- Comboni Missionaries

August 2016
Comboni JPIC Network Newsletter
Justice & peace-related news, actions and resources from the
Comboni Missionaries, North American Province.
Selected Global Topics
Black Lives, Blue Lives: Reflections from Dallas and Baton Rouge. The American Flag
seems to wave at half mast perpetually these days, as acts of violence blend one into another around the
United States. Not long after celebrations of independence ended on July 4, the "week that was" began, with
two shooting deaths by police officers of two black men, Alton Sterling (Baton Rouge, LA) and Philando
Castile (St. Paul, MN).
After these deaths, with videos that went viral, large protest
marches rose up in major cities around the country. On July 7,
Dallas held a march which, by all accounts, was going well
throughout its duration. However, near the end, a lone,
unstable sniper, with murder on his mind, ambushed and
killed four police officers and injured seven others plus two
civilians. Terrified protesters ran for their lives, and police
spent the rest of this "deadliest day for law enforcement since
9-11," negotiating with the shooter who died in a standoff,
hours later. On July 12, less than a week later, three police
officers were killed and four other officers injured when
another ambush took place in Baton Rouge at the hands of a
deranged man from Kansas City..
Healing racism begins with each person. Refer to Bishop Braxton's Pastoral Letters, The Racial Divide in
the United States: A Reflection for the World Day of Peace 2015, here. and an updated version,The Catholic
Church and the Black Lives Matter Movement: The Racial Divide in the United States Revisited, here. For
action steps on gun violence, review the "8 Actions You can Take to Stop Gun Violence," here. Also, to
start a Slavery by Another Name discussion group, learn more.
Additional Backgrounding:

The NRA's internal split over Philando Castile, here;

Ignatian Solidarity Network: Resources on Racial Justice, here; Catholic Social Teaching and
Racism, by Fr. Fred Kammer, SJ, here;

5 Key Takeaways about Views of Race and Inequality in America (Pew Research Center), here;

Writings on the Wall: Searching for a New Equality Beyond Black and White, a new book by
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, explores how racism, gender equality and other social and cultural issues in
America can be changed for the betterment of all. A great conversation starter! From Amazon,
available August 23.

Two Days, Two Deaths: The Police Shootings Of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, here;

A Week of Bloodshed in America (The Atlantic), here.

These 5 Facts Explain America's Enduring Racial Divide, (Time), here.
Violence in South Sudan Requires Action
on Unresolved issues. Just two days before the
fifth anniversary of South Sudan's independence, people
in Juba encountered "unparalleled peril" at the hands of
the armies loyal to President Salva Kiir and First VicePresident Riek Machar. There were 300+ dead and up
to 45,000 displaced; the killing of six soldiers sparked the
clash. It escalated over the next few days and marines
were called in while U.S. embassy staff were evacuated.
A tenuous ceasefire was again put in place, with both
principals calling the violence in Juba a mere
"interruption." However, on July 24, a faction of South
Sudan's armed opposition staged a "coup" that resulted in Vice President Machar leaving Juba, and Mining
Minister Taban Deng Gai was then sworn in as interim Vice President. Machar has said he would only return
to "when a third force proposed by regional countries and approved by the African Union is deployed in the
young nation." Watch What's Hampering Peace in South Sudan? Read The Sudan Tribune article, here,
and here.
The unresolved issues that still linger since the one-year old peace agreement stem from the political rivalry at
the "top," and the severe economic crisis, and from the pervasive ignorance and overwhelming social and
security issues. Pope Francis reacted quickly to the violence by preparing two letters, one to each leader in
Juba, basically saying "Enough now, enough with the conflict," according to Cardinal Turkson who
personally delivered them.
On July 13, the Comboni Missionaries Superior General Fr. Tesfaye Tadese sent a message to the
bishops of South Sudan from the congregation's headquarters in Rome. There are 34 Comboni Missionary
priests and 12 brothers currently work in the South Sudan Province. Read his message, Peace to South
Sudan, here. Comboni Fr. Daniele Moschetti, the superior in Juba, confirmed that, even with the ceasefire,
"the threat of more violence continues to loom large over the people and the church, which includes 350 local
and international missionaries. The climate, including that toward the church, is changing," he said, "and we
are all all at risk." Read more. Urge President Obama to take swift and concrete action in support of
South Sudan, here.
Keep up with the latest news from The Sudan Tribune, here, and Radio Tamazuj, here. Read Battle in
Juba: 8 questions for confused observers, here.
Additional Resources:

A Hope from Within? Countering the Intentional Destruction of
Governance and Transparency in South Sudan examines the challenges
that face institutions of governance in South Sudan and offers a set of
recommendations that target policymakers in South Sudan and in the
international community. Download the report, here;

Conflict in Western Equatoria (a province of South Sudan), (HSBA), here;

Friends in Solidarity, an initiative of U.S. Catholic religious men and women
who are training lay nurses, teachers, and agricultural experts in South Sudan and beyond. Click
here. Sign up for the newsletter of Solidarity with South Sudan (Rome) at
[email protected];
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Communique of the 56th Extraordinary Session of the IGAD Council of Ministers on the
Situation in South Sudan, in Nairobi, Kenya, (July 11, 2016), here;

South Sudan Crisis: The Wounds of War (BBC, July 21, 2016), here;

South Sudan: The Worst is Still to Come (Zenit), here;

The Long History of Buying Loyalty to Neutralize Rivals in South Sudan (Enough Op-ed), here;

The South Sudan Council of Churches statement, calling for peace, here, and the article, Church
Leaders Call for Calm in Juba (Sudan Tribune), here;

Our Hearts Have Gone Dark: The Mental Health Impact of South Sudan's Conflict, a new report
by Amnesty International, describes the serious mental health impact of South Sudan's conflict in an
urgent appeal for more attention and resources "to improve the availability, accessibility, and quality of
mental health services in the country." It's based on interviews with 161 internally displaced people
living in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Protection of Civilians (PoC) sites in
Juba, Malakal and Bentiu and in an informal settlement at Mahad School in Juba. The researchers
also interviewed government and U.N. officials, donors, representatives of non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), and international and South Sudanese mental health professionals-including
psychiatrists, psychologists and psycho-social workers. Download the report, here.
32nd Session of the Human Rights Council
Adopts 33 Resolutions and one Decision. With all
193 U.N. member states in attendance in Geneva,
Switzerland, the 32nd Session concluded on July 8, after
nearly a month-long meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. The
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al
Hussein updated the group on activities since the last
session. In the general debate there were high level human
rights situations that required the Council's attention, from
Germany, France, Japan,Belgium, U.K., India, Ireland and
Spain, to name a few.
The general debate included the promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social
and cultural including the right to development. In its report, VIVAT International mentioned that the speakers
insisted on the necessity of putting human rights at the center of their efforts towards implementing the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development. Of note, a new mandate was created on the "protection against
violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity." This mandate is for three years
and will assess the implementation of the existing instruments in this regard. The Council also adopted the
outcome of the Universal Periodic Review of 14 countries. Get details of the resolutions passed and other
mandates. Review all the documents, here.
Note: U.N. Special Rapporteur, Kenyan lawyer and human rights expert Maina Kiai recently visited New York
City, Ferguson, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Jackson,
and Phoenix. A major focus of his visit was government policies and practices, including policing of protests
and surveillance tactics, around Black Lives Matter protests and other demonstrations. Read more.
Bread for the World Offering of Letters 2016:
Survive and Thrive. Bread's annual Offering of Letters
campaign, like other years "engages churches, campuses, and
other faith communities in writing letters to Congress that make a
significant impact on the decisions made in Congress."
This year, the campaign focuses on the need for good nutrition and
the essential role women play. Specific legislation is usually
targeted that can make a real difference to people struggling with
hunger and poverty. Perhaps your church has never done an
Offering of Letters. Find out more, visit the blog, take actions and
subscribe to the newsletter, here.
Eye on Election 2016. Democracy can only work if we all do
our part. Please become an informed voter and vote your
conscience. For candidate statements and positions, visit 2016
Presidential Election: The Candidates and Where they Stand on the
Issues, here.
Download Faith, Values and the 2016 Election: Toward A Politics of
the Golden Rule: Reflection Guide and Resources, here.
The Civilize It: Dignity Beyond the Debate campaign promotes
civility, clarity and compassion this "Election Season." Join the
movement and take the pledge, here.
Additional Resources:

Survey finds gloomy electorate, divided and worried (National Catholic Reporter), here

A Revolution of Tenderness: A 2016 Election Pope Francis Voter Guide, here;

U.S. Elections 2016 (The Guardian), here; and (New York Times), here;

Trump vs. Clinton, Beyond the Cage Match (Wall Street Journal), here.
Disclaimer! Any information about political candidates presented on the referenced websites in this section
was compiled by several organizations that seem to be reliable. The links are offered as a public service and
we do not take responsibility for the accuracy of the contents or necessarily agree with any assessments
given whether explicit or implied.
Focus On: The Global Goals for Sustainable Development
(2015-2030)
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)
#10: Reduced Inequalities. In spite of strides in
alleviating poverty across the globe, inequality still persists
and large disparities remain in access to health and
education services and other assets. According to the
U.N., "while income inequality between countries may
have been reduced, inequality within countries has risen.
There is growing consensus that economic growth is not
sufficient to reduce poverty if it is not inclusive and if it
does not involve the three dimensions of sustainable
development: economic, social and environmental."
Read more, here, and here, and about the 10 specific targets of this goal that seeks to reduce inequalities by
2030, here. Read Why Addressing Inequality Matters (U.N. Chronicle), here. Read the article by Global
Citizen and what you can do, here.
To learn more, read Sustainable Development Goals for Whom?, here, and SDGs, an Instrument to Tackle
Corporate Power, here. Request Sustainable Development Goals: a critical point of view, available as a
PowerPoint in English and French from Africa Europe Faith & Justice Network (AEFJN), from
[email protected].
Join Global Goals' Facebook page, here; download the Global Goals app, here; and the SDG Guide for
Stakeholders, here.
Take Action
(1) All Refugee Children Deserve an Education. There are
currently over 3.6 million refugee children who are not only
away from home, but are out of school. Stay abreast of the
global meeting on the refugee crisis in September and
education must be on the agenda. Sign the petition, here.
(2) SIGN ON: The Nonviolence and Just Peace Conference
Statement: An Appeal to the Catholic Church to ReCommit to the Centrality of Gospel Non-Violence has over
400 individuals and organizations signed on as of July 2016.
The "pdf" is available in English, Spanish, French, German,
Dutch, Portuguese and Arabic. Sign on at the end of the
Statement, here.
U.N. News and Other Events
Learn about U.N. Observance Days in August, here. Watch U.N. Web-TV, here. Get daily press releases,
here. You can subscribe to the U.N. Journal and other U.N. documents, here.
International Year of Pulses 2016: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is
helping to implement this "year," with the goal "of heightening public awareness about the nutritional benefits
of pulses as part of sustainable food production aimed towards food security and nutrition." Pulses are
annual leguminous crops yielding between one and 12 grains or seeds of variable size, shape and color within
a pod, used for both food and feed. Find out more.

August 9, 2016: International Day of the World's Indigenous
Peoples: The Right to Education is the awareness day to focus
on the health and well-being of the world's indigenous people.
Indigenous peoples continue to face challenges in accessing their
right to education, this year's focus, and specifically their right to
education in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of
teaching and learning and with full recognition of the diversity of
their cultures. Highlights from the forthcoming publication, State of
the World's Indigenous Peoples (Vol 3), will be discussed at a
special event at U.N.Headquarters on the 9th, with RSVPs due by August 3. Register here. Click
here for U.N. site in English; In Spanish; In French. Read State of the World's Indigenous
Peoples, Vol 2.

August 12, 2016: International Youth Day: The Road to 2030: Eradicating Poverty and
Achieving Sustainable Production and Consumption. This year's Day is about empowering
youth towards achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and focuses on the leading
role they can play. Read more here. Click here; In Spanish; In French.

August 19, 2016: World Humanitarian Day is a day to recognize
those who face danger and adversity in order while helping others
and an opportunity to celebrate the spirit that inspires this type of
work around the world. The day was designated by the General
Assembly to coincide with the anniversary of the 2003 bombing of
the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq. Click here. In
Spanish; In French.

August 23, 2016: International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its
Abolition. According to Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO, this day is both a tribute to all the
victims and their resistance against slavery, but also a call to truth, justice and dialogue between
peoples. In highlighting the diversity that nations carry with them, through the experience of slave
trade, we can better understand the diversity of the world and find the way to peace. Learn more.
August 29, 2016: International Day against Nuclear Tests. Nuclear incidents world-wide, yesterday
and today, give compelling reasons for the need to observe this day in which educational events,
activities and messages aim to capture the world's attention. They underscore the need for a unified
attempt in preventing further nuclear weapons testing. Click here; In Spanish; In French.

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August 30, 2016: International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. According to its
U.N. page, "Enforced disappearance has become a global problem which was once largely the
product of military dictatorships. Today, enforced disappearances may be perpetrated in complex
situations of internal conflict, especially as a means of political repression of opponents." Of particular
concern are: (1) the ongoing harassment of human rights defenders, relatives of victims, witnesses
and legal counsel dealing with cases of enforced disappearance; (2) the use by States of counterterrorist activities as an excuse for breaching their obligations; and (3) the still widespread impunity for
enforced disappearance. Learn more.
August 5-21, 2016: Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil. Learn more, here, and here. Also, How to Stay Safe in
Rio, here and, from the Centers of Disease Control, here. ReadTime
Magazine's article, The Rio Olympics Will Be a Failure, But Not for
the Reasons You Think, here. The author, John S. Baick, predicts
that the Rio Games will be a failure, "no matter how successful they
might be in terms of athletic accomplishment and spectator
enjoyment." This is because our global sense of an international
order has failed. "It is a divided, distracted and even defeated
international community that is slouching towards Rio," Baick contends.
August 9-14, 2016: World Social Forum (WSF) 2016: Another
World is Needed. Together it is Possible, coming to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, will gather
10,000s of people from groups in civil society, organizations and social movements who want to build
"a sustainable and inclusive world, where every person and every people has its place and can make
its voice heard." The Comboni Missionaries and the Comboni Missionary Sisters are sending an
international team of 17 persons and has registered six workshops to present with other members of
the Comboni Network. For more information, click here. Learn about the 13 sub-themes and their
descriptions, here. A Comboni Missionaries JPIC NETWORK brochure, geared to the activities, is
available, in several languages, from [email protected].
Pope Francis opened the global Jubilee Year, the Holy Year of Mercy on December 8 to run through
November 20, 2016. Be mindful of the "spiritual works" as well as the corporal. Learn more, here.
Read America's article, here.
Resources

Africa Faith & Justice Network Reports on Conferences held
in Gulu-Uganda and Abuja-Nigeria include (1) Breaking New
Horizons in Land Management and Administration in Acholi, held
June 21 -24, 2016 at the Comboni Samaritans Conference Hall in
Gulu. Click here; and (2) Images: Conference on Just
Governance, The Nigerian Bio-Safety Law, GMOs and
Implications for Nigeria and Africa, held May 23-25 in Abuja,
Nigeria. Both of these conferences generated a lot of "postconference energy," prompting participants to action. Read more here.

Eliminating the Trafficking of Children and Youth is a video discussion on this important topic that
was taped on July 13, on U.N. Web TV. This was organized by the Permanent Observer Mission of
the Holy See, in cooperation with the NGO Committee to Stop Trafficking in Persons, the Salesian
Missions, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and ECPAT-USA. Watch it here.

Global Trends Report: Forced Displacement in 2015. Every minute 24 people are forced to flee
their homes.This U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) annual report found that 65.3 million people, or one
out of every 113 people worldwide, have been forcibly displaced from their homes.This is the largest
number of displaced people ever on record, "a tragic milestone that represents unacceptable human
suffering." Read the 68-paged report, here.

High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (July 2016) has triggered some follow-up
reports on progress on the 2030 Agenda proposed last September. These include: (1) Women's
Major Group: Creating a Just & Sustainable Future has issued First Review of the 2030 Agenda
Falls Short: Fails to Address Systemic Obstacles to Achieving Sustainable Development,
here; (2) Statement from H.E. Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent
Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, expresses appreciation for the voluntary national
review presentations delivered by 22 countries during the high-level forum. Read it here.

New NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
Resources are available from NETWORK, a national
organization that advocates for justice, and is inspired
by Catholic Sisters. Check out: (1) the Advocacy
Toolbox with all the resources needed to educate,
organize, and lobby for justice; (2) Issues Pages that
include policy updates, principles grounded in Catholic
Social Justice, and opportunities for action; and (3) our 2020 Vision that "articulates NETWORK's
plan to mend the gaps and bridge the divides in our country, with special focus on the policies that
disproportionately affect women and people of color." To find these, visit the newly revamped
websites: NETWORK Lobby, here, and NETWORK Advocates, here. Read What to Do about Paul
Ryan's Poverty Plan? (NETWORK Connections, June 2016), here.

U.S. Foreign Policy in Africa and the 2016 Elections, by Abayomi Azikiwe, is a must-read,
especially during this election period. Here are some questions for consideration: Why does the onceactive Congressional Black Caucus remain silent on African Affairs? Why has the actual volume of
trade between the U.S. and Africa declined significantly during the Obama administration? Why
does Nigeria have so much difficulty in securing modern weapons and intelligence data from the
Pentagon and the CIA in their fight against Boko Haram? This armed group has killed thousands in
the northeast of the country and displaced millions. Read more from Global Research.
JPIC Combonline
"Like" the Comboni Missionaries North American Province's Facebook page, here; and the Comboni
Missionary Sisters USA's Facebook page, here.
To learn more, watch the video, Celebrating St. Daniel Comboni, here, and also download the digital
book, A Man for Africa, here.
JPIC Worldwide
World Social Forum in 2016. We'll have a report next month after this event in Montreal. 17 Comboni
Missionaries and Sisters are ready to go!
North American Province:
(1) Fr. John Converset took part in a panel discussion at the United Nations on July 21 on "Privatization of
War: Impact on Human Rights," organized by the Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of
violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the rights of peoples to self-determination.
(2) Two prominent bishops who have worked tirelessly in Sudan/South Sudan visited Cincinnati to connect
with the Archdiocese and our congressional representatives, and were the guests of the Comboni
Missionaries. On July 9, Bishop Max Macram Gassis spoke at a wine and cheese gathering at the Comboni
Mission Center and on the 10th had Mass at the nearby Immaculate Heart of Mary Church. Bishop Paride
Taban arrived on July 22 and gave a talk to Comboni priests and staff on July 26, highlighting his work in
establishing the peace village of Kuron in South Sudan. He gave an overview of his unique life there fighting
against ignorance and poverty in the context of tribalism and other challenges.
Comboni missionaries visiting from Africa shared their stories in Cincinnati, OH.
(Pictured with other members of the North American Province.)
(2) Eight Comboni Missionary Fathers have been visiting the province this summer to help with mission
appeals.They hail from six provinces (Democratic Republic of the Congo; Egypt/Sudan; Kenya; Malawi/
Zambia; Togo/Ghana/Benin; Uganda). On July 13, they all came together for the annual Meet the
Missionaries forum, held at the Anderson Center in Cincinnati, OH. Each missionary shared just a "snapshot"
of their life as a missionary, including the challenges and risks that they face.
Fr. Billo Junior Bertrand Chrisostome is specifically involved in the area of justice and peace as a parish
priest in Amakuriat, Kenya. He has held seminars to educate about topics such as reconciliation especially
meant for the two fighting tribes in that area.
1318 Nagel Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45255 · phone 513.474.4997; fax 513.474.0382
www.combonimissionaries.org - [email protected]
Comboni JPIC Network (CJN) Newsletter provides access to information on global issues from Church and Mission-related sources.
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