Brian R Corbin's Reflections on Religion and Life

Living Your Faith as Citizens and Leaders in Politics, Culture, Society and Business

April 10, 2008 • 9:22 pm 0

Urbanized World

Holy See: Urbanized World Brings New Challenges
Human Person, Not Money, at Heart of Phenomenon, Says Aide
NEW YORK, APRIL 10, 2008 ( Zenit.org ).-

 

 

As the world’s cities, for the first time in history, boast more inhabitants than the globe’s rural areas, the Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations says that the needs of urban migrants need to be met.Archbishop Celestino Migliore affirmed this Wednesday at the Economic and Social Council’s 41st session of the Commission on Population and Development. The topic at hand was world population monitoring, focusing on population distribution, urbanization, internal migration and development.The archbishop noted the session’s timing “at this historic juncture when, for the first time in history, the number of urban inhabitants will surpass the number of people living in rural areas.””This session therefore calls on us to reflect on this phenomenon and take stock of the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead,” he said.

 

 

The prelate affirmed that the urbanization of populations provides new opportunities for economic growth: “With access to higher wages and better social services such as education, health, transportation, communications, safe water supplies and sanitation, migrants from rural to urban settings are more likely to advance their personal and social development.”Still, the Holy See representative urged, “We must place the needs and concerns of peoples first.”

 

 

Archbishop Migliore cautioned against a reversal in priorities.”Placing the human person at the service of economic or environmental considerations creates the inhuman effect of treating people as objects rather than subjects,” he said. “Migration and the urbanization of societies should not be purely measured in terms of their economic impact. In finding ways to address the serious challenges posed by massive internal and transnational migrations, let us not forget that at the heart of this phenomenon is the human person. “Thus we must also address the reasons why people move, the sacrifices they make, the anguish and the hopes that accompany migrants. Migration often places great strain on migrants, as they leave behind families and friends, sociocultural and spiritual networks.”

 

 

Slums

 

Archbishop Migliore cited the secretary-genera’s report in noting the many challenges that also come with urbanization.”Indeed,” he said, “new environmental, social and economic problems emerge with the birth of mega cities. But one of the most pressing and painful consequences of rapid urbanization is the increasing number of people living in urban slums. As recently as 2005, over 840 million people around the world lived in such conditions. Lacking in almost everything, these individuals can lose their sense of self-worth and inherent dignity.”The archbishop noted some of the problems faced by slum-dwellers, “trapped in a vicious cycle of extreme poverty and marginalization.””They squat on state or other people’s properties. They feel powerless to demand even the most basic public services. Children are not in schools, but in waste dumpsites eking out a living from scavenging. Policy makers and civil society actors must put these people and their concerns among the priorities in their decision-making.”

 

 

Archbishop Migliore also contended that residents of rural areas not be forgotten. “If we are to achieve the [millennium development goals] by 2015, greater concern must be given to those communities, in which approximately 675 million still lack access to safe drinking water and 2 billion live without access to basic sanitation. National and international policies would do well to ensure that rural communities have access to higher quality and more accessible social services.”He concluded by affirming the Holy See’s commitment to “addressing the concerns of all migrants and to finding ways to collaborate with all, in order to ensure a proper balance between the just concerns of state and those of individual human beings.””Helping migrants meet their basic needs does not only aid their transition and help keep families together,” the prelate stated. “It is also a positive way to encourage them to become productive, responsible, law-abiding and contributors to the common good of the society.”

 

 

 

Holy See on Urban Growth”Problems Emerge With the Birth of Mega Cities”NEW YORK, APRIL 10, 2008 ( Zenit.org ).-

 

Here is the address given Wednesday by Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations, at the Economic and Social Council’s 41st session of the Commission on Population and Development.

 

 

The meeting discussed world population monitoring, focusing on population distribution, urbanization, internal migration and development.* * *

 

 

Mr. Chairman, This session of the Commission on Population and Development comes at this historic juncture when, for the first time in history, the number of urban inhabitants will surpass the number of people living in rural areas. This session therefore calls on us to reflect on this phenomenon and take stock of the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.The urbanization of world populations provides new opportunities for economic growth. With access to higher wages and better social services such as education, health, transportation, communications, safe water supplies and sanitation, migrants from rural to urban settings are more likely to advance their personal and social development.When addressing the issues of migration and development, we must place the needs and concerns of peoples first. Placing the human person at the service of economic or environmental considerations creates the inhuman effect of treating people as objects rather than subjects. Migration and the urbanization of societies should not be purely measured in terms of their economic impact. In finding ways to address the serious challenges posed by massive internal and transnational migrations, let us not forget that at the heart of this phenomenon is the human person. Thus we must also address the reasons why people move, the sacrifices they make, the anguish and the hopes that accompany migrants. Migration often places great strain on migrants, as they leave behind families and friends, socio-cultural and spiritual networks. As the secretary-general’s report rightly illustrates, while urbanization has created better opportunities for individuals and their families, the move from agricultural settings to urban centers also create myriad challenges. Indeed, new environmental, social and economic problems emerge with the birth of mega cities. But one of the most pressing and painful consequences of rapid urbanization is the increasing number of people living in urban slums. As recently as 2005 over 840 million people around the world lived in such conditions. Lacking in almost everything, these individuals can lose their sense of self-worth and inherent dignity. They become trapped in a vicious cycle of extreme poverty and marginalization. They squat on state or other people’s properties. They feel powerless to demand even the most basic public services. Children are not in schools, but in waste dumpsites eking out a living from scavenging. Policy makers and civil society actors must put these people and their concerns among the priorities in their decision-making.While urbanization provides a net growth in terms of economic development, we must not lose sight of the daunting challenges that rural communities face, particularly those in developing countries. If we are to achieve the MDGs by 2015, greater concern must be given to those communities, in which approximately 675 million still lack access to safe drinking water and two billion live without access to basic sanitation. National and international policies would do well to ensure that rural communities have access to higher quality and more accessible social services. Mr. Chairman,For its part, the Holy See and its institutions remain committed to addressing the concerns of all migrants and to finding ways to collaborate with all, in order to ensure a proper balance between the just concerns of state and those of individual human beings. Helping migrants meet their basic needs does not only aid their transition and help keep families together. It is also a positive way to encourage them to become productive, responsible, law-abiding and contributors to the common good of the society.Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Filed under: Economic Policy, Migration, Social Doctrine, Social Justice

April 9, 2008 • 11:40 pm 0

Catholic University of America Archives Web site: 1919 US Bishops Social Reconstruction

The American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives at
Catholic University in Washington, D.C. is pleased to announce a free new
primary document website on the Bishops’ Program of Social Reconstruction of 1919. Written by Father John A. Ryan and released by the National Catholic War Council (the forerunner of the National Catholic Welfare Conference), the Bishops’ Program offered a guide for overhauling America’s politics, society, and economy based on Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum and a variety of American influences.

The site explores the Bishops’ Program, from its origins in the uncertainty of the immediate post-World War One period, to the ideas that informed its author Father John A.Ryan, through its reception by the Catholic community and the broader public upon its release.

The Bishops’ Program of Social Reconstruction site contains:

1. Thirty-five documents and more than two dozen photographs related to the National Catholic War Council.

2. Background information on the creation of the Bishops’ Program.

3. A Chronology of events surrounding the creation of the plan toward
placing it in broader historical context.

4. A Further Reading list for deeper exploration of the Program.

5. A History Standards page for teacher who wish to integrate the site
documents into the U.S. History curriculum.

6. A So What? section suggesting broader themes and issues the site
illuminates.

The site is part of the American Catholic History Classroom at the Catholic University Archives and can be found at:

http://libraries.cua.edu/achrcua/bishops/1919_wel.html

Filed under: Church-State, Social Doctrine, Social Justice

April 5, 2008 • 6:06 pm 0

Holy See: Development Goals Elusive as Deadline Nears

Holy See: Development Goals Elusive as Deadline Nears
Archbishop Urges Redoubled Efforts at United Nations

NEW YORK, APRIL 4, 2008 ( Zenit.org ).- The time allotted to reach the Millennium Development Goals is already half over, and the Holy See says many of the problems the goals aim to alleviate are still rampant.

Archbishop Celestino Migliore, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, affirmed this today in an address delivered to the 62nd session of the U.N. General Assembly. His statement was given during the debate on “Recognizing the Achievements, Addressing the Challenges and Getting Back on Track to Achieve the MDGs by 2015.”

“In the year 2000, in this very hall, heads of state and of government agreed on an ambitious, yet needed, set of global development goals to be achieved by 2015,” the archbishop recalled. “At the halfway point, while much has been done toward achieving the goals, abject poverty, hunger, illiteracy and lack of even the most basic health care are still rampant, indeed worsening in some regions.

“Tackling these challenges that continue to afflict hundreds of millions remains, therefore, at the very center of our concerns.”

Hunger and poverty

Archbishop Migliore lamented that “the overall goal of reducing hunger and poverty has remained elusive.”

“My delegation believes that greater international solidarity is necessary if we are to succeed in narrowing the ever-increasing gap between rich and poor countries and between individuals within countries,” he said. “While international aid is important, a fairer international trade environment — including addressing market-distorting practices that disadvantage weaker economies — is even more decisive.

“My delegation wishes to assure that the Holy See remains actively engaged in alleviating poverty and hunger, which are an offense against human dignity.”

Education

The archbishop said the Holy See is pleased to note progress toward achieving universal access to primary education, “with some of the poorest regions seeing a dramatic increase in enrollment.”

Still, he noted, there are 58 countries that are at risk of not receiving access by 2015, unless “redoubled efforts” are put forth.

“Education underpins all the MDGs,” Archbishop Migliore affirmed. “It is the most effective tool to empower men and women to achieve greater social, economic and political freedom. Governments and civil society, public and private sectors, parents and teachers must invest in the education of future generations to prepare them to face the challenges of an increasingly globalized society.

“In particular, utmost efforts must be made to give equal educational opportunities to boys and girls, and to ensure that no child is left behind for purely economic and social reasons.”

Health care

The archbishop said there were lights and shadows in the area of health care, and he called for collective action.

“While progress has been made in reducing child mortality, there has been slower progress in addressing maternal health, HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis,” he said. “The overriding cause of the slow progress has been the lack of resources at the most basic levels of health care and the continued lack of access to even basic health services.

“It has been long demonstrated that investing in primary health care, rather than in selective, culturally divisive and ideologically driven forms of health services, which camouflage the destruction of life among medical and social services, is one of the most cost effective and successful ways to improve the overall quality of life and the stability of families and communities.”

Archbishop Migliore promised the support of the Holy See “through its institutions, [to] continue to provide basic health care, with a preferential option for the most underserved and marginalized sectors of society.”

The Holy See representative noted the coincidence of the halfway point in the process of achieving the MDGs with the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“At the heart of both the UDHR and the MDGs is the goal of a better future for all,” the archbishop said. “More than talks and summits, the achievement of this goal requires commitment and concrete action. Our common fight against extreme poverty, hunger, illiteracy and illnesses is not merely an act of generosity and altruism: it is a ‘conditio sine qua non’ for a better future and a better world fit for all.”

Holy See on UN’s Millennium Goals
“For a Better Future and a Better World Fit for All”

NEW YORK, APRIL 4, 2008 ( Zenit.org ).- Here is the address delivered today by Archbishop Celestino Migliore, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, at the 62nd session of the U.N. General Assembly. The statement was given during the debate on “Recognizing the Achievements, Addressing the Challenges and Getting Back on Track to Achieve the MDGs by 2015.”

* * *

Mr. President,

In the year 2000, in this very Hall, Heads of State and of Government agreed on an ambitious, yet needed, set of global development goals to be achieved by 2015. At halfway point, while much has been done towards achieving the goals, abject poverty, hunger, illiteracy and lack of even the most basic healthcare are still rampant, indeed worsening in some regions. Tackling these challenges that continue to afflict hundreds of millions remains, therefore, at the very centre of our concerns.

Authoritative studies tell us that in spite of the remarkable economic growth in many developing countries, the overall goal of reducing hunger and poverty has remained elusive.

My delegation believes that greater international solidarity is necessary if we are to succeed in narrowing the ever-increasing gap between rich and poor countries and between individuals within countries. While international aid is important, a fairer international trade environment — including addressing market-distorting practices which disadvantage weaker economies – is even more decisive. In this regard, the importance of the upcoming Doha Review Conference cannot be stressed enough. The combined efforts to meet the 0.7% of ODA and to review trade and financing mechanisms on the one hand, and to end bad governance and internecine conflicts in recipient States on the other, will go a long way in lifting millions out of extreme poverty and hunger.

My delegation wishes to assure that the Holy See remains actively engaged in alleviating poverty and hunger, which are an offense against human dignity. It will not cease to highlight these basic needs, so that they remain at the centre of international attention and are addressed as a matter of social justice.

The Holy See is very pleased of the good progress towards achieving universal access to primary education, with some of the poorest regions seeing a dramatic increase in enrollment. However, without redoubled efforts, 58 countries may not achieve the goal of universal primary schooling by 2015.

Education underpins all the MDGs. It is the most effective tool to empower men and women to achieve greater social, economic and political freedom. Governments and civil society, public and private sectors, parents and teachers must invest in the education of future generations to prepare them to face the challenges of an increasingly globalised society. In particular, utmost efforts must be made to give equal educational opportunities to boys and girls, and to ensure that no child is left behind for purely economic and social reasons.

Precisely with this end in view, thousands of educational institutions of the Catholic Church are located in degraded inner cities and in far-flung villages, in the peripheries of huge cities and in places where children are constrained to work to survive.

The health-related MDGs also require our collective action. While progress has been made in reducing child mortality, there has been slower progress in addressing maternal health, HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. The overriding cause of the slow progress has been the lack of resources at the most basic levels of healthcare and the continued lack of access to even basic health services. It has been long demonstrated that investing in primary healthcare, rather than in selective, culturally divisive and ideologically driven forms of health services, which camouflage the destruction of life among medical and social services, is one of the most cost effective and successful ways to improve the overall quality of life and the stability of families and communities.

Moreover, the lack of progress on the health-related goals demonstrates the interconnected and mutually reinforcing nature of the MDGs. The significant correlation between poverty and the persistent high levels of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and maternal mortality is evident. My delegation wishes to assure that the Holy See, through its institutions, will continue to provide basic healthcare, with a preferential option for the most underserved and marginalized sectors of society.

This thematic debate halfway towards 2015 comes at this rather poignant time of the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. At the heart of both the UDHR and the MDGs is the goal of a better future for all. More than talks and summits, the achievement of this goal requires commitment and concrete action. Our common fight against extreme poverty, hunger, illiteracy and illnesses is not merely an act of generosity and altruism: it is a “conditio sine qua non” for a better future and a better world fit for all.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Filed under: Social Doctrine, Social Justice

March 14, 2008 • 12:38 am 0

Holy See Intervention at UN/Geneva, Human Rights Council

Intervention of H.E. Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi, Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations at Geneva at the 7th Session of the Human Rights Council, Item 3: Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development
11 March 2008

Mr. President,

The Holy See delegation welcomes the opportunity to offer its observations on the Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Right of Everyone to the Enjoyment of the Highest Attainable Standard of Physical and Mental Health[1]. First of all, we are pleased to note that the Report identifies this right as a “fundamental building block of sustainable development, poverty reduction, and economic prosperity.”[2] In a similar manner, Pope Benedict XVI recently affirmed that “[t]he building of a more secure future for the human family means first and foremost working for the integral development of peoples, especially through the provision of adequate health care [and] the elimination of pandemics like AIDS …”[3]

The Report, Mr. President, appropriately calls attention to the single policy framework for health that was embodied in the Declaration of Alma-Ata on primary health care, promulgated, thirty years ago, by the world’s Health Ministers. This framework outlined the underlying principles to assure equitable exercise of the right to health as well as the implementation of essential interventions to assure strong links between health and development.

We note, however, that, in accord with the Constitution of the World Health Organization, the definition of health extends beyond medical interventions and social determinants to include a “state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”[4] The Holy See recognizes, as well, the need to assure access to spiritual assistance among those conditions which guarantee the full enjoyment of the right to health.[5]

The Report refers to the WHO definition of “health systems” that includes “all organizations, people, and actions whose primary intent is to promote, restore, or maintain health.” [6] Moreover, while discussing the pre-conditions for a “right-to-health” approach that strengthens health systems, he points out the entitlement of all individuals and communities to active and informed participation on issues relating to their health. In this regard, Mr. President, my delegation would like to focus on the key role that can and should be accorded to religious organizations as important stakeholders in the strengthening of health infrastructure.

Such organizations often assume significant responsibility for the burden of health care delivery, most especially to the poorest sectors of the population and to those living in rural areas. Too often, however, these faith-based service providers are not allowed a “place at the table” during the formulation of health care plans on national or local levels. They also are deprived of an equitable share in the resources – both from the national/local budgets and from international donors. Such funding is essential to facilitate the maintenance of ongoing health systems; the training, recruitment, and retention of professional staff; as well as the scaling up necessary to address the ever-increasing burden of global pandemics such as HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and other infections and non-communicable diseases that disproportionately affect the poorest sectors of society.

Mr. President, my delegation was pleased to note, in this Report, the inclusion of “non-discrimination” among the core obligations of health systems and the emphasis on the obligation of States to address the particular needs of disadvantaged individuals, communities, and populations and to reach out to those living in poverty.[7]

With regard to those who require special protection, let us never ignore or deny the very right to life among those whose conditions are most vulnerable and may entirely depend on being safeguarded by others. Particular cases in point are children in the womb and those suffering from grave and life-threatening illnesses. My Delegation urgently hopes that references to “emergency obstetric care” will never be misconstrued to justify the forced ending of human life before birth and that the reference to a state’s obligation to “identify a minimum ‘basket’ of health services”[8] and to “striking balances”[9] will not be interpreted in a manner that denies essential services to the seriously ill. While the report claims that “few human rights are absolute,”[10] it is the firm belief of my delegation, Mr. President, that no compromise can be made with a person’s right to life itself, from conception to natural death, nor with that person’s ability to enjoy the dignity which flows from that right.

In conclusion, we note that the Report gave due recognition to “health as a public good” which requires “international cooperation” on “trans-boundary health issues.” Urgent attention much be accorded to such issues since, in many countries, refugees, other migrants, and internally-displaced persons are deprived by host governments even of the most basic life-saving health services. In an attempt to fill such gaps, once again religious organizations often provide care, support, and treatment to such populations without concern for their national or ethnic origins.

Thank you.

[1] Document A/HRC/7/11, 31 January 2008.
[2] Ibid., #12.
[3] Address of His Holiness Benedict XVI to H.E. Mrs. Mary Ann Glendon, Ambassador of the United States of America to the Holy See, 29 February 2008, http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2008/february/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20080229_ambassador-usa_en.html
[4] Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization as adopted by the International Health Conference, New York, 19 June – 22 July 1946; signed on 22 July 1946 by the representatives of 61 States (Official Records of the World Health Organization, no. 2, p. 100) and entered into force on 7 April 1948.
[5] Charter for Health Care Workers, #40, Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, Vatican City, 1995. http://www.healthpastoral.org/pdffiles/Charter_06_Chapter2.pdf
[6] Document A/HRC/7/11, 31 January 2008, #34.
[7] Ibid., #51.
[8] Ibid., #52.
[9] Ibid., #63.
[10] Ibid., #63.

Filed under: Social Doctrine, Social Justice

December 18, 2007 • 3:49 pm 0

Holy See on a World Fit for Children

Holy See on a World Fit for Children
“The Opportunity to Pause and Assess Where We Stand Today”

NEW YORK, DEC. 17, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Here is the address Archbishop Celestino Migliore, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, gave Thursday to the plenary session of the U.N. General Assembly on the follow-up of the 2002 Special Session on children.

* * *

Mr President,

This commemorative high-level plenary meeting gives us the opportunity to pause and assess where we stand today with respect to the commitment to create a world fit for children, made during the 2002 special session for children.

The Convention of the Rights of the Child remains the standard in the promotion and protection of the rights of the child. It contains such fundamental principles as the rights of the child before as well as after birth, the family as the natural environment for the growth and education of children, and the right of the child to the best health care and education possible.

Echoing the principles enshrined in the said Convention, the 2002 special session reaffirms the family as the basic unit of society, providing the best environment for children to acquire knowledge, cultivate good qualities and develop positive attitudes to become responsible citizens. It is, therefore, in everyone’s interest to motivate parents to take personal responsibility in the education of their children and strengthen the family.

Acting on its perennial conviction that education lies at the heart of the development of every child, today the Catholic Church runs more than two hundred and fifty thousand schools in all continents, with three and a half million teachers educating forty-two million students. To help every child exercise the right to education, many of these schools are in some of the most challenging locations where otherwise children would be completely left behind, such as remote villages, deprived inner cities, conflict zones, refugee camps and waste dumping grounds.

Recognizing that chronic poverty remains the single biggest obstacle to meeting the needs of children, helping working children through education is key to empowering them to break the cycle of extreme poverty and raise awareness of their self-worth and dignity. Ways must be found to offer them free basic education and training, and integrate them into the formal educational system in every way possible.

The commitment of the Holy See in the area of protecting children and their families from the impact of HIV/AIDS is illustrated by the thousands of institutions engaged in the care and education of orphans, prevention and awareness campaigns, the distribution of antiretroviral drugs, basic health care and nutrition, the prevention of mother-to-child viral transmission, the fight against stigma, and the empowerment of peoples living with HIV/AIDS to be protagonists in the fight against the epidemic.

However, while continuing the focus on HIV/AIDS, we must enhance our health care policies on even more common killer diseases, such as malaria and tuberculosis.

An even more fundamental challenge is the lack of access of children and mothers to basic health care and sanitation. As the Secretary-General recently stated, sanitation is one of the most overlooked and underserved basic human needs, and international efforts to deliver on this area have been “lackluster”. Children are the first victims of such an “unacceptable situation”. This neglect or lack of focus on basic health care is very costly, given that basic medical prevention is often one of the most cost effective and successful ways of improving the health and stability of society.

My delegation earnestly hopes that the commitments renewed or made in the course of this plenary are not mere declarations of good intentions or objectives for which to aspire, but steadfast commitments to uphold, so that a world truly fit for children can at last become a reality.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Filed under: Social Doctrine, Social Justice

Pages

Archives

Meta

Blogroll