MONDAY MORNING MISSION MEDITATION for the week of June 27, 2010

Catholic Charities. Providing Help. Creating Hope.

VISION: Believing in the presence of God in our midst, we proclaim the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the person by sharing in the mission of Jesus given to the Church. To this end, Catholic Charities works with individuals, families, and communities to help them meet their needs, address their issues, eliminate oppression, and build a just and compassionate society.

MISSION: Rooted in the Mission of the Diocese of Youngstown "to minister to the people in the six counties of northeastern Ohio . . .(and) to the world community", we are called to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire Church and other people of good will to do the same.

GOALS: Catholic Charities is devoted to helping meet basic human needs, strengthening families, building communities and empowering low-income people. Working to reduce poverty in half by 2020.

KEY VALUE: Hospitality

WHAT WE DO: Organizing Love. "As a community, the Church must practise love. Love thus needs to be organized if it is to be an ordered service to the community" (Deus Caritas Est, par. 20)

On Sunday (13th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C, http://www.usccb.org/nab/062710.shtml ) we read in the Gospel of Luke how Jesus challenges his disciples to leave everything and 'follow him." Some disciples ask to finish up their daily tasks and return home to make arrangements to follow him. Jesus challenges his followers to change their perspective and attitude immediately. What is this new attitude? In the Letter to the Galatians we get a clue as we read "serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself."


In Catholic Charities http://www.ccdoy.org , we are that visible sign of the Church which shows love to our brothers and sisters. We are called, like Jesus' disciples, to have a very different attitude and perspective: we are to love those whom we encounter and serve and not just see them as a number waiting to be served. We are challenged to replace the secular and bureaucratic perspective of being "bothered" by someone calling us for help, with the fundamental view that each person who calls us for assistance is a person who is loved. That attitude must and should permeate each one of us who serves and works in Catholic Charities. Love is what makes our service different and deeply radical.



Reflection from Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical, Caritas in Veritate

"The Church has always held that economic action is not to be regarded as something opposed to society. In and of itself, the market is not, and must not become, the place where the strong subdue the weak. Society does not have to protect itself from the market, as if the development of the latter were ipso facto to entail the death of authentically human relations. Admittedly, the market can be a negative force, not because it is so by nature, but because a certain ideology can make it so. It must be remembered that the market does not exist in the pure state. It is shaped by the cultural configurations which define it and give it direction. Economy and finance, as instruments, can be used badly when those at the helm are motivated by purely selfish ends. Instruments that are good in themselves can thereby be transformed into harmful ones. But it is man's darkened reason that produces these consequences, not the instrument per se. Therefore it is not the instrument that must be called to account, but individuals, their moral conscience and their personal and social responsibility." (par. 36b)


http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.htm

Some important date(s) this week:
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/ByDate.aspx

THURSDAY. July 1 Blessed Junipero Serra (1713-1784)

In 1776, when the American Revolution was beginning in the east, another part of the future United States was being born in California. That year a gray-robed Franciscan founded Mission San Juan Capistrano, now famous for its annually returning swallows. San Juan was the seventh of nine missions established under the direction of this indomitable Spaniard.
Born in Spain’s island of Mallorca, Serra entered the Franciscan Order, taking the name of St. Francis’ childlike companion, Brother Juniper. Until he was 35, he spent most of his time in the classroom—first as a student of theology and then as a professor. He also became famous for his preaching. Suddenly he gave it all up and followed the yearning that had begun years before when he heard about the missionary work of St. Francis Solanus in South America. Junipero’s desire was to convert native peoples in the New World.
Arriving by ship at Vera Cruz, Mexico, he and a companion walked the 250 miles to Mexico City. On the way Junipero’s left leg became infected by an insect bite and would remain a cross—sometimes life-threatening—for the rest of his life. For 18 years he worked in central Mexico and in the Baja Peninsula. He became president of the missions there.
Enter politics: the threat of a Russian invasion south from Alaska. Charles III of Spain ordered an expedition to beat Russia to the territory. So the last twoconquistadors—one military, one spiritual—began their quest. José de Galvez persuaded Junipero to set out with him for present-day Monterey, California. The first mission founded after the 900-mile journey north was San Diego (1769). That year a shortage of food almost canceled the expedition. Vowing to stay with the local people, Junipero and another friar began a novena in preparation for St. Joseph’s day, March 19, the scheduled day of departure. On that day, the relief ship arrived.
Other missions followed: Monterey/Carmel (1770); San Antonio and San Gabriel (1771); San Luís Obispo (1772); San Francisco and San Juan Capistrano (1776); Santa Clara (1777); San Buenaventura (1782). Twelve more were founded after Serra’s death.
Junipero made the long trip to Mexico City to settle great differences with the military commander. He arrived at the point of death. The outcome was substantially what Junipero sought: the famous “Regulation” protecting the Indians and the missions. It was the basis for the first significant legislation in California, a “Bill of Rights” for Native Americans.
Because the Native Americans were living a nonhuman life from the Spanish point of view, the friars were made their legal guardians. The Native Americans were kept at the mission after Baptism lest they be corrupted in their former haunts—a move that has brought cries of “injustice” from some moderns.
Junipero’s missionary life was a long battle with cold and hunger, with unsympathetic military commanders and even with danger of death from non-Christian native peoples. Through it all his unquenchable zeal was fed by prayer each night, often from midnight till dawn. He baptized over 6,000 people and confirmed 5,000. His travels would have circled the globe. He brought the Native Americans not only the gift of faith but also a decent standard of living. He won their love, as witnessed especially by their grief at his death. He is buried at Mission San Carlo Borromeo, Carmel, and was beatified in 1988.




SHARING HOPE IN HARD ECONOMIC TIMES.

Unemployment rates have decreased slightly in our diocesan region over the past month. But 12-13% is still a morally unacceptable rate. Catholic Charities works with parishes to create support networks for persons who face unemployment. If you are interested in becoming more involved, contact Rachel or George at 330-744-8451.

Don't forget to make your reservations for the 2010 Voice of Hope Dinner. Early bird ticket prices and sponsor packages are good until July 15, 2010. Respond today, and plan to celebrate 100 years of the Catholic Charities movement in the United States on September 11, 2010. Funds raised at this event will support the work of Catholic Charities. For more information, contact Shellie Sabel at 330-744-8451 or email her at ssabel@youngstowndiocese.org



Reflection: Once you’ve established faith in Jesus as the center of your life, those cutbacks on material luxuries are less painful.

Intention: For those who are forced to live with less, that they have the grace to turn to Jesus Christ in faith and not despair.


PAPAL INTENTIONS:

JUNE 2010
Respect for Human Life
General: That every national and transnational institution may strive to guarantee respect for human life from conception to natural death.

The Churches in Asia
Missionary: That the Churches in Asia, which constitute a “little flock” among non-Christian populations, may know how to communicate the Gospel and give joyful witness to their adherence to Christ.

JULY 2010
Justice in Electing those who Govern
General: That in every nation of the world the election of officials may be carried out with justice, transparency and honesty, respecting the free decisions of citizens.

An Urban Culture of Justice, Solidarity and Peace
Missionary:That Christians may strive to offer everywhere, but especially in great urban centers, an effective contribution to the promotion of education, justice, solidarity and peace.



Corporal Works of Mercy: The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor

Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the sick
Visit those in prison
Bury the dead

Note: Please consider joining our
FACEBOOK CAUSE http://apps.facebook.com/causes/106889
FACEBOOK GROUP http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=461833870606
TWITTER account, CCDOY, http://twitter.com/CCDOY
for current updates and calls to action that we can all use.

See our website at www.catholiccharitiesyoungstown.org for links to the our ministries and services.
For more information on Catholic Social Doctrine and its connection to our ministries, visit my blog at: http://corbinchurchthinking.blogspot.com/

Holy See's Address to UN on Maternal Mortality

"Save the Lives Both of Mothers and of Child, Born and Yet-to-Be-Born"
VATICAN CITY, JUNE 25, 2010 ( Zenit.org ).- Here is the address Archbishop Silvano Tomasi the Holy See's permanent observer at the United Nations in Geneva, delivered June 14 when he addressed the regular session of the Human Rights Council on the topic of maternal mortality. The text of his talk was released by the Vatican on Wednesday.

* * *

Mr. President,

Based on the significant commitment and experience of the Catholic Church in assisting mothers and newborn babies, since the earliest of times, especially through its hospitals and maternity and pediatric clinics, my delegation wishes to express its urgent concerns about the shocking number of maternal deaths that continue to occur -- estimated by reliable indicators at 350,000 a year -- most especially among the poorest and most marginalized and disenfranchised populations.[1]

The Holy See's approach to Maternal Mortality is holistic, since it gives priority to the rights of mothers and child, both those already born and those awaiting birth in the womb of the mother. Not surprisingly, a strong correlation is revealed between statistics related to Maternal Mortality and those related to Neonatal Death, indicating that many measures aimed at combating maternal mortality, in fact, also contribute to a further reduction of child mortality. Moreover, we should not forget that 3 million babies die annually during their first week of life, another 3 million are stillborn, 2.3 million children die each year during their first year of life.

Mr. President,

Improvements to reduce Maternal Mortality have been made possible due to higher per capita income, higher education rates for women and increasing availability of basic medical care, including "skilled birth attendants." A recent study on Maternal Mortality has suggested that maternal mortality in Africa could be significantly reduced if HIV-positive mothers were given access to antiretroviral medications. The availability of emergency obstetric care, including the provision of universal pre and post-natal care, and adequate transport to medical facilities (when necessary), skilled birth attendants, a clean blood supply and a clean water supply, appropriate antibiotics, and the introduction of a minimum age of 18 years for marriage, are all measures that could benefit both mothers and their children. Most importantly, if the international community wishes to effectively reduce the tragic rates of maternal mortality, respect for and promotion of the right to health and of access to medications must not only be spoken about, but also be put into action, by States as well as by non-governmental organizations and by civil society.

Mr. President,

Policies aimed at combating Maternal Mortality and Child Mortality need to strike a delicate balance between the rights of mother and those of the child, both of whom are rights bearers, the first of which is the right to life. The maternity clinics and hospitals promoted by the Catholic Church do exactly that: they save the lives both of mothers and of child, born and yet-to-be-born.

Thank you Mr. President.

NOTE

[1] According to a study recently published in the medical journal, The Lancet, ( Vol.375, Issue 9726, pp.1609-1623, 8 May 2010) there are approximately 350,000 maternal deaths per annum worldwide; WHO and UNICEF estimate 500,000 such deaths each year. The difference is attributed to diverse approaches to statistical modeling.

Caritas: Food Crisis Is Urgent for G-8, G-20

ROME, JUNE 24, 2010 ( Zenit.org ).- The international Caritas aid agency says world leaders meeting this weekend in Canada must focus on the rising food crisis.

In a statement released Wednesday, Caritas affirmed the urgency of the food crisis, and urged the Group of Eight and Group of 20 representatives to tackle the problem when they meet this Friday through Sunday.

"Decades of misguided economic and agricultural policies have finally become too much for farmers and people around the world to withstand," the Caritas statement affirmed. "A record 1 billion people are now chronically hungry. One in every seven does not have the food needed for basic life."

The aid organization asserted that the G-8 and G-20 countries, with their developed and emerging economies, "must reverse global food policies by supporting small-scale, sustainable agriculture in developing countries, over industrial agriculture."

"We need more aid, better spent. And we need to see effective action on climate change," affirmed Michael Casey, Caritas Canada’s executive director.

Food security is expected to be further impacted by climate change.

Caritas called on rich countries to commit an additional U.S. $195 billion in public financing per year by 2020 to support poor countries in their adaptation to climate change and to develop sustainably.

Holy See to UN on Access to Health Care

"The Right to Health Is Universally Recognized as a Fundamental Right"

GENEVA, JUNE 21, 2010 ( Zenit.org ).- Here is a Vatican translation of the address Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Holy See's permanent observer at the U.N. offices in Geneva, delivered June 8 at the 14th regular session of the Human Rights Council.

* * *

Mr. President,

With regard to the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, my delegation wishes to raise additional concerns regarding the need for effective action in order to guarantee Universal Access to medicines and diagnostic tools for all persons. The Special Rapporteur focused on this issue during his Report to the Eleventh Session of this distinguished Council.[1] However, continued vigilance must be maintained in this regard.

As the members of this Council already are well aware, the right to health is universally recognized as a fundamental right. Article 25 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) includes the right to health and medical care within the more general rubric of the right "to enjoy an adequate standard of living"[2]. Article 12.1 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), however, directly recognizes the right to enjoy the best physical and mental condition.[3]

The Committee on Economic and Cultural Rights, in its General Comment No. 14[4], moreover, identified the following minimum requirements for States to ensure: (1) the right of access to health care in a non-discriminatory way, (2) access to basic nutritional level, (3) access to housing, basic sanitation and a sufficient supply of drinking water, (4) the supply of essential drugs, (5) an equitable distribution of benefits and health services, and (6) adoption of national strategies to prevent and combat epidemics.

Mr. President, the Catholic Church provides a major contribution to health care in all parts of the world -- through local churches, religious institutions and private initiatives, which act on their own responsibility and in the respect of the law of each country -- including the promotion of 5,378 hospitals, 18,088 dispensaries and clinics, 521 leprosaria, and 15,448 homes for the aged, the chronically ill, or disabled people. With information coming from these on-the-ground realities in some of the most poor, isolated, and marginalized communities, my delegation is obliged to report that the rights detailed in the international instruments already mentioned are far from being realized.

One major impediment to the realization of these rights is the lack of access to affordable medicines and diagnostic tools that can be administered and utilized in low-income, low-technology settings. Among the disturbing trends and findings reported by the Special Rapporteur are the following: "Diseases of poverty" still account for 50 per cent of the burden of disease in developing countries, nearly ten times higher than in developed countries[5]; more than 100 million people fall into poverty annually because they have to pay for health care[6]; in developing countries, patients themselves pay for 50 to 90 per cent of essential medicines[7]; nearly 2 billion people lack access to essential medicines [8].

One group particularly deprived of access to medicines is that of children. Many essential medicines have not been developed in appropriate formulations or dosages specific to pediatric use. Thus families and health care workers often are forced to engage in a "guessing game" on how best to divide adult-size pills for use with children. This situation can result in the tragic loss of life or continued chronic illness among such needy children. For example, of the 2.1 million children estimated to be living with HIV infection[9], only 38% were received life-saving anti-retroviral medications at the end of 2008[10]. This treatment gap is partially due to the lack of "child friendly" medications to treat the HIV infection.

Thus the Committee on the Rights of the Child has declared: "The obligations of States parties under the Convention extend to ensuring that children have sustained and equal access to comprehensive treatment and care, including necessary HIV-related drugs … on a basis of non-discrimination."[11]

My delegation is well aware of the complexities inherent in the intellectual property aspects related to the issue of access to medicines. These considerations, including the flexibilities available to applying the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, are well documented in the 2009 Report of the Special Rapporteur. We further recognize that serious efforts already have been undertaken to implement the Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property, established in 2008 by the 61stWorld Health Assembly. However, the intense debates recently pursued at the 63rd World Health Assembly demonstrate that the international community has not yet succeeded in its aim to provide equitable access to medicines and indicate the need for further creative reflection and action in this regard.

Mr. President, my delegation urges this Council to renew its commitment as a key stakeholder in efforts to assert and safeguard the right to health by guaranteeing equitable access to essential medicines. We do so with a firm conviction that "treatment should be extended to every human being" and as an essential element of "the search for the greatest possible human development," and with a strong belief that "[t]his ethical perspective [is] based on the dignity of the human person and on the fundamental rights and duties connecte with it."[12]

Notes

[1] Report of the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health to the Eleventh Session of the Human Rights Council, Eleventh Session,A/HRC/11/12, 31 March 2009

[2] http://www.ohchr.org/EN/UDHR/Documents/UDHR_Translations/eng.pdf

[3] http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/cescr.htm

[4] Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Twenty-second session, Geneva , 25 April-12 May 2000, E/C.12/2000/4, 11 August 2000, http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/(symbol)/E.C.12.2000.4.En

[5] World Health Organization, Public Health Innovation and Intellectual Property Rights, A Report of the Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Public Health ( Geneva , 2006) p. 3.

[6] World Health Organization, World Health Report, Primary Health Care Now More than Ever ( Geneva , 2008).

[7] A/61/338, para. 75.

[8] World Health Organization, "WHO Medicines Strategy: Countries at the Core, 2004- 2007" , (2004).

[9] UNAIDS, 2009 AIDS Epidemic Update, Geneva , November 2009.

[10] Children and AIDS: Fourth Stocktaking Report, UNICEF, 2009, p. 10.

[11] Committee on the Rights of the Child, Thirty-Second Session, General Comment No. 3 (2003), HIV/AIDS and the rights of the child, CRC/GC/2003/3,

http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/898586b1dc7b4043c1256a450044f331/309e8c3807aa8cb7c1256d2d0038caaa/$FILE/G0340816.pdf

[12] Pope Benedict XVI, Address To The Plenary Assembly Of The Pontifical Council For Health Pastoral Care, 22 March 2007, http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2007/march/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20070322_pc-salute_en.html

MONDAY MORNING MISSION MEDITATION for the week of June 20, 2010

Catholic Charities. Providing Help. Creating Hope.

VISION: Believing in the presence of God in our midst, we proclaim the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the person by sharing in the mission of Jesus given to the Church. To this end, Catholic Charities works with individuals, families, and communities to help them meet their needs, address their issues, eliminate oppression, and build a just and compassionate society.

MISSION: Rooted in the Mission of the Diocese of Youngstown "to minister to the people in the six counties of northeastern Ohio . . .(and) to the world community", we are called to provide service to people in need, to advocate for justice in social structures, and to call the entire Church and other people of good will to do the same.

GOALS: Catholic Charities is devoted to helping meet basic human needs, strengthening families, building communities and empowering low-income people. Working to reduce poverty in half by 2020.

KEY VALUE: Hospitality

WHAT WE DO: Organizing Love. "As a community, the Church must practise love. Love thus needs to be organized if it is to be an ordered service to the community" (Deus Caritas Est, par. 20)

On Sunday (12th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle C, http://www.usccb.org/nab/062010.shtml ) we read in the Gospel of Luke about Jesus' questioning of his disciples about his true identity. He asks: "Who do you say that I am?" There seems to be some dispute: some say Elijah; others reply John the Baptist. Peter claims him to be the Christ of God. Jesus tells his disciples not to reveal his true identity yet. But you can sense that the Apostles know that this Jesus is special and that something important will happen to them. But Jesus warns: there will be suffering and death, followed by new life. To follow Jesus, one must give up everything and die to oneself and serve others.


In Catholic Charities http://www.ccdoy.org, we recognize that we have a very specific identity as a ministry and agent of the Church. We must remain faithful to that identity as the face of the Church -- Jesus -- in all that we do and all that we stand for in the public marketplace. Sometimes many agree with our stances and programs; other times people do not agree with our positions on controversial issues dealing with human dignity, life, and justice. Regardless, Catholic Charities continues to be that healing and life giving presence of the Church in times of need and trouble constantly aiming to provide help and give hope.



Reflection from Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical, Caritas in Veritate

"Economic activity cannot solve all social problems through the simple application ofcommercial logic. This needs to be directed towards the pursuit of the common good, for which the political community in particular must also take responsibility. Therefore, it must be borne in mind that grave imbalances are produced when economic action, conceived merely as an engine for wealth creation, is detached from political action, conceived as a means for pursuing justice through redistribution." (par. 36a)


http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_enc_20090629_caritas-in-veritate_en.htm

Some important date(s) this week:
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Saints/ByDate.aspx

SUNDAY, JUNE 20. Father's Day

SUNDAY, JUNE 20. World Refugee Day. http://caritas.org/newsroom/press_releases/PressRelease18_06_10.html

Caritas Internationalis is highlighting the plight of three million women in long-term refugee crises on World Refugee Day, 20 June.

Women refugees are particularly vulnerable to human rights abuses in cases where they’ve been forced to leave their homes for long-standing periods. Caritas says the international community can do better in protecting them from violence.


TUESDAY, JUNE 22 St Thomas More (1478-1535) His belief that no lay ruler has jurisdiction over the Church of Christ cost Thomas More his life.
Beheaded on Tower Hill, London, July 6, 1535, he steadfastly refused to approve Henry VIII’s divorce and remarriage and establishment of the Church of England.
Described as “a man for all seasons,” More was a literary scholar, eminent lawyer, gentleman, father of four children and chancellor of England. An intensely spiritual man, he would not support the king’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon in order to marry Anne Boleyn. Nor would he acknowledge Henry as supreme head of the Church in England, breaking with Rome and denying the pope as head.
More was committed to the Tower of London to await trial for treason: not swearing to the Act of Succession and the Oath of Supremacy. Upon conviction, More declared he had all the councils of Christendom and not just the council of one realm to support him in the decision of his conscience.


THURSDAY, JUNE 24, Birth of St. John the Baptist. Jesus called John the greatest of all those who had preceded him: “I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John....” But John would have agreed completely with what Jesus added: “[Y]et the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28).
John spent his time in the desert, an ascetic. He began to announce the coming of the Kingdom, and to call everyone to a fundamental reformation of life.
His purpose was to prepare the way for Jesus. His Baptism, he said, was for repentance. But One would come who would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. John is not worthy even to carry his sandals. His attitude toward Jesus was: “He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:30).
John was humbled to find among the crowd of sinners who came to be baptized the one whom he already knew to be the Messiah. “I need to be baptized by you” (Matthew 3:14b). But Jesus insisted, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15b). Jesus, true and humble human as well as eternal God, was eager to do what was required of any good Jew. John thus publicly entered the community of those awaiting the Messiah. But making himself part of that community, he made it truly messianic.
The greatness of John, his pivotal place in the history of salvation, is seen in the great emphasis Luke gives to the announcement of his birth and the event itself—both made prominently parallel to the same occurrences in the life of Jesus. John attracted countless people (“all Judea”) to the banks of the Jordan, and it occurred to some people that he might be the Messiah. But he constantly deferred to Jesus, even to sending away some of his followers to become the first disciples of Jesus.



SHARING HOPE IN HARD ECONOMIC TIMES.

This Father’s Day weekend, pray for those fathers who are unemployed, especially those who are going back to school or pursuing new careers as a result of the economy. May God bless these men with patience, wisdom, and supportive families as they take a new direction in their lives.


Reflection: Simply mowing a lawn or raking leaves for that Dad you know working two jobs will give him a little more time with his children.

Intention: For fathers everywhere that they may continue to provide for their families materially and spiritually.

PAPAL INTENTIONS:JUNE 2010

Respect for Human Life
General: That every national and transnational institution may strive to guarantee respect for human life from conception to natural death.

The Churches in Asia
Missionary: That the Churches in Asia, which constitute a “little flock” among non-Christian populations, may know how to communicate the Gospel and give joyful witness to their adherence to Christ.



Corporal Works of Mercy: The seven practices of charity toward our neighbor

Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Shelter the homeless
Visit the sick
Visit those in prison
Bury the dead

Note: Please consider joining our
FACEBOOK CAUSE http://apps.facebook.com/causes/106889
FACEBOOK GROUP http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=461833870606
TWITTER account, CCDOY, http://twitter.com/CCDOY
for current updates and calls to action that we can all use.

See our website at www.catholiccharitiesyoungstown.org for links to the our ministries and services.
For more information on Catholic Social Doctrine and its connection to our ministries, visit my blog at: http://corbinchurchthinking.blogspot.com/

Caritas: Remember Women Refugees

Says International Community Can Do Better
ROME, JUNE 18, 2010 ( Zenit.org ).- When World Refugee Day is marked this Sunday, the Caritas aid organization hopes the plight of the 3 million women refugees on the planet is given due attention.

"Women refugees are particularly vulnerable to human rights abuses in cases where they’ve been forced to leave their homes for long-standing periods. Caritas says the international community can do better in protecting them from violence," a communiqué from the agency announced today.

Caritas' director of policy, Martina Liebsch, affirmed that the international community must "show the political will" to ensure the protection guaranteed in international treaties.

According to the aid agency, there are some 10 million refugees in the world today, two-thirds of whom are in crises that have lasted five years or longer. Women make up 49% percent of the refugee population.

“Women can become victims of violence in these [refugee] camps,” said Liebsch. “They are more vulnerable to attacks as they frequently have to leave the camps for basic supplies for their families, such as firewood and water.”

Caritas called not only for better security in camps, but also for better mechanisms for women to report violence and have access to legal proceedings.

“Supporting livelihood programs for women is a key factor,” Liebsch proposed. “By giving a woman the ability to provide for herself and her family in a secure environment, they will not be forced to take risks by going outside camp.”

But she added: "The best way to provide security is to resolve crises themselves so refugees can return home."

African Food Crisis Leaves 10 Million Hungry

Caritas: Delay in Aid Costs Lives

NIAMEY, Niger, JUNE 16, 2010 ( Zenit.org ).- Caritas is calling for international aid to abate a food crisis in the Sahel region of West Africa, where 10 million people are facing hunger.

Niger is the worst hit with 8 million people at risk, Caritas reported today, although there are also food shortages in Chad, Mali and Burkina Faso.

Raymond Yoro, secretary general of Caritas Niger, called for immediate help, affirming, "It's not too late to avert a tragedy."

"We are facing a potential child survival emergency in Niger," he said, as "378,000 children are at risk of severe acute malnutrition and a further 1.2 million are at risk of moderate malnutrition."

The crisis, resulting from irregular rainfall, crop deficits, rising food prices and chronic poverty, is "much worse" than the last food shortage in 2005, the aid agency reported.

"The lesson then was that delays in aid cost lives," Yoro lamented. "Yet despite raising the alarm in December 2009, donors have been slow to provide funding."

The agency stated that people have been experiencing severe food shortages for six months already, and are now selling off livestock, eating wild foods, taking children out of school and abandoning their homes in a search for food.

Yoro called for immediate donations as well as "hunger safety nets, strengthened early warning systems, and climate change adaptation programs to avoid future food crises."

Niger has only half of the amount of resources needed to feed the hungry, and is still short $50 million. As well, the country's health system, which runs free malnutrition treatment programs, is almost bankrupt.

Caritas has been running a campaign since May to collect $3.5 million in order to provide 246,000 households with food, seeds, and other aid, and 17,000 children, pregnant women and new mothers with special care.

For more information, visit http://www.catholiccharitiesyoungstown.org/ccdoy-disaster-response.html