EN

Author: communications

It is with our deepest sorrow that we inform you of the death of Sr. Marie Theresa Plante, FMM.

Sr. Marie Theresa was the first representative of Franciscans International at the United Nations in New York. She has dedicated her life to make our World a better place and to defend the rights and the dignity of all those that are discriminated and oppressed.

With gratitude, we will always remember her and we are sure that she enjoys now the presence of our saviour that she followed in her life.

Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and with her community of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary.

On the behalf of Franciscans International,

Markus Heinze, ofm
Executive Director, Franciscans International

You can read Sr. Marie Theresa’s bio here.

ENGLISH

Franciscans International’s Advent 2017 Reflection focuses on the four women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. These four women will serve as an inspiration to identify and reflect on contemporary human rights issues that disproportionately affect women today.

ITALIANO

La Riflessione sull’Avvento 2017 di Franciscans International si concentra sulle quattro donne che nel Vangelo secondo Matteo sono citate nella genealogia di Gesù. Queste quattro donne ci saranno di ispirazione per identificare e riflettere su problemi contemporanei relativi ai diritti umani che vanno oggi a incidere sulle donne in maniera sproporzionata.

ESPAÑOL

La Reflexión de Adviento 2017 de Franciscans International se centra en las cuatro mujeres mencionadas en la genealogía de Jesús en el Evangelio de Mateo. Estas cuatro mujeres servirán de inspiración para identificar y reflexionar sobre temas contemporáneos de derechos humanos que afectan de modo desproporcionado a las mujeres hoy.

DEUTSCH

Die Adventsreflektion von Franciscans International beschäftigt sich dieses Jahr mit vier Frauen, die im Stammbaum Jesu im Kapitel 1 des Matthäusevangeliums genannt werden. Diese vier Frauen dienen als Inspiration, um aktuelle Menschenrechtsprobleme zu reflektieren, die überwiegend Frauen betreffen.

FRANÇAIS

Franciscans International vous propose une Réflexion pour le temps de l’Avent 2017, qui met en lumière les quatre femmes mentionnées dans la généalogie de Jésus de l’Évangile selon Saint Matthieu. Ces quatre femmes sont sources d’inspiration pour réfléchir aux enjeux liés aux droits humains qui affectent les femmes de façon disproportionnée aujourd’hui.

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On Friday, 10 November 2017 the third Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Benin took place at the Palais des Nations, in Geneva. The UPR is a UN human rights mechanism that reviews the human rights record of UN member States every four and a half years.

In total, 82 UN member States took the floor to ask questions and make recommendations to the Government of Benin. The recommendations reflected several concerns raised by Franciscans International and its field partners pertaining to children’s rights, including the issue of ritual infanticide, birth registration, and the right to education.

In this regard, while many States commended Benin for the adoption of the new Child Code, they also advised the Government of Benin to take concrete measures to ensure its effective implementation. Further, States demanded that Benin protect children from harmful practices—in particular, to ensure that cases of ritual infanticide are prosecuted and sanctioned.

Ritual infanticide in Benin involves the killing of the so-called ‘witch children’: children who experience an ‘abnormal’ birth. This can include infants born in the breech position – where feet are delivered first – or those born face down, as a normal birth is one in which the child is born head first and face up. Newborns are also killed if they are born prematurely, with teeth or perceptible disabilities, or if the mother dies during childbirth. These children are believed to bring a curse on the family and the community. Since these deaths are not always registered it is difficult to assess the magnitude of the practice.

Regarding birth registration, States recommended that Benin intensify efforts in view of ensuring universal birth registration of children — a practice that, in the west African state, still lags behind international standards.

The Government also received, and committed to, a number of recommendations on the right to education. These focused on ensuring a completely free primary education for all—no hidden ancillary costs for families—especially for those from disadvantaged households. In addition, the recommendations highlighted the necessity to create a safe environment for all children attending school.

Franciscans International and its field partners, who have been working on the issue of child protection in Benin for almost a decade, welcome the commitment of the Government of Benin to take action to implement these recommendations. Together with other actors of the Beninese civil society, FI will continue its engagement in the country to ensure that these commitments are translated into concrete action on the ground.

From May 23, 2017, the Islamic City of Marawi, the capital of the predominantly Muslim Lanao del Sur province in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, in the Philippines, has been the epicentre of violence.

On that day, the Philippine Army and a local radical Islamist entity, allegedly affiliated to ISIL, the Maute Group, began a battle in the city. This action soon became a siege and, as of June, official data report that over 400,000 people were internally displaced to neighbouring provinces.

Local Franciscans have been some of the first to bring humanitarian assistance to the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) from Marawi in the form of food, medical assistance, and livelihood support. Franciscans also organised psycho-social interventions (similar to group counselling meetings) to help IDPs deal with their trauma.

Norly Sara Paingco, 24, was present at one of these meetings. Until May 23 she was a student in the city of Marawi. On that day, she had to leave her city, her house, and her school. She now lives in an evacuation center in Baloi, in the Lanao del Norte province, some 30 km north of Marawi city.

“Why are we being evicted from our houses? Why are we considered terrorists?” she asks in tears. “Now I cannot study. My future is destroyed.”

Since May the crisis in Marawi has intensified and the martial law, initially proclaimed for the city of Marawi only, was extended to the whole island of Mindanao on July 22.

The living conditions of IDPs in the country is increasingly worrying and Sen. Leila de Lima, former chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights, requested the Duterte administration to formally invite the United Nations special rapporteur on the human rights of IDPs, Cecilia Jimenez-Damary, to look into the growing number of citizens displaced by this crisis. As reported by The Philippine Star, “The senator said the government, as the ‘legal protector of Filipinos who are unable to protect themselves,’ has the duty to pursue an impartial investigation through an independent commission of inquiry to be conducted by the UN special rapporteur.”

Budi Tjahjono, Franciscans International’s Asia-Pacific Coordinator, was recently in in Iligan City—40 km from Marawi—to attend a meeting with the JPIC of Franciscans in Mindanao, titled “Franciscans, ONE with Marawi.” In the context of this meeting, that aimed to consolidate Franciscan responses to the crisis, Mr Tjahjono also visited one of the evacuation centres where local Franciscans are engaged in humanitarian assistance and advocacy. His assessment of the situation is similar to the one provided by Sen. De Lima. He said, “It is very important to address immediately the IDPs situation through the lenses of the UN guiding principles on internal displacement.” And he further added that “the Philippines should invite the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of IDPs to visit Marawi and the region. And the Government should also reconsider their position in regard to Bill 1142 on IDPs rights.”

Author: Paolo Cravero, FI Communications Officer

Join ATD Fourth World in showing your support for people living in extreme poverty all over the world who struggle each day to overcome poverty.

“Wherever men and women are condemned to live in extreme poverty, human rights are violated. To come together to ensure these rights be respected is our solemn duty.” – Joseph Wresinski, founder of ATD Fourth World

Check their campaign here.

On Friday, 16 June on the side of the 35th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Franciscans International, together with the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR) and Amnesty International, organised an event focusing on the issue of the freedom of expression in the island of Okinawa, Japan. With a rich panel representing local civil society and media as well as the United Nations, the debate has touched upon many crucial elements relating to both the right of free speech and the Okinawan situation.

To read a full account of the side-event, please click here. To see the webcast of the event (in Japanese) follow this link

On June 20, parallel to the 35th session of the Human Rights Council, Franciscans International and other international organizations held an event discussing the political deadlock and deteriorating human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Currently the DRC is in a political paralysis where the electoral process is in a standstill and democratic elections are dangerously threatened.

In light of President Kabila’s unconstitutional stay in power past his final mandated term on 19 December 2016, opposition forces, civil society and the Government reached an agreement on 31 December 2016, the Accord de la Saint Sylvestre (the New Year’s Eve Agreement). At the core of this document is the imposition of a tangible commitment to hold democratic elections prior to the end of 2017.

Nevertheless, progress in the implementation of the Agreement has stalled, undermining the electoral process and a peaceful, democratic transition of power, as well as fuelling opposition and animosity towards the Presidential Majority.

Consequently, the absence of a prompt implementation of the New Year’s Eve Agreement has had irrefutable repercussions on the security and human rights situation in the country. There has been an increase in violations of the rights to liberty and security, freedom of opinion and expression, association and peaceful assembly. Cases of arbitrary detention, excessive use of force and mass arrests have also risen in a country where the United Nations estimates at least 2.7 million internally displaced persons and approximately 450,000 DRC refugees in other nations.

In this context, Msgr. Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, Vice-President of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO), outlined the impediments and challenges faced in the absence of the implementation of the New Year’s Eve Agreement. He said, “We have encountered ourselves in front of a wall, witnessing a global process of destabilization.” He also acknowledged the effects of mass poverty and weakening of the opposition forces in contributing to the deteriorating situation in the DRC. In concluding, he called for the need to conduct an independent international investigation on the atrocities committed in Kasai and on other major cases.

Mr. Fred Bauma, member of Lutte pour le Changement (LUCHA), highlighted the lack of concrete action taken by the international community in regards to the political crisis and recurring human rights abuses. Further, he urged states to combat impunity.

Ms. Ida Sawyer, the Central Africa Director of Human Rights Watch, shed light on the violent tensions in the Kasai region—situated in the centre of the country—and stressed the responsibility and duty of states to take effective action.

Mr. José Maria Aranaz, Director of the UN joint Human Rights Office, Kinshasa, underscored the lack of political will to bring perpetrators of human rights abuses to justice. He challenged the international community to establish accountability through exercising its political responsibility.

Mr. Carl Hallergard, Deputy Head of the European Union to the United Nations in Geneva, concluded the dialogue highlighting the importance of interaction between the international community and the Government of the DRC in overcoming this political and human rights crisis.

Author: Uendi Begaj

See the webcast of the event on Franciscans International’s Facebook page.

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