Edmund Rice Justice Bulletin

This month marks the 20th anniversary of the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child – a Convention now accepted by all but two of the UN’s 192 member states.

The Convention represents a major milestone in the effort to achieve a world fit for children. As a binding treaty of international law, it codifies principles that Member States of the United Nations agreed to be universal – for all children, in all countries and cultures, at all times and without exception, simply through the fact of their being born into the human family.
The treaty has inspired changes in laws to better protect children, altered the way international organizations see their work for children, and supported an agenda to better protect children in situations of armed conflict.

Information about progress that has been made in advancing the fundamental rights of children under the Convention and the principal areas of challenge that remain can be found here.

Edmund Rice International recently joined with five other NGO’s, Franciscans International, Pax Romana, the Kenyan Movement of Catholic Professional (KMCP), the International Catholic Movement for Intellectual and Cultural Affairs and International Movement of Catholic Students, and the Marist Foundation for International Solidarity (FMSI) to prepare and submit a report to the Human Rights Council as part of the Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights situation in Kenya, scheduled to take place in Geneva in 2010.

The submission focused on a range of issues:- the right to adequate housing, the right to food and safe drinking water, gender issues (the situation of single mothers and domestic violence), the right to education, the right to health (especially in regard to HIV/AIDS, peace building, the administration of justice and human rights, and conditions in prisons. Each section of the submission was accompanied by recommendations to the Government of Kenya.

It is hoped that the involvement of the East African Edmund Rice Network in this exercise can serve as an example of what is possible and be a source of encouragement to other provinces and regions to become involved in advocacy.

Just when it appeared the issue of Australia’s shameful treatment of asylum had largely been put behind us in the wake of a number of reforms introduced by the present government, the issue has surfaced again with the stand-off involving a small group of Tamil asylum seekers and the Australian and Indonesian Governments.

In 1975 when Australia was facing an influx of ‘boat people’ following the Communist takeover of South Vietnam, the then Australian government led by Malcolm Fraser and the opposition agreed on a bipartisan and humane policy that was eventually largely accepted by the Australian people, despite its initial unpopularity.

Sadly the same level of leadership has not been in evidence in recent years as politicians have sought to exploit this issue for political advantage.

The stance of the Australian government was condemned in the latest (Nov) briefing of the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council and described as ‘immoral’ by Jesuit Fr Andy Hamilton in an article in Eureka Street .

In adding his voice to those condemning the stance of the Australian government Director of the Edmund Rice Centre in Sydney, Phil Glendenning stated that "This stand-off in Indonesia demeans Australia in the eyes of the world, and diminishes us as a people. It is ugly politics that under a discourse of 'deterrence' uses vulnerable people to send a message to others who simply are not listening."
He went on to say "The current political debate is wrong because it demonises the vulnerable, it employs the ugly tactics of petty partisan race-politics. This is dog-whistle stuff which summons up the darkest fears that reside within Australians' hearts historically."

Get Up the grass-roots community advocacy organisation, believes that hostile myths are the greatest barrier to a more compassionate asylum seeker policy in Australia. It is encouraging people to empower themselves to counter disinformation by reading their myth-busting fact sheet obtainable from the above website.

Jubilee Australia has raised concerns that the Australian Government will shortly give approval for its Export Credit Insurance Agency (EFIC) to back the largest business investment project in the Pacific region, the construction of a pipeline from the Southern Highlands and Western Province of Papua New Guinea to Port Moresby.

Whilst the economic benefits of the project are acknowledged there is a real concern that those benefits will not benefit the people of PNG, rather they are likely to "fall down into the black hole of corruption" unless the PNG government signs up to the World Bank-associated Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). The EITI provides a mechanism which enables civil society to keep governments accountable for public spending. So far the PNG government has refused to sign on to the EITI.

Jubilee Australia is urging people to write to the Minister for Trade, Simon Crean, pointing out that as the project now stands, benefits to the local population are likely to be minimal and that the project is likely to have negative social effects
and asking that its support of this project be conditional on the PNG government signing the EITI.

Every day over 50,000 people die of easily preventable and treatable causes. Millions of people all over the world are living in extreme poverty. Their situation is likely get worse if the world does not urgently and substantially cut the emissions causing climate change.

In 2008, 117 million people worldwide joined together to Stand-up against poverty

This year over the weekend of Oct 16-18 you are being invited again to take a stand to end poverty and pledge your support for the Millennium Development Goals by joining with a group of people and together take the pledge to act against poverty, and registering the number of participants who took part.

For stories, background information about the issues and suggestions for organizing a simple event visit the Stand-up against poverty website.

If greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise unchecked, it is likely that global warming will exceed four degrees by the end of the century, research by scientists at the British Met Office have stated in a recent report to the UK Government.

Scientists, working on behalf of Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), have found that if current high emissions continue there could be major implications for the world — with higher temperature rises than previously thought.

Dr Richard Betts, Head of Climate Impacts at the Met Office Hadley Centre, presented the new findings at a special conference this month. 'Four Degrees and Beyond' at Oxford University, attended by 130 international scientists and policy specialists, is the first to consider the global consequences of climate change beyond 2 °C.

Dr Betts said: “Four degrees of warming, averaged over the globe, translates into even greater warming in many regions, along with major changes in rainfall. If greenhouse gas emissions are not cut soon, we could see major climate changes within our own lifetimes.”

Those concerned about this issue who would like to take some action to influence governments in the lead up to the United Nations Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in December are invited to check the
International Day of Climate Action website.

As part of Anti-poverty week in Australia Rise Up is offering to take those who purchase one of their business shirts on a virtual 16-week ‘journey’ that takes the purchaser from the farm through to fabric production in India, shipping, manufacturing in Australia and delivery to the customer.

As part of the journey purchasers will receive weekly updates which will include blogs, newsletters and video interviews with workers.

The business shirts are 100% Fairtrade Certified Organic Cotton, carbon neutral and made in Australia by outworkers who are part of the No Sweatshop network.

$10 from the sale of every shirt during anti-poverty week will also be donated to either Oxfam or Life Changing Experiences.

If the campaign to abolish capital punishment needed a further example to support its arguments then surely the current case of Paul William Scott does that.

As reported recently in the National Catholic Reporter Scott an indigent, poorly-educated, drifter was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death in Florida's electric chair in 1979.

However his convicted co-defendant has long since confessed to committing the murder of James Alessi. Subsequently Kondian "plea bargained" down to a 2nd degree murder sentence, served 15 years and was released in 1994.

Upon being informed of facts and irrefutable truths, nine of Scott’s former jurors have expressed shock and dismay in being misled, lied to and tricked into a guilty verdict and a death sentence. Eight members were outraged enough to make affidavits stating they were deceived by the state and voicing their regrets.

Yet thirty years after being convicted Scott remains on death row.

In more hopeful developments for those working to abolish the death penalty, the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty reports that the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights has organised its first regional conference on the death penalty in Africa in late September - a sign that Africa may be moving towards a regional abolition treaty, whilst Brazil became the 72nd member state to accede to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that abolishes the death penalty without any possibility of re-instating it.

The World Coalition Against the Death Penalty sponsors a World day Against the Death Penalty on Oct 10th each year.

Edmund Rice International (ERI) has developed an online course intended to help people learn more about the work of ERI, how they can be part of it and how they can take effective action for justice at a global level.

You can access he course by clicking on this link

No prior knowledge is assumed, and whilst it is meant to be informative and interesting, it is not an academic course. It is also free, and course participants can work through the material at their own pace.

The course is designed for busy people who would like a basic understanding of how organizations such as ERI can work within the UN system to bring about improved outcomes for the most vulnerable people on our planet and for our earth itself.

The course is divided into eight topics containing material for reading and reflection, some questions for discussion and an opportunity for chat with like-minded people around the world – (an optional feature), some suggestions and guidelines for engaging in a simple exercise in advocacy of your own choosing and some quizzes to test your own understanding – (there are no marks or grades associated with the course)

Those interested are encouraged to sign up and either work through the course individually (each topic takes about two hours to work through) or to form a group and work through it together.

An estimated minimum of 9.3 million people are in forced labour in the Asia-Pacific region, the majority of whom are in debt bondage.

Debt bondage (also known as bonded labour) is probably the most common, but least known contemporary form of slavery today. Debt bondage affects many millions of men, women and children across the world. It occurs in a variety of sectors, including agriculture, logging, construction, domestic work, brick kilns and the textile and garment industry.

A person becomes a bonded labourer when their labour is demanded as a means of repayment for a loan, often for a very small amount such as the cost of medicine for a sick child. Once in debt, the person loses all control over their conditions of work and is forced to work long hours, often for seven days a week, for very little or no pay.

The value of their work is invariably greater than the original sum of money borrowed. The debt becomes inflated through charges for food, transport and interest on loans, making it impossible to repay and trapping the worker in a cycle of debt. Entire families may be bonded, including children who work alongside their parents to help repay the debt. In some cases, the debt will be passed down through generations. Bonded labourers are often subjected to other forms of coercion including violence and restrictions on their freedom of movement.

Poverty, social exclusion, and the failure of governments to implement legislation lie at the heart of debt bondage. Bonded labourers are disproportionately members of groups which are discriminated against, including scheduled castes, religious and ethnic minorities, indigenous people, women and migrant workers.

A group of NGO’s including Franciscans International recently organised a side-event at United Nations to draw attention to this issue and to accompany a submission to the Human Rights Council as it considered the report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery.

For more information about this issue, some case studies and suggestions for action visit the Anti-slavery international website.

In a statement for this year's Social Justice Sunday the Bishops of Australia have pledged their support for young people's commitment to social justice, reasserting last year's World Youth Day central theme of witnessing through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The statement notes that ”Jesus was vitally concerned with what divided society and caused human impoverishment. He challenged many of the norms and social structures that oppressed, alienated or undermined the dignity of people. His ministry to establish the Kingdom of God was certainly concerned with personal conversion but also with liberating people from unjust structures” and points out that ”We share in the ministry of Jesus because we too have been anointed with the power of the Holy Spirit and are called to be his witnesses. We are all really responsible for each other and must work for social conditions that allow individuals and families to meet their needs and realise their full potential.”

The challenge presented by the Pope to young people during World Youth Day is repeated. ”What will you leave to the next generation? What difference will you make? “ although it also notes that this challenge is directed not just to young people but to all people of faith and to all Australians.

The statement addresses several particular issues, including the plight of Indigenous youth, those excluded from employment, the issue of mental health and the prevention of abuse; concerns for the environment, global justice and development.

It is available for download at the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council website.

The measures introduced by the Australian government in 2007 to combat alleged sexual abuse and neglect of children in remote aboriginal communities were condemned as discriminatory by the UN Special Rapporteur Professor James Anaya following his recent visit to Australia.

According to Professor Anaya the intervention "undermines the right of indigenous peoples to control their own destinies, their right to self-determination" and "overtly discriminates against Aboriginal peoples, infringing their right of self-determination and stigmatizes already stigmatized communities"

In welcoming the report ANTaR (Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation) agreed that indigenous disadvantage must be addressed but in ways that allow for government to work in "partnership with Indigenous peoples' own institutions and decision making bodies, which are most familiar with local situations."