4 de octubre: San Francisco de Asís, patrono de la Ecología

Gracias a Maru Noguez por esta invitación.

El 4 de octubre se celebra la festividad de San Francisco de Asís, patrono de la Ecología. Es buen momento para recordar que algo muy puntual que podemos hacer es unirnos al Pacto o Compromiso de San Francisco. A continuación se reproduce en español una invitación a unirse a ese compromiso o pacto.  LEER MAS.

October 4: St. Francis of Assisi, Patron Saint of Ecology

From the Catholic Climate Covenant:

 All across our country, Catholics are taking the St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor and joining the Catholic Climate Covenant. The St. Francis Pledge is a promise and a commitment by Catholic individuals, families, parishes, organizations and institutions to live our faith by protecting God’s Creation and advocating on behalf of people in poverty who face the harshest impacts of global climate change. To join the Covenant, you commit to act on each of the five elements of the St. Francis Pledge.   READ MORE.

Trashing Texas – Is any place worse than the Comal River? Let’s have a contest to see!

Thanks to Helen Ballew for sending in this article by Shannon Tompkins which tries to raise "our collective awareness of how rampant the issue of trashing Texas public spaces has become and perhaps trigger some thoughts about how to address the issue."

I’m thinking about having a contest to see if we can find the most trashed-out piece of public property in Texas – the place where thoughtless, lazy, arrogant, shameless, irresponsible and otherwise odious individuals dump/leave/toss the biggest piles of litter.

Sadly, we do not lack for possible winners.

The lower reaches of Buffalo Bayou after a good rain washes tons of discarded cups, bottles, cans and assorted garbage into Houston’s signature waterway certainly could be a player. The rafts of floating garbage in the bayou after a rain are mind boggling.  READ MORE.

MÉXICO: Represalia por denunciar en redes sociales

México es considerado el país más peligroso de América para la prensa por la ONU con unos 80 periodistas muertos y decenas de desaparecidos desde 2000.

Así los últimos 3 homidicidios a periodistas fueron, según Amnistía Internacional, una "estrategia para intimidar a los usuarios de las redes sociales para que dejen de comunicar información relacionada con la violencia".

Por tal, Amnistía Internacional condenó mediante un comunicado  el asesinato de la periodista mexicana María Elizabeth Macías el fin de semana, que supone "una clara amenaza a los usuarios de las redes sociales en las regiones de mayor violencia en México". LEER MÁS.

NUEVO ESCENARIO POLITICO EN PERÚ - II

Respeto por los derechos humanos. Ernesto de la Jara, analista político,  resume el segundo gobierno aprista: “este Gobierno [el de A. García], junto con el fujimorismo, intentó frenar la acción de los organismos de derechos humanos: casi hace prosperar una nueva ley de amnistía; inicialmente rechazaron la donación para un Museo de la Memoria; no se contribuyó con información para la judicialización de los derechos humanos; se ha vuelto a fortalecer la justicia militar; las reparaciones económicas son irrisorias; ningún avance sobre derechos para la mujer, etcétera”.

Hoy la mirada es diferente. El Premier en su exposición al Congreso señaló que impulsarán “el Plan Integral de Reparaciones, restituyendo su carácter total, orientada a víctimas individuales y colectivas, que aborde las dimensiones jurídicas legales, salud, educación y la reparación simbólica.”

Sin embargo, propuestas como las del Ministro de Defensa, Daniel Mora, quien felizmente se ha visto obligado a retroceder rápidamente en su infeliz iniciativa de que se dé una ley de “Punto Final” (como se hizo en Argentina) para poner fin a los juicios que afrontan los que violaron los derechos humanos durante el conflicto armado interno.

En este contexto volvemos a reiterar, como lo hicimos hace algunos meses, que es urgente impulsar una amnistía a tanto dirigente social encausado por su participación en los conflictos sociales. Sólo por lo de Bagua, según Patricia Wiesse y Gerardo Saravia, hay más de ochenta líderes indígenas awajun que, debido a ello, “están desde hace dos años: confinados en sus comunidades, muchos no pueden trabajar y viven de la solidaridad de sus familiares”.

Para el especialista politico, Javier Torres, es importante que "la sociedad civil participe activamente en el proceso que se está iniciando, pero manteniendo su autonomía”. Tomado de Coyuntura Septiembre - Bartolomé de Las Casas.

NUEVO ESCENARIO POLITICO EN PERÚ

Cuidado del medio ambiente. En el Perú, este tema siempre se observó como una traba a la inversión, como un lujo que un país pobre no se podía dar o como una demanda que venía del comunismo reciclado, según lo expresó el expresidente Alan García en su artículo sobre el “perro del hortelano” (No come ni deja comer).

La actual situación politica plantea que “La lucha contra la exclusión social tiene un componente ambiental que no puede ser soslayado. No es posible hablar de inclusión social sin establecer su relación con  la  agenda  ambiental  pendiente del país. Los  impactos ambientales se amplifican en los sectores sociales más vulnerables (…) El cambio climático que es la mayor amenaza ambiental global que enfrenta el Perú y afectará de manera muy especial a las poblaciones rurales más pobres que dependen casi exclusivamente del clima para su subsistencia. Por ello se implementarán medidas  de adaptación y de mitigación,  haciendo imperativo  el empleo del enfoque de cambio climático en todos los procesos de planificación del desarrollo” (Exposición del Primer Ministro ante el Congreso Peruano).

Esta exposición enmarca, entonces, un discurso distinto. Presenta la oportunidad de lograr un equilibrio entre la explotación de recursos naturales y la sostenibilidad ambiental. (Tomado de Coyuntura Sep-2011, IBC)

EL PROBLEMA: EL IMPACTO DE LAS INDUSTRIAS EXTRACTIVAS EN LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS

Muchos de los países más pobres del mundo son también los más ricos en recursos. Hasta 12 de los Estados más ricos en minerales y 6 de los más ricos en petróleo están clasificados por el Banco Mundial como “países pobres muy endeudados” y se encuentran entre los países con peores niveles de vida, salud y educación del mundo.

La globalización ha dado un poder y una influencia sin precedentes a las empresas. Pero las empresas pueden ser cómplices y, en algunos caos, directamente responsables de abusos contra los derechos humanos. A menudo no hay una vía efectiva para exigir justicia.

El impacto de las industrias extractivas (minería, petróleo, pesca y agronegocios) y de otros proyectos de desarrollo puede ser devastador para los pueblos indígenas. Las comunidades son reubicadas por la fuerza para dejar paso a las actividades de extracción. La contaminación puede perjudicar el acceso de la gente al agua potable. (Tomado de Amnistía Internacional)

MÁS INFORMACIÓN: UN CASO

REFLECTION ON PAUL FRANCIS DUFFY, OMI ---- MAN OF JUSTICE

Thanks to Cristina Vargas for sending in this reflection, written by Sister Anne Finnerty, SHSp, on Paul Duffy, OMI, the first bishop of the Diocese of Mongu, and his work for justice and peace in Mongu.

I am humbled at being asked to give the reflection on this very sad, very sobering, very reflection-provoking occasion.  I am sure that at this time, everyone here is reverting, as I am, to memories of this wonderful man that we all knew and loved.  We are all reflecting in our own way.  So before I confuse you with my words, I ask you each one of you a question.  The question is simple.  The answer may be complicated.  But take one minute to think in your own heart, what this man meant to you....  READ MORE.

RESOURCE: Move the Money Action Toolkit

This excellent resource is being provided by the American Friends Service Committee who say, "We hope these tools will help you as you wage peace."

"Join AFSC (American Friends Service Committee) and others in a grassroots effort to change our priorities from a militaristic approach to security to one of compassion. We urge starting with compassion at home through meeting basic human needs and broaden into a foreign policy that recognizes basic human rights for people around the world.

In our new toolkit you will find a set of tools to help your community work on federal budget issues over the next year: fact sheets; guides to bird dogging, meeting with Congress and working with the media; ideas for actions and specific opportunities like the super committee and resolutions campaigns.

The twelve members of the Super Committee are charged with finding $1.2 trillion to cut from the federal deficit over ten years. Their recommendations, to be completed by November 23, could affect every single federal program: Social Security, Medicare, services that feed and house the poor, foreign aid, the military, tax policies, and more."

"Capital punishment is barbaric." Georgia Rep. John Lewis

The Long, Murderous Arm of the Law Has Killed Troy Davis

      by Kai Wright and Jamilah King, Color Lines (posted on the AlterNet on 9-21-11)

After a long delay from the Supreme Court, Troy Davis was executed at 11:08 PM Wednesday night, despite over a million people asking for clemency.

September 21, 2011 |

Let us not mince words: The state of Georgia just murdered Troy Davis. The state coroner will list homicide as his cause of death. But he wasn’t the first and, sadly, he won’t be the last person slaughtered in the name of U.S. law and order. There are today dozens more people scheduled to be killed by states, according to Amnesty International. Their likely deaths represent the ultimate act of perversity in a system that destroys untold thousands of primarily black and brown lives every day. 

READ MORE.

READ MORE:  "Beyond Troy Davis:  How Race Colors Death Row 'Justice' "

JUSTICIA AMBIENTAL

En la línea de promover el ejercicio pleno de derechos ambientales en el Perú y dar continuidad al tratamiento de la problemática urbano ambiental, lanzan un proyecto denominado Ciudadano Ambiental en Acción.

Este proyecto  es una iniciativa que brindará  asesoría y herramientas a aquellos ciudadanos/as  que ven vulnerados sus derechos ambientales, ofreciendo distintas herramientas y alternativas que le permitan defender sus derechos ambientales ciudadanos/as, buscando contribuir de este modo con la construcción de una ciudadanía ambiental.

CIUDADANÍA AMBIENTAL: Es entendida como una dimensión de la ciudadanía que enfatiza los derechos y las responsabilidades con el ambiente y que ve en el ciudadano y la ciudadana los actores centrales de un cambio hacia la sostenibilidad y la equidad. LEER MÁS.

Are you voting each day ....?

Just a reminder to keep voting each day, until 10/3/11, for the project where Mary Kay McKenzie ministers.

"East Side Heart and Home in East St. Louis (my ministry), has been nominated as one of 10 finalists in the Markham Vineyards Mark of Distinction program! This Napa Valley winery has a history of giving back, and through the “Mark of Distinction,” aims to help others give back, too. It will provide two finalists each with a $25,000 grant to allow them to continue their community efforts. Being selected would give us enough money to build another house for a low-income family in 2012.

The two recipients will be determined by the public. So please help us by casting your vote on www.MarkhamMarkofDistinction.com. Starting 12:01 a.m. (ET) on 9/1/11, you can vote as often as once per day up until 12:01 a.m. (ET) on 10/3/11. Feel free to spread the word and encourage your friends and family to vote for us! Thank you!"

21 de septiembre: dia mundial de oración por la paz

Gracias a Maru Noguez por esta información.

Cada año, el 21 de septiembre, el Consejo Mundial de Iglesias hace un llamamiento a las iglesias y parroquias a que observen el Día Internacional de Oración por la Paz. Este año el CMI pide a cada uno de los 1.000 participantes en la Convocatoria Ecuménica Internacional por la Paz que se celebró en Kingston, en mayo del presente año, que ofrezcan una oración por la paz en el espíritu de ese importante acontecimiento.  LEER MÁS 

Posicionamiento de las Iglesias

Gracias a Maru Noguez por este artículo escrito por Padre Raul Lugo.  Se refiere a un POSICIONAMIENTO ECUMENICO desde nuestra fe con respecto a toda la violencia de Mexico y una petición especial que el proximo 21 de septiembre dia mundial de oración por la paz hagamos ayuno y oración por nuestro querido México.

El pasado 2 de septiembre, alrededor de 100 líderes religiosos e integrantes de más de 40 confesiones cristianas e instituciones de inspiración creyente se reunieron, en la iglesia de El Altillo, con miembros del Movimiento por la Paz con Justicia y Dignidad, para un diálogo abierto y ecuménico sobre los principales desafíos que el contexto de violencia e inseguridad hace a las iglesias y personas de fe, y sobre la urgencia de impulsar caminos no-violentos de resistencia civil, en un escenario nacional marcado por el dolor y el desastre nacional.

Como gesto de solidaridad y testimonio cristiano, las y los presentes se comprometieron a emprender una serie de acciones conjuntas de resistencia civil pacífica desde la fe y a firmar un posicionamiento público que refleje este compromiso con la sociedad mexicana. Este compromiso que ahora hospedo en este espacio semanal, ha comenzado a circular el día de ayer y puede ser firmado por las y los creyentes que así lo consideren. Al final pongo la instrucción para adherirse.
  LEER MÁS

A public stance of the churches for peace with justice and dignity

Thanks to Maru Noguez for this article by Fr. Raul Lugo.  The article refers to an ecumenical faith-based position with respect to all the violence in Mexico and a special request that on September 21, World Day of Prayer for Peace,  people fast and pray for Mexico.

Christian denominations and Christian-based institutions met in the church of El Altillo, with members of the Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity for open dialogue and ecumenical on the main challenges that the context of violence and insecurity makes the churches and people of faith, and the urgency of promoting non-violent ways of civil resistance on a national stage marked by pain and national disaster.

As a gesture of solidarity and Christian witness, the present and pledged to undertake a series of joint actions of peaceful civil resistance in faith and to sign a public position that reflects this commitment to Mexican society. This commitment is now staying at this weekly program has begun to circulate yesterday and can be signed by the believers and so choose. In the end I put the instruction to join.  READ MORE.

NEW RESOURCE: Sustainablility and Catholic Higher Education: A Toolkit for Mission Integration

This resource has been made possible by a grant to the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities from the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change.

Table of contents of the toolkit:
Introduction
Defining Sustainability for a Catholic Audience
PRAY
LEARN
ASSESS
ACT
ADVOCATE
Conclusion and Resources for Catholic Colleges and Universities
Appendix:  Catholic Mission and Sustainability Assessment Tool

CLICK HERE for the toolkit.

The Toolkit is co-sponsored by the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change, the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, the Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities, the Lasallian Association of College and University Presidents, Catholic Relief Services College, the Catholic Campus Ministry Association and the National Catholic Student Coalition

The 10 Worst Weather Disasters This Year and Why They Are Happening

from the AlterNet by Tara Lohan, September 12, 2011

We've already had 10 disasters topping $1 billion each and it's only September -- what gives?

Floodwaters remain threatening in parts of the Northeast. A cresting Susquehanna River caused evacuations late last week in Pennsylvania -- the culprit that time was tropical storm Lee, which came on the heels of Hurricane Irene. These days extreme weather is beginning to seem like the new normal in a year marked by disastrous events -- deadly tornadoes, raging floods, crippling drought and wildfire, massive hurricanes, and don't forget the great white-out of "snowpocalpyse."

All these events have taken their toll on the country, both in terms of human lives lost and the amount of damages incurred....So how bad have things been, and what's to blame? Let's take a look at the National Climatic Data Center's list of wreckage of the last nine months.  READ MORE.

Comunicado de denuncia del asesinato del sacerdote JOSÉ REINEL RESTREPO

Gracias a Cecy Estrada por esta comunicación.

COMUNICADO A LA OPINIÓN PÚBLICA NACIONAL E INTERNACIONAL
El Consejo Regional Indígena de Caldas-CRIDEC y el Colectivo de Abogados José Alvear Restrepo, repudiamos el asesinato del sacerdote JOSÉ REINEL RESTREPO, párroco de Marmato y defensor del derecho del pueblo a pervivir y permanecer en su territorio. 

El pasado viernes 2 de septiembre de 2011, el cuerpo sin vida del sacerdote fue encontrado sin sus documentos de identificación, junto a la motocicleta en la que se transportaba, en la vía que conduce entre Mistrató y Belén de Umbría en el Eje Cafetero Colombiano. Medios de comunicación relacionaron su muerte con un supuesto atraco, versión dudosa que puede estar ocultando la realidad de un asesinato relacionado con su trabajo de defensa de la población del municipio minero. LEER MÁS

Reflections on September 11, 2001

*  from the editors of Orion magazine: 
          TEN YEARS AGO, a weekday that dawned in the usual fashion was quickly eclipsed by the unthinkable....As horrifying as the attacks were, it is also horrifying to think about how little has been made of the opportunities for change that 9/11 brought. American culture has budged little from the attitudes that fueled the disdain that resulted in the attacks.  READ MORE.

* "Thoughts in the Presence of Fear"  by Wendell Berry
I. The time will soon come when we will not be able to remember the horrors of September 11 without remembering also the unquestioning technological and economic optimism that ended on that day.
II. This optimism rested on the proposition that we were living in a “new world order” and a “new economy” that would “grow” on and on, bringing a prosperity of which every new increment would be “unprecedented”.  READ MORE.

*  from LCWR
As we commemorate the anniversary of the attacks of 9/11, let us reflect on the past ten years and how we have responded as children of God.  We continue to pray for those families affected by the loss of loved ones and the many that were injured. ...People of faith have come together realizing that healing does not come through violence.
READ MORE.

*  from Benetvision
CLICK HERE for reflections by Joan Chittister, Pablo Naruda, and Sister Camille D'Arienzo.

*   "Looking Back on 9/11 a Decade Later"  by Noam Chomsky
We are approaching the tenth anniversary of the horrendous atrocities of September 11, 2001, which, it is commonly held, changed the world. On May 1, the presumed mastermind of the crime, Osama bin Laden, was assassinated in Pakistan by a team of elite US commandos, Navy SEALs, after he was captured, unarmed and undefended, in Operation Geronimo.  READ MORE.

*  "Epitaph for Another September 11" by Ariel Dorfman
That September 11, that lethal Tuesday morning, I awoke with dread to the sound of planes flying above my house. When, an hour later, I saw smoke billowing from the center of the city, I knew that life had changed for me, for my country, forever.
It was September 11, 1973, and the country was Chile and the armed forces had just bombed the presidential palace in Santiago as the first stage of a coup against the democratically elected government of Salvador Allende.  READ MORE.

*   "Why a policy of torture is always and unequivocally wrong," by Father Thomas R. von Behren, CSV
As we approach the 10th anniversary of the tragedies of Sept. 11, our nation has a chance to reflect on the past decade, both where we have come and where we are headed. Though we continue to grieve for the victims and their families, we must not ignore one of the devastating consequences of responding to al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups: the
U.S. government's use of torture on its detainees.  READ MORE.

*  "Let's put 9-11 behind us and end the blank check it has become for America's Endless Wars" by Tom Englehardt
I’m talking about the tenth anniversary ceremonies for 9/11, and everything that goes with them....Let’s just can it all. Shut down Ground Zero. Lock out the tourists....The attacks of September 11, 2001 were in every sense abusive, horrific acts. And the saddest thing is that the victims of those suicidal monstrosities have been misused here ever since under the guise of pious remembrance. READ MORE.

*  "10 Years to Ponder our Losses" - an NCR editorial
In the autumn of 2001, with the ghastly images of jetliner terror still fresh in the mind and the national urge to do something and get somebody building to crescendo, NCR published three issues focused on three distinct but related questions.
We asked:  “Who hates us, and why?” / “What is patriotism?” / “Was war the only choice?”  READ MORE

*  by Tom Hayden, Peace Exchange Bulletin, 9-8-11, Issue 61

 "We’re 10 years past the twin towers attack and still fighting wars in its name. When will we open our eyes?"
CLICK HERE to see the chart of "Casualities and Costs, 2001-2011" and to read the one paragraph summary of "The Stragegy of Osama Bin Laden."

 CLICK HERE to read "9/11 Blind," Tom Hayden's analysis of the Long War theory, his proposal for a long peace movement, and his solution to the current fiscal crisis.

* "Empire of Chaos: How 9/11 Shaped the Politics of a Failing State" by Arun Gupta
"....Mere hours after the attack, in his address to the nation, President Bush began assembling the ideological scaffolding for endless war: “America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world”....Ten years later that dream has evaporated as the United States is being battered by an economic depression that shows no end.... So how did we get from the triumphalism of “mission accomplished” to the twilight of American Empire?  READ MORE.

ACTION: Take the Sojourners 9/11 Commemoration Pledge

9/11 Commemoration Pledge to build peace and to love our neighbors by standing against hate and fear

On the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Sojourners invites you to stand shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters of all faiths, who are helping to build a nation that reflects our best values.

We seek to live out the second greatest commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39), and affirm that we can live peacefully with our neighbor even if we do not share the same religion, language, dress, or country of origin.
CLICK HERE to sign the pledge.

CASO SANTA: A UN MES

A un mes de las exhumaciones de los restos de los 9 campesinos quienes fueron secuestrados, asesinados y desaparecidos por el grupo militar Colina  en el distrito de Santa (PERÚ), las familias realizaron un acto significativo donde  se oró en memoria y por el descanso de las víctimas.


Cabe destacar que nuestra Hna. Grace O’Meara llegó a Chimbote  para acompañar  a los familiares. Grace, fue directora de la Comisión de Justicia Social del año 1994 al 2000. LEER MAS...

Why the Tar Sands Pipeline will be "game over" for our planet

The country's leading climatologist talks about why he was arrested at the Tar Sands protests in DC and what the pipeline will mean for our future.

September 6, 2011 |

James Hansen being arrested at the White House, August 29, 2011.

Photo Credit: tarsandsaction.org

Tar Sands Action organized a civil disobedience sit–in at The White House to oppose construction of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline that began on August 20 and will culminate in a big rally on September 3rd. On August 29 I joined 60 religious leaders and other fellow protestors. I was arrested that day.

But before I was handcuffed, I addressed fellow activists who had gathered outside The White House with these words:

Let us return for a moment to the election night in 2008. As I sat in our farmhouse in Pennsylvania, watching Barack Obama's victory speech, I turned my head aside so my wife would not see the tears in my eyes. I suspect that millions cried. It was a great day for America.

We had great hopes for Barack Obama — perhaps our dreams were unrealistic.

READ MORE.

Mons. Francisco, Buen Pastor: estamos contigo

Gracias a Rosaleen Harold para esta información.

La Comisión Episcopal de Acción Social, CEAS se identifica con el comunicado de respaldo a Monseñor Francisco González, OP., Vicario Apostólico de Puerto Maldonado, de parte de todos los obispos de la Conferencia Episcopal Peruana. Monseñor vive una de las más duras experiencias de su labor pastoral al ser involucrado dentro de un proceso penal que solicita para él tres años de cárcel y el pago de trescientos mil nuevos soles de reparación civil.

VER

Monseñor Francisco González, OP., es un Pastor que no ha callado frente a lo que ha visto y ve en su territorio eclesiástico. Ha denunciado la existencia de irregularidades en los procesos públicos y privados de su zona. Monseñor es un Pastor de la Amazonía y ha defendido y defiende a los pobladores afectados por el paso de la vía interoceánica, por el mismo centro urbano de la ciudad, por estas denuncias se ha visto amenazado seriamente en su integridad personal y moralmente dañado en su imagen con el inicio de un proceso penal. Ha sido denunciado por calumnia y difamación agravada por hablar con claridad. No solo piden cárcel, sino también reparación económica.  LEER MÁS.

Msgr. Francisco González Hernández: We are with you

From Rosaleen Harold:
The information in the above post in Spanish is from the Peruvian Conference of Religious about the Bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Maldonado, in the Peruvian Jungle. The following is a summary of the situation in English:

NEWS VA VATICAN TODAY (Agenzia Fides 02/09/2011)

Puerto Maldonado (Agenzia Fides) - The Bishops present at the Special Meeting of 98th Peruvian Episcopal Conference, taking place in these days, have decided to publicly support His Exc. Mgr. Francisco González Hernández for the fruitful pastoral work carried out in the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Maldonado.

The declaration was announced because Mgr.González, Apostolic Vicar of Puerto Maldonado, was criminally charged with defending the local population, who protested against a series of irregularities in the construction of the inter-ocean highway. The main complaint of the population refers to the fact that the highway crosses the center of the city. Faced with this situation, the Archbishop intervened supporting the requests of the population, this is why he was seriously threatened and a criminal trial against him began.

The Peruvian Episcopal Conference recalls that every Bishop, like Jesus, the Good Shepherd, has the mission to defend life, principles and values of the Gospel and the welfare of the human person, created in the image and likeness of God. According to the statement, this is why the Peruvian Bishops are in solidarity with Mgr. Francisco González Hernández and have decided to accompany him in this difficult moment he is experiencing. (CE)

¿Dónde nos encontramos hoy? ¿En Galilea, o en Jerusalén?

Gracias a Victor Mendoza por este articulo de Eclesalia Informativo.

Entre Galilea -periferia carismática- y Jerusalén -centro oficial-, anda la Iglesia. Hay épocas históricas en que ella vive el "sueño de Galilea". Es el tiempo extraordinario, el tiempo del estado naciente (F. Alberoni). Hay otras épocas, más prolongadas, en que la Iglesia se encierra en las murallas de Jerusalén, vive segura en sus palacios, e incluso alberga la tentación de establecerse como centro de poder en el templo y asumir el rostro de su pasado judaico. Es ciertamente en Jerusalén donde el caos llega a su culminación. Pero es fuera de sus murallas donde la nueva creación estalla. Jerusalén es el estado normal, el tiempo del gobierno, de la consolidación institucional.  LEER MÁS.

FRIENDING PLANET EARTH: An educational opportunity for youth

From the Catholic Coalition for Climate Change:  www.cathlicclimatecovenant.org

Attention: Leaders in Ministry and Catechesis with High School Age Youth in Dioceses, Parishes and Catholic High Schools

Young people today long for a way to make a difference in the world.  They live at a critical time in the history of the world. The impacts of climate change are real and are taking their toll on the earth and its people....

... Catholic youth can be empowered to draw on our tradition and the Spirit to confront the threat of climate change with creativity, reflection, learning, and action.

The Catholic Coalition on Climate change is partnering with The Center for Ministry Development, to help capture this energy. We are providing six learning sessions on climate change for Catholic youth in school and parish settings. These sessions are grounded in Scripture, Catholic social teaching, and provide hope in the face of climate change. They use multi-media, prayer, hands-on activities, simulations, games, quizzes, art and music. The sessions will help Catholic youth learn that their faith has a unique way of addressing climate change. They will discover that their Catholic faith considers the moral dimensions of human activity affecting the earth and understand it from the perspective of those most impacted by it: the poor and vulnerable.

These resources will be provided free of charge to dioceses, parishes and Catholic high schools.   READ MORE.

El Grito de los Excluidos moviliza a cristianos y movimientos sociales

Del 1 al 7 de setiembre, cientos de personas en Brasil  vienen participando  "Por la vida, grita la Tierra... Por derechos, ¡todos nosotros!: el Grito de los Excluidos. El tema, es un claro llamado a defender la naturaleza y a buscar salidas contra las desigualdades sociales.

Y es que la vida del planeta pasa por un momento crucial donde la humanidad necesita repensar las formas de consumo y el modelo de crecimiento, ya que como está, ha generado impactos negativos en la vida de las personas y de la biodiversidad. LEER MÁS.

Nurses' Imaginative Tactics Breathe Life into Progressives: Make Wall Street Pay for the Crisis It Created

from www.alternet.org

"Few professions bring workers face-to-face with struggling citizens like nursing. Every day they see stressed and malnourished children, unemployed Americans whose COBRA has run out, and cancer survivors who can no longer afford their medications. Accordingly, nurses know what's up. Literally and figuratively, they have their thumb on the pulse of unemployed, uninsured, and financially unstable Americans.

On September 1, members of National Nurses United held a national day of action to take a stand against the corporate greed that they see hurting Americans every day. Thousands of nurses and other supporters gathered in 61 Congressional offices in 21 states for a wide variety of colorful actions, from rallies to food drives to blues concerts. In Boston a "town crier" in period costume made an appearance, while Minnesotans got to hear from a larger-than-life Michele Bachmann puppet."  READ MORE.

A Labor Day reflection: Human Costs and Moral Challenges of a Broken Economy

Thanks to Elizabeth Riebschlaeger for sending in this article.

By Bishop Stephen E. Blaire
Bishop of Stockton
Chairman, Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Statement for Labor Day: September 5, 2011

Each year Americans celebrate Labor Day as a national holiday to honor working people. This year, however, is less a time for celebration and more a time for reflection and action on current economic turmoil and hardships experienced by workers and their families. For Catholics, it is also an opportunity to recall the traditional teaching of the Church on dignity of work and the rights of workers. This Labor Day, the economic facts are stark and the human costs are real: millions of our sisters and brothers are without work, raising children in poverty and haunted by fears about their economic security. These are not just economic problems, but also human tragedies, moral challenges, and tests of our faith. READ MORE.

10 Palabras

Gracias a Cesar Augusto Garcia Obando para este powerpoint sobre el tipo de actitud que nos ayuda en el trabajo de justicia y paz.

HAGA CLIC AQUÍ  para ver el powerpoint.

URGENT ACTION: Lives are on the line: Can you take action now?

Thanks to Martha Ann Kirk for sending this urgent action alert.

Recently, two of Oxfam America's outspoken partners on the ground in Guatemala received death threats in the mail, and in order to protect them, we need to get this in the public eye, and fast.

Please CLICK HERE to take action to protect these activists. We need every voice we can get. Thank you for your commitment to justice.

Climate change: The time is now

The following articles point out the absolute necessity for dealing with climate change before it is too late.

'Catastrophic' Vermont Floods Kill Three:  Governor Blames Climate Change 

If Tar Sands Happens: Game Over for the Climate