Monthly Archives: November 2016

Global Forum on Migration and Development – Invitation to send your ideas to Good Shepherd Representatives attending the forum by writing in the Leave a Reply box below.

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Global Forum on Migration and Development  will take place in Dhaka, Bangladesh on December 10th – 12th  and is preceded by 2 civil society days, Thursday and Friday December 8th and 9th.  Good Shepherd will be represented by  Sr Maria Magdalena Z. Saavedra from the Philippinies and Ms Theresa Symons, Regional Manager,  Mission Development Office Asia Pacific. (Malaysia)

Both women are accomplished and experts in the fields of Migration and Human Trafficking and bring this expertize and insight to the Global Forum on Migration and Development on behalf of ‘Good Shepherd.’  Magdalena is with Religious of the Good Shepherd – Center for Overseas Workers (RGS-COW) in Davao, Philippines. Read about RGS-COW    Theresa in her own words ‘bringing broad and deep experience to a new regional role‘ within the Mission Development Office.

The concept_paper_gfmd_2016_civil_society_programme_final en-1 provides good information as to what will be happening in Dhaka.  The background to the GFMD can be found at the bottom of page 1 and top of page 2 from the UN perspective.  The overall theme is “Migration that works for Sustainable Development for All: Towards a Transformative Migration Agenda”

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein made this statement on September 19, 2016 and I quote the following ‘A human rights-based migration governance framework should include attention to addressing the drivers of precarious migration, such as climate change and extreme poverty.  It should ensure due attention to saving lives in transit and ensuring human rights at borders. It should enhance safe and regular pathways to entry. Measures should be taken which provide specific protection of the rights of migrants, and would include measures  to decriminalize irregular migration and to regularize the status of irregular migrants.  And it should seek to collect disaggregated data on the human rights situation of migrants, including specific data on migrants killed, injured, or victims of crime while attempting to cross maritime, land or air borders.” These outline some of the critical  issues.  How does this compare with our gs_position_on_migration?  The 30th Congregational Chapter and the  Direction Statement expressed deep concern about refugees and migrants.  One recommendation was ‘that the CLT establish working groups to develop corporate responses to issues of global importance.’  Migration today is one of these issues.  We have two representatives attending.  The theme of the civil society days is  “Time for Action: Doing rights-based governance of migration and development in our communities and across borders”

On November 25th  U.N. Says 2016 Will Be Deadliest Year Ever For Migrants Crossing The Mediterranean  What is your response?  What questions do you want our representative to ask?  What change do you wish to see?

For further information see my blog posts of September 13, 16, and 19, 2016

 

16 Days Campaign to end Gender Based Violence November 25 – December 10

Today is day 3 of the campaign.  Mercy Global Action at the UN in partnership with Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd are engaging in the full 16 days of activism.  #16Days16Stories is part of the UN sponsored 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence. Our campaign focuses on the experience of formerly trafficked women and girls who give testimony to gender discrimination and marginalization from childhood into early adulthood.  Their stories, told in their own words, highlight the many human rights violations and cumulative disadvantages in their life journeys. Through their stories, survivor advocates provide key insights into preventative measures to end human trafficking.

The launch video and 16 stories can be accessed by clicking on  #16days16stories  Each day a new video is uploaded.  On the 25th we heard from Aleta who said “from the time I was born I labelled myself as a disgrace because I was born as a result of my parent’s extramarital affair.” On the 26th Emerita who was born in 1992 in Mindanao said “I am the fourth of five children. My father worked in a fishing company owned by his friend but was later fired by the owner because my father had a mistress in the office,” and today November 27th  Katrina shared “when I was two, my mother and father left us in the care of our elder brother, who was 12 at that time. They went to Cebu for work, an island far away from where we lived…”  Having read to the testimony of each women the viewer is asked to reflect for a few moments;  presented with points to ponder and suggested actions to take.

A Guide to using the Videos was also prepared.

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The 16 days of activism against gender-based Violence Campaign has as its theme this year ‘From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World’ and proposed that organizations around the world plan a twitter teach-in.   If interested in knowing more about a twitter teach-in  Click Here!    @gsijp  @mercyworldwide are the Twitter handles using #16days16stories and #GBVteachin   The Twitter Teach in @gsijp @mercyworldwide follows the points to ponder and take action of the 16 videos.

Read the book  ‘I Have A Voice – Trafficked Women in their own Words‘ by Angela Reed.  Tomorrow Leah tells her story.  (Please note the videos are available on Vimeo at HERE