Franciscans InternationalIndia Prepares for UPR
Sr. Denise Boyle fmdm, and Fr. Alphonse Charles OFM Cap. attending a Human Rights Council Session at the UN.
Fr. Alphonse Charles OFM Cap., President of Association of Franciscan Family of India (AFFI) met with Sr. Denise Boyle fmdm, Franciscans International (FI) Executive Director, to learn more about the work of FI and to visit the United Nations (UN) during the Human Rights Council (HRC) Session 18, in September 2011.
“It was a wonderful experience to participate in some of the sessions and side events associated with this session of the Human Rights Council with Sr. Denise,” said Fr. Charles.
His visit to Geneva was in preparation for the ‘FI-Asia Pacific and AFFI Workshop on the United Nations Universal Period Review’ (UPR) in October. The workshop will help Franciscans to prepare information, reports and testimonies on India’s human rights situation to submit to the HRC for the country’s review in June 2012.
Over 70 Franciscans and partners from across India will participate in the workshop to discuss issues of injustice in India including the environment, contemporary forms of slavery, indigenous peoples, rights of the Dalits, right to food and how to address them at the UN. FI, AFFI and Franciscans at the grassroots will continue to work together strategically to ensure that these concerns affecting the poor and the most vulnerable are reported, addressed and improved.