Final Agenda for Rome 2016 Conference: The Religious and Migration in the 21st century perspective, response and challenges started today in Rome. It will continue tomorrow February 24th. Good Shepherd are well represented in this conference responding to our Congregational Direction Statement. Some photographs that I found on Facebook
Hanan Youssef, Monique Tarabeth, Zelna Oosthuizen (Rome) and Rita Kileen (Ireland)
The DPI -NGO (Department of Information) briefing this morning – The Refugee Crisis: Rethinking and Strengthening the Response. The briefing is recorded on Webcast See the agenda for today and list of panel presenters HERE Karen AbuZayd, is the Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on the Summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants. The summit will be held at the General Assembly on 19 September 2016. Presently there is a request to share any written submissions outlining your concerns, expectations and specific recommendations about what the United Nations should achieve at the Summit in New York on 19 September 2016. Written submissions may be directed by email to the following address: Calhoun@un.org. Please share your submission by 29 February.
I made an intervention Marker 1.15 on the Webcast While having had good input from Sr Hanan I really used the opportunity to say that Good Shepherd have been in Lebanon/Syria for 123 years and to make reference to root causes – military expenditures. There are resources – how stop selling arms that create the problem in the first place? How can the political powers – and we heard of political will this morning – let go of self interest in the interest of the person who is being made a refugee through no fault of their own? How can we stop the terrorists groups? I drew these ideas from our Chapter Declaration.
The link with Sustainable Development Goals was also made: Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies. Read more about Goal 16
On February 9, 2016 the Group of Friends United Against Human Trafficking held an interactive discussion on the interdependence between the eradication of human trafficking and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. See more information at Mercy Global Action where Sisters of Mercy call for a radical shift in understanding and addressing Human Trafficking. Good Shepherd collaborated in the statement made by Angela Reed.
The Good Shepherd Statement to the Commission on the Status of Women is published in the 6 languages of the UN and can be accessed HERE The statement was endorsed by a number of other ECOSOC accredited organizations. “Our organizations wishes to address the Commission on behalf of one group of women and girls who are extremely vulnerable to the denial of their human rights and are often excluded from conversations about rights and sustainability; that group is prostituted persons. We do applaud and support the recent development of networks of women who have successfully exited prostitution and who speak openly of the exploitative nature of prostitution, its stigmatization and consequent discrimination.”
As you will see we are collaborating with Mercy International co-hosting a paralle event together with Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans (ACRATH). The event will take place on 17 March, 2016 and is entitled ‘No Random Act: Human Trafficking and the Interplay between Systemic Oppression and the Individual Life Course’.
A second side event is in partnership with our Mission partner Nancy Fritche Egan Monday March 21st, 2016.
Friday February 12, was the last day of the 54th Session of the Commission for Social Development. The remaining NGO’s wishing to make oral statements were heard including our statement Text ‘Inequality Matters’
Webcast of the morning session of the Commission See marker 16.00 Continue with the webcast for insight into the difficulty of having consensus on the resolution on ‘Social dimensions of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development’.
Her the is the resolution on Rethinking and strengthening social development in the contemporary world E/CN.5/2016/L.3
Here are the links to the NGO Briefings during the 54th Session of the Commission for Social Development for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Wednesday February 10, 2016 See markers No 21 and 29
Thursday February 11, 2016 The co-chair for this NGO Briefing was Amber Williamson, an intern from Manhattan College, who is interning at the Good Shepherd International Justice Peace Office. Amber began last week of January and will continue two days a week until the end of May. Secondly, a panel presenter is Susan O’Malley, Chair of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women. She has some interesting points to make around the definition of ‘gender’. See marker 33 for specific reflections. Another interesting concept is the role of the public sector.
Friday February 12, 2016 This is the last of the NGO’s Briefings. See marker 14 Bringing to the attention of the Commission that there are good resource documents for use at grassroots level. One is Making Human Rights Work for those Living in Extreme Poverty and a Hand book on Civil Society Guide to National Floors of Social Protection
Get a glimpse of NGO issues during the Commission on Social Development during the NGO Briefings.
NGO Briefing Wednesday February 3
NGO Briefing Thursday February 4 – Marker 14:50 and 25.28
NGO Briefing Friday February 5
NGO Briefings Monday February 8 Marker 31.50
NGO Briefing Tuesday February 9 Marker 11.43
Do listen to the exhortation of Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to the Commission on Social Development on Monday February 8th. “Economy at the service of people” secretary-general Feb 8 CSocD
Conference Room 4 during the Commission, GSIJPO Team, NGO CSocD Logo, and consultations
Access to the various session of the Commission can be accessed HERE To date there have been 9 sessions. The Commission started on Wednesday February 3, 2o16
Photographs with NGO friends from Afria and Asia before the NGO morning briefing prior to the opening of the Commission for Social Development. Read Good Shepherd Statement to the Commission published in the UN Journal today Statement No 58
See the video on Commission for Social Development Good practice is evidence based and data driven! People must remain the center of global, national and local efforts
#MaishaCSoCD Maisha – a new life outside the mines is one such good practice.
Tomorrow Thursday, from 1.15 – 2.30 we will have our side-event during the Commission for Social Development entitled ‘Maisha – a new life outside the mines’ featuring the documentary and a panel discussion. If you are in the UN we look forward to seeing you in conference Room 6.
Read the Maisha CSocD Side Event Press Release and Maisha CSocD Side Event Concept Note and Maisha CSocD Side Event Bio Sheet for further information. See the full documentary Maisha
Sustainable Development Goals are integral to Social Development! Know your goals!
Check out the Civil Society Declaration 2016 “we strive for a world that is just, equitable and inclusive…”