Little Sisters of the Assumption - International Justice & Peace

Displaced persons refugees, emigrants and people with no documents.

We have explored together the phenomenon of refugees and displaced persons world wide. We are so aware that the tragedy of forced exile is growing throughout the world. 50 million people at the beginning of this new millennium. We see these people without rights, without security at the mercy of every kind of exploitation. Together we have analysed the causes of
the movement of such vast numbers of people.We have examined the International Policies within the context of the refugees and displaced persons.

Aware of these realities we renew our commitment to work with refugees, displaced persons, emigrants, people with no documents and with organisations who are promoting their dignity, welfare and security at local, national and international levels.

Living in Solidarity at all levels.

Living in solidarity is a call to live out a compassion for those on the margins of society today and to make their cause our cause. Aware of what it is like to be on the margins of any society we show real love and solidarity when we try and address the causes of this marginalisation. Solidarity is a sharing in Gods compassion especially for those who need it most. The awareness of the extent of poverty and marginalisation in a world of abundance calls for an urgent response.

At present we are responding to this reality in following ways:

Rendering direct services to those in need.
Sharing of resources.
Promoting the economy of solidarity.
Building awareness, forming or joining action groups to bring about change in the allocation of government resources or policies.
Choosing a simpler more authentic way of life.

Working for the integrity of creation.

Care for the Environment is ultimately a call to respect all creation and to assure that human activity while transforming the earth, does not destroy the dynamic balance which exists among all living things that depend on land, air and water for their very existence. The environmental issue has become central to social, economic and political thought precisely because of the growing degradation which often strikes in a particularly severe way the poorer sections of society. The growing gap between the rich and poor, between the North and South cannot leave anyone indifferent nor can the over-use of the resources of the earth and accelerating species loss.

We are aware of the urgency of the situation:

This calls us
To deepen our understanding of ecological issues, to know the circumstances which threaten our planet - the mystery which underlines its very existence.
To make changes in our lifestyle
To participate in the campaigns of local environmental NGOs
To work for policy changes at national and international levels - The implementation of the Kyoto Protocol.
To work with the landless, displaced persons, refugees, indigenous peoples and support their causes for land, water, forests.

NGO Status at the United Nations.

In 1999 we took the decision at our general chapter to explore the possibility of working with an NGO already present at the United Nations.
We saw this as affording us the possibility in a small way to be present where the decisions that have an impact on the future of the world and of the poor are taken.
In 2001 a decision was taken to collaborate with the Augustian Fathers who are officially associated with the United Nations.

Our collaboration has enabled us:
Understand more deeply the role of an NGO with the UN system
Access UN programmes and networks
Attend UN conferences
Integrate global issues and perspectives more deeply into our ministries
Collaborate more closely with other congregations with UN presence
Move towards bringing our concerns to the UN.

European Social Forum
London, 16 October 2004
NGO Consensus text for demands on Debt Cancellation

Read this article
here

Campaign against Hunger.

This campaign which began on world hunger days 16th October 2003 and will run until December 2004. It is in response to the cries of 840 million people who do not have

enough food to meet their basic nutritional needs in a world of abundant resources and technological advances. The persistent hunger suffered by millions in our world of plenty is an affront to humanity.

The International community has repeatedly declared that it is dedicated to the eradication of Poverty and Hunger. The leaders of the world assembled in Rome in 1966 for the World Food Summit denounced hunger as intolerable and unacceptable, and pledged themselves to eradicate all forms of hunger.

The UN Millennium Goals endorsed by all 189 member states at the 2000 UN Millennium Summit stated that extreme poverty and hunger be halved by 2015.

As part of this campaign we are commited to:
Awareness raising among ourselves and our co-workers as to the causes of hunger in the world.
Continue our commitment in favour of those who are hungry.
Collaboration at a local/national/international level with NGOs that are focused on issues related to hunger and its causes.
Days of prayer and fasting.
Letter writing campaign to national leaders concerning the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals in relation to hunger.

Debt Cancellation

External Debt is a major obstacle to the advancement of a dignified life, to the provision of education, housing, portable water, food and health care in all the heavily indebted poor countries. The burden of the debt experience challenges us to continue our campaigning. These countries continue to get dept relief only if they meet the arbitrary criteria agreed upon by their creditors. For years, especially during the jubilee campaign, we have lobbied at national and international levels for debt cancellation.

Today the urgent need is to continue our work with national and international NGOs knowing that the debt crisis is one of the causes of the impoverishment of many countries. The debt crises has been allowed continue for far too long with devastating consequence for the countries concerned.