Maryknoll Affiliates

The following press release comes from the US Catholic Mission Association:

Dear USCMA Members,

One thing I promised myself to do as Executive Director was, when possible, to refresh our collective memory concerning the Resolutions we had taken over the years at our Annual meetings. We will shortly have an occasion to "walk the walk" concerning the Resolution taken in Miami about "Human Trafficking." Two days from now, Wednesday, January 11, 2012 is Human Trafficking Awareness Day in the U.S., thanks to passage of a resolution by the Senate on June 22, 2007 making January 11th a day of awareness and vigilance for the countless victims of Human Trafficking around the world. The Resolution we, Members of the USCMA, passed is the following:

Resolution:

Be it resolved that we, as members of the United States Catholic Mission Association (USCMA) in association with the Franciscan Federation and the Franciscan Action Network, upholding the inherent dignity of each human person in the tradition of St. Francis and St Clare of Assisi, denounce all forms of human trafficking as criminal acts that violate basic human rights and exploit innocent people. We pledge to work for the elimination of human trafficking and its causes; to advocate for rescue, safety, and justice for trafficked persons; and to demand prosecution of perpetrators.

At their annual Mission Conference of 2011, members of the US Catholic Mission Association (we are members of USCMA) approved four resolutions that might be of interest to Maryknoll Affiliates. You may want to look at these resolutions as a Chapter and perhaps use them as a reflection piece as well as take some of the recommended actions. The 2011 resolutions included:

• Resolution to Support an End to Impunity in the Democratic Republic of Congo
• Resolution on the Environment and Global Warming
• Resolution Against Trafficking of Human Beings
• Resolution Against Partisan Politics