this blog, please rise to the challenge and give us some ideas. In the meantime, I wish you Peace!

In Defense of the United Nations

2004-12-16T12:24:00.000-07:00

A while back, around United Nations Day, I wrote a piece on the United Nations for my other blog, which I think readers of this blog might find interesting. I repeat it for you here:

Most Americans know of the existence of the United Nations, but very few know much about the organization. For instance, it may come as shocking news to many people that the United States has set aside Oct. 24th as "United Nations Day." If you want to learn about the United Nations more completely, you can visit the UN website by clicking here. But a better site for US Citizens to check out is the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNAUSA). Their website can be accessed here.

The good number of United States citizens express either ambivalence or even outright hostility to the United Nations as an organization. And this comes primarily out of a very limited understanding of the United Nations in its POLITICAL role. We hear about the Security Council and most of us can recognize the name of the UN Secretary General (Kofi Annan). And we have probably also read about or heard about UN peacekeeping operations or, more recently, UN Security Council battles over the situation in Iraq. But this is simply a tiny fraction of what the UN is all about. What I would encourage reflective people to do is to make a distinction between the "politics" of the UN and the "on-the-ground" work of the UN.

The UN is the single most important agency that undertakes massive and coordinated efforts world wide to battle discrimination, poverty, hunger, displacement, health crises and any other daily life issues that affect the world's most marginalized and ignored populations -- a group that, in fact, sadly, makes up a vast majority of the world's people. One quick look at the organizational chart of the United Nations will give you just a surface-level sense of the magnitude, reach, and impact of the United Nations in the world today. Let me list some of the UN agencies whose works are not only critical to the health, happiness, and well-being of many of the world's dispossessed, but also without which there would be no effective protections or help for the poor and marginalized of the world. For example, there are the myriad of agencies strictly dedicated to humanitarian affairs. Among these are the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which protects and provides a living space for those people who have no "home" on the globe. There's also the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children & Armed Conflict and the office of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. Some other critically important UN Agencies include the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNESCO), which is the main agency coordinating the UN's impressive Economic and Social Development Programs. Included in this broad umbrella category are institutions like the World Health Organization and the World Food Programme among many, many others.

Needless to say, as you can very well see, the United Nations is not primarily dedicated to issues of war and peace, though certainly this forms an important part of its work. Instead, the United Nations is prinicipally dedicated to helping people, saving lives, and making for a better world for those who live in the most troubled of circumstances.

Many states in the United States have their own particular events and festivities planned in celebration of UN Day on October 24. Please check out the United Nations Association of the United States of America to find out what's going on in your own area. And then join in and become a part of celebrating the good work that the United Nations undertakes.

To look at the United Nations another way, try to envision a world in which the United Nations doesn't exist. How would starvation in Africa be dealt with in the absence of the United Nations? How would the AIDS epidemic worldwide (or the SARS epidemic) be managed without the United Nations? How would peoples displaced by famine or war survive without the United Nations? Who would care about the health and well-being of the world's marginalized and dispossessed if it weren't for the United Nations? We take for granted the presence and the work of the United Nations after almost 60 years of its existence, much like we take for granted the Social Security system of the United States which has saved innumerable lives from destitution and death. In spite of the many failings and weaknesses of the United Nations, the world is undoubtedly in better shape than it would have been without the UN's existence. Anyone concerned with social justice and the fight against global poverty and hunger should embrace the UN, warts and all, as the best chance the global community has of dealing with some of the world's most pernicious problems. I encourage you to do so, and I leave you with a quotation by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell to inspire you: "...keep in mind what the UN is, the UN is us. It isn't a separate organization that exists separately from its members. It is a creature of its member states...." (Sec. of State Colin L. Powell, 10/1/04). Indeed. The UN is us. It's successes are ours, as well as its failures. We should do no finger-pointing at the UN unless we're willing to assume responsibility for it ourselves. And we most certainly need to do our part to make the United Nations what we want it to be.

What condition do you imagine the world would be in today without the United Nations? I welcome your comments.

"NO TO WAR"! - Message from Pope John Paul II

2004-12-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

As we approach this Christmas season, I think it is important for us to remember the words spoken by Pope John Paul II in his January, 2003 address to the Diplomatic Core at the Vatican. In this speech, Pope John Paul II could not have been more clear about war in general, and specifically about the war in Iraq. Here is what he said:

"NO TO WAR"! War is not always inevitable. It is always a defeat for humanity. International law, honest dialogue, solidarity between States, the noble exercise of diplomacy: these are methods worthy of individuals and nations in resolving their differences. I say this as I think of those who still place their trust in nuclear weapons and of the all-too-numerous conflicts which continue to hold hostage our brothers and sisters in humanity. At Christmas, Bethlehem reminded us of the unresolved crisis in the Middle East, where two peoples, Israeli and Palestinian, are called to live side-by-side, equally free and sovereign, in mutual respect. Without needing to repeat what I said to you last year on this occasion, I will simply add today, faced with the constant degeneration of the crisis in the Middle East, that the solution will never be imposed by recourse to terrorism or armed conflict, as if military victories could be the solution. And what are we to say of the threat of a war which could strike the people of Iraq, the land of the Prophets, a people already sorely tried by more than twelve years of embargo? War is never just another means that one can choose to employ for settling differences between nations. As the Charter of the United Nations Organization and international law itself remind us, war cannot be decided upon, even when it is a matter of ensuring the common good, except as the very last option and in accordance with very strict conditions, without ignoring the consequences for the civilian population both during and after the military operations.

Pay heed and listen!

Orbis Book Club

2004-12-16T10:20:00.000-07:00

The Orbis Book Club meets once every three months to discuss and reflect on a book published by Orbis Books. In our most recent meeting, we read and discussed Frederick John Dalton's book: The Moral Vision of César Chávez. This book provides a glimpse into the cause of social justice for migrant farmworkers that moved César Chávez. But more interestingly, the book demonstrates clearly how César Chávez's worldview and social justice mission was shaped by a moral vision conditioned by his Catholic faith and the social justice teachings of the Catholic Church.

At our next meeting, we will be discussing James Hodge and Linda Cooper's new book on Louisiana's own Maryknoll Father Roy Bourgeois and his efforts to shut down the School of the Americas (currently know as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation - or WHINSEC). This book is titled: Disturbing the Peace: The Story of Father Roy Bourgeois and the Movement to Close the School of the Americas.

Many of us are familiar with the work of Fr. Bourgeois regarind the School of the Americas, but this book goes beyond the School of the Americas and takes on the broader U.S. Foreign Policy dynamic that contributes to the continued existence of social injustice throughout the world.

Check out both books and read along with us!

Tis the Season to Buy!

2004-12-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

Gift giving is a wonderful way for us to celebrate our friendships. However, we know it can get completely ritualistic - when we begin giving "things" that people don't want and don't need. I think one way to approach this is to be very conscientious in our buying and gifting, eg: where I buy makes a difference. Many social justice minded folks think that it is good to buy Fair Trade products; or to give food or event tickets, etc. I have a cousin who tries to use the principle "only give what one can eat, use or wear it." What's your thought on this? ... For an interesting perspective and for some good Advent prayer re: this topic, see this document from Center of Concern.

Crisis in Darfur

2004-12-15T10:58:00.000-07:00

At our recent Public Discipleship meeting, the current members of the New Orleans Social Justice Network discussed the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan. For background on this situation and for how to take action on behalf of justice for the people of Darfur, please visit the Africa Action website.

Greetings!

2004-12-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

Greetings to all our companions who walk the path of Social Justice. The contributors to this blog have their roots in a number of groups and organizations in the Greater New Orleans area. First and foremost, we come out of a Catholic Social Justice education program called "Public Discipleship" which is based out of the National Pastoral Life Center (NPLC). To find out more about the Public Discipleship program, please visit the NPLC's Public Discipleship webpage. But we are not just affiliated with this national diocesan program. We are also strongly influenced by the mission and work of Maryknoll, which is a U.S.-based Catholic mission movement; and many of us are formally linked to Maryknoll through its Affiliates program. While we are affiliated with these organizations and movements, we want to emphasize that this blog and its contents are completely independent of them and reflect only our own personal opinions on the theme of Social Justice.

The contributing members of this blog have been meeting approximately once a month over the past three years to discuss the Social Justice teachings of the Catholic Church and to explore ways of converting these teachings into concrete actions on behalf of Social Justice in our own communities and across the world.

The purpose of this blog is basically to serve as a communications device, an informational clearing-house, and an outreach effort regarding Social Justice. We hope to share with you our personal thoughts about Social Justice, the issues and events taking place across our world that cry out for application of Social Justice teachings, and basically anything we find of interest in contemporary current events that cause us to reflect on the themes and teachings of Social Justice.

In our little group, we often discuss the futility of our own abilities to bring justice to those in our world who so desperately need it. We often discuss the frustration of feeling insignificant and powerless in front of social injustice. But we also believe that even the slightest of our actions - even just meeting and talking - constitutes "mustard seed" work towards the goal of realizing social justice for all. This blog is just another little effort in this "mustard seed" work (hence, it's name "Semillas"); and we welcome anyone who wants to participate and contribute to this effort. We hope you will join us and share your thoughts, ideas, and aspirations for a more socially just world.