Pope calls for a return of ‘person-centered ethics’ in finance and economics

Gerard O'Connell Vatican Insider May 16, 2013


The effects of the world's economic and social crisis
In a strong critique of the current global economic and financial disorder, Pope Francis denounces the idolatry of money and calls for a return to a ‘person-centered ethics’ in the world of finance and economics
In his first major speech on the global financial crisis, Pope Francis strongly denounced ‘the cult of money and the dictatorship of an economy which is faceless and lacking any truly humane goal’. He called on the world’s financial experts and political leaders to promote ‘disinterested solidarity’ and ‘a return to a person-centered ethics in the world of finance and economics.’ ……
While addressed in the first place to the governments represented by the new ambassadors, his message was clearly targeted at the world’s financial and political leaders. And it was clearly rooted in his experience in Latin America, and especially in Argentina where over the past decades he had witnessed the country’s economic meltdown, an increase in poverty, the growing gap between rich and poor, and widespread corruption.
‘The Pope loves everyone, rich and poor alike, but the Pope has the duty, in Christ’s name, to remind the rich to help the poor, to respect them, to promote them’…….

Disarmament Double Speak - Produced by International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons

Today at Parliament House in Canberra, ICAN Australia launched an booklet titled Disarmament Double-Speak, which exposes Australia’s mixed record on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament.

It describes early attempts to acquire nuclear weapons, support for British nuclear testing on Australian soil, participation in US extended nuclear deterrence, resistance to a ban treaty and the inadequacy of safeguards for uranium exports.

As former prime minister Malcolm Fraser writes in the foreword, Australia “should use our position on the UN Security Council to help lead the push for negotiations on a treaty to prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons”.


Download Disarmament Double-Speak

Please share this report widely. Help us to expose the hypocrisy of the Australian government in this field so that we can work towards a more constructive Australian approach to nuclear disarmament.



Kind regards,


Tim Wright
Campaign Director
ICAN Australia

You Tube Video looking at ways to spend resources other than military

Pax Christi UK have produced this DVD/Video to try to get people to think of the whole issue of military spending and how we could create other, better non-military
models of security if we invested in other possibilities. The video was launched at the
House of Commons on 15 April, Global Day of Action on Military Spending.
We have discussion notes/ lesson plan to go with it for use in
schools/with groups.

Please paste this into your browser for viewing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBGeBlsiSMU

Slideshow: Six US Whistleblowers Charged Under the Espionage Act

Dear Friends

Meet the six whistleblowers Obama has prosecuted under the Espionage Act—more than all other presidents combined.
The Obama administration has been carrying out an unprecedented crackdown on whistleblowers, particularly on those who have divulged information that relates to national security. The Espionage Act, enacted during the first World War to punish Americans who aided the enemy, had only been used three times in its history to try government officials accused of leaking classified information — until the Obama administration. Since 2009, the administration has used the act to prosecute six government officials. Meet the whistleblowers.

Please go the link very interesting reading.

http://billmoyers.com/content/slideshow-six-whistleblowers-charged-under-the-espionage-act/#.UYGz8T6wc08.gmail

Last night, the President of the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC) announced that he would not veto a UC Berkeley Student Senate resolution in favor of divestment from companies that profit from the Israeli occupation.
This is an incredible divestment win - and you helped make it happen!

In 2010, a similar vote was vetoed by a previous ASUC president. Make no mistake - this is a precedent setting win, on a high-profile campus, in the midst of a series of UC student body resolutions in favor of divestment. The growing momentum behind this movement could not be more obvious.

The ASUC President was under enormous pressure to veto the resolution, including a nationwide email campaign organized by the Jewish Federations of North America and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs referring to the divestment bill as "alienating and hateful." These are strong and misleading words to describe a resolution that focuses on the relation between investments and human rights.

Thanks to you, we managed to post an online banner in the Daily Californian (see image in box) reminding the ASUC Presidents that we are Jews and we support divestment. A larger ad in the printed version of the paper (see below) carried the same message.




Thanks especially to the Berkeley chapter of Student for Justice in Palestine, whose leadership, moral clarity, and tireless organizing is truly the foundation of this victory.

I am more hopeful and determined than ever to keep this momentum growing.

Thanks for making a difference when it really counted.

Sydney Levy
Jewish Voice for Peace

P.S.: Yesterday hours before this announcement in California, over 100 professors at Columbia and Barnard added their signatures to a petition at their university, calling on pension fund giant TIAA-CREF to divest from corporations profiting from Israel’s. Congratulations to the student, faculty, and staff organizers!

Excerpts from the Testament of Dom Christian De Cherge, OCSO, written in 1993 and opened in 1996 after he and other members of his community were murdered in Algeria.

I would like them to be able to associate this death with so many other equally violent ones allowed to fall into the indifference of anonymity. My life has no more value than any other. Nor any less value. In any case, it has not the innocence of childhood. I have lived long enough to know that I share in the evil which seems, alas, to prevail in the world, and even in that which would strike me blindly. I should like, when the time comes, to have a space of lucidity which would enable me to beg forgiveness of God and of my fellow human beings, and at the same time to forgive with all my heart the one who would strike me down.
...
... In this THANK YOU which is said for everything in my life, from now on, I certainly include you, friends of yesterday and today, and you, O my friends of this place, besides my mother and father, my sisters and brothers and their families, a hundredfold as was promised!

And you too, my last minute friend, who will not know what you are doing, Yes, for you too I say this THANK YOU AND THIS ‘A-DIEU’-—to commend you to this God in whose face I see yours. And may we find each other, happy ‘good thieves’ in Paradise, if it please God, the Father of us both. . AMEN!

INITIATIVE TO PREVENT CHILDHOOD MORTALITY LAUNCHED

Multi-Religious Collaboration for the Survival and Wellbeing of Children Will Reach Six Million Children in Six African Countries



Kampala, Uganda, 15 March 2013 – Religions for Peace (RfP), in partnership with the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID), today launched the Multi-religious Collaboration for the Survival and Wellbeing of Children (MCC) Program in Uganda with more than 365 religious and cultural leaders, government representatives, UNICEF and other stakeholders from various parts of Uganda. This was the start of a five-year initiative to enhance the survival and well‐being of children under-five years of age which will later be expanded to five other African countries - Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Worldwide, more than 7 million children before the age of five die from easily preventable or treatable diseases. Ninety percent of these deaths are in 42 countries, significantly in Africa.

Dr. William F. Vendley, Secretary General of RfP, said, “KAICIID is the lead partner in this initiative. Its commitment to advance dialogue among all stakeholders in child survival will translate into saving the lives of vulnerable children. It will align diverse stakeholders to help the families of vulnerable children to serve as the frontlines of protection.” He added, “The Inter-religious Council of Uganda—Religions for Peace (IRCU—RfP) is uniquely well-positioned to advance this important KAICIID-led initiative, due to its pioneering track record of effective multi-religious action. The lessons learned in Uganda will help to guide this KAICIID and RfP initiative.”

His Excellency Faisal Muaammar, KAICIID Secretary General, said, “By bringing these rich and diverse cultures and religions together, through dialogue, we can collaborate to advance the wellbeing of our children, and to empower parents and families to improve their own futures. Care for our children is just one, but perhaps the strongest of values that unites followers of all religions. Therefore, the MCC Program, here in Uganda, Africa, is an obvious area for RfP and KAICIID to begin its work with our valued partner, the Inter-religious Council of Uganda–Religions for Peace.”

His Grace Dr. Cyprian Kizito Lwanga, Archbishop of Kampala Archdiocese and Co-Chair, Council of Presidents of the IRCU-RfP, said, “This Program will plough important new ground even as it builds upon the commitment and expertise of over a decade of concrete inter-religious work in Uganda.”



His Eminence Sheikh Shaban Mubajje, Grand Mufti of the Uganda Supreme Council and a co-founder of IRCU-RfP, stated, “We trust that the lessons of dialogue learned in Uganda in partnership with KAICIID will help empower our sister RfP inter-religious councils across Africa.”

The Honorable Hajat Rukia Isanga Nakadama, Minister of State for Gender & Cultural Affairs, Government of Uganda, praised the MCC Program and the spirit of inter-religious dialogue and cooperation that is being advanced by KAICIID and RfP in partnership with IRCU-RfP.

Mr. Joshua Kitakule, Secretary General of IRCU—RfP, expressed his deep appreciation for the support provided by KAICIID through its partnership with RfP and committed to mobilize and equip faith leaders across diverse religious traditions to promote the widespread adoption of household practices which save the lives of under-five children.

His Majesty King Solomon Gafabusa Iguru I, King of Bunyoro and Chairperson, Cultural and Traditional Institutions in Uganda, urged the religious and traditional leaders and other stakeholders to continue the spirit of dialogue in advancing badly needed work to protect the lives and health of children most at risk.

Also present at the launch were Msgr. Dr. John B. Kauta, Secretary General, Uganda Episcopal Conference; His Grace the Most Rev. Stanley Ntagali, Archbishop of the Church of Uganda; Pr. Dr. Joseph Serwadda, Presiding Apostle, Born Again Faith in Uganda and Mr. George Ebong, UNICEF.

KAICIID, RfP and IRCU—RfP delegates also held meetings with His Excellency Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi, Vice President of Uganda and the Rt. Hon. Jacob Oulanyah, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, to apprise them of the launch of the MCC Program.

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Contact: Ms. Valerie Nash

Religions for Peace, 777 United Nations, Plaza, New York, NY 10017, USATel: +1212-687-2163 | Fax: +1 212-983-0098 | www.religionsforpeace.org E-mail: vnash@religionsforpeace.org