Human Rights
The Way to Peace
Lighting of the Peace Tree…December 10, 2013
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Artists at Work
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
St. Mary Springs Academy Students Display Their Ornaments
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Introductory Prayer
O God, you have created us in your image, and through
the Incarnation of your Son, Jesus, you have bestowed
on all humans an essential dignity. You speak to us about
the precious humanity and potential of every person,
and the duty to affirm and promote Human Rights for all
members of the global family. Help us to listen to those
who call for human dignity in our world, and to hear
clearly the Good News that economic and social rights,
as well as political and legal rights, are meant for every
child of God, everywhere on earth. Amen.
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
“The right to water, the right to food, the
right to health and the right to education are
intrinsically linked to the right to life and to
the right to development. Therefore, we
must be bold in affirming them, and equally
resolved to safeguard the evident reality
that these rights are at the service of the
human person…”
His Eminence Odilo Cardinal Scherer, Special Envoy of Pope
Benedict XVI to the UN Conference on Sustainable
Development Rio de Janeiro, 22 June 2012
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
“If we love others with charity, then first of all
we are just towards them. Not only is justice not
extraneous to charity, not only is it not an
alternative or parallel path to charity: justice is
inseparable from charity, and intrinsic to it.
Justice is the primary way of charity.”
Pope Benedict XVI: Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth)
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
“
For it isn't enough to talk
about peace. One must
believe in it. And it isn't
enough to believe in it.
One must work at it.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
”
“The rights of every (wo)man are
diminished when the rights of
one (wo)man are threatened”
John F. Kennedy
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Article 1: The
right to
equality
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Article 2:
Freedom from
discrimination
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Article 3: The right to life, liberty, and
personal security
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Article 4: Freedom from slavery
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Abu G
Article 5: Freedom
from torture or
degrading
treatment
At Abu Ghraib
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Article 6: The right
to recognition as a
person before the
law
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
Harrison County Juvenile Detention
Center Biloxi MS
12/10/2013
Article 7: The right to equality before the law
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
In an opinion released on July 3, 2013,
the UN Working Group on Arbitrary
Detention concluded that the
detention of an Afghan detainee in the
U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
was arbitrary and in violation of
several international human rights
standards. The Working Group
requested the U.S. government to take
the necessary measures to remedy the
situation, including the release of Mr.
Obaidullah from detention and the
provision of the right to compensation.
Article 9: Freedom from arbitrary arrest or exile
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Arizonans vow to take law into their own hands
Article 10: The right to a fair public hearing
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Article 11: The right to be considered
innocent until proven guilty
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Article 12:
Freedom from
interference with
privacy, family,
home, or
correspondence
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Article 13. The right to free movement in and out
of any country
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Edward Snowden meets with human rights activists and lawyers on
July 12 in a transit zone of the Russian airport. He announced that he
was seeking refuge in Russia while awaiting safe passage to Latin
America, where he has been offered asylum.
Article 14. The right to seek and enjoy asylum from
persecution in other countries
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Article 15: The right to a nationality and freedom to change it
In Lebanon, women do not have the same legal entitlements to
citizenship as men. If a Lebanese woman marries a foreign national
she is not entitled to pass her nationality to her spouse and children.
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Article 16: The right to marry and to found a family
Christina Asima says she
had no choice but to marry
at age 12 to help care for
younger siblings after her
mother abandoned the
family. But her husband was
abusive, so she left him,
and now must look after
her 8-month-old son,
Praise, alone.
11.25.2013: NPR reported a story about forced marriage of young
girls in Malawi. The Girls Empowerment Network helps girls reimagine their futures.
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Article 17: The right to own property
August 9, 2013: Colombian farmers from Montes de Maria receive formal titles to
their land. Colombia’s Registry of Victims lists more than five million persons
forcibly displaced from their lands during its nearly half-century civil conflict.
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
A woman takes a picture of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro after
midday prayers in August in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Opponents of the
mosque waged a two-year court battle trying to keep it from opening.
Article 18: Freedom of belief and religion
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
BALANCING THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT
TO KNOW, CRITICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION,
AND HOMELAND SECURITY
Our government classifies
documents (e.g. restricted,
confidential, secret and top
secret), with differing clearance
requirements.
Article 19: Freedom of opinion and information
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Wisconsin Capital
Police arrest people
gathered in the WI
Capitol rotunda for
the daily noontime
singalong
(7.24.2013). Police
arrested more than a
dozen people in their
first crackdown after
a federal judge ruled
large groups need a
permit to gather in
the building. (AP
Photo/Scott Bauer)
Madison, WI: Solidarity Singer Arrested
Article 20: The right of peaceful assembly and association
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Honduras. On
November 28, 2013,
Rights Watch reported
numerous electoral
irregularities
including the buying
and selling of votes,
violence and
intimidation of
voters.
Honduras’ Presidential Election 11.24.2013
Article 21: The right to participate in government and free
elections
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Top countries for where-to-be-born index, 2013
1 Switzerland
2 Australia
3 Norway
4 Sweden
5 Denmark
6 Ireland
7 Singapore
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Netherlands
Canada
Hong Kong
Finland
New Zealand
Austria
Taiwan
Belgium
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a sister company of The Economist,
attempts to measure which country will provide the best opportunities for a
healthy, safe and prosperous life in the years ahead.
Article 22: The right to social security
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Steady Decline of Union Membership in USA
Article 23: The right to desirable work and to join trade
unions
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
77% of working
moms say they
are responsible
for more than
half of the
housework.
Meghan Casserly,
Forbes Staff, June
2011
Article 24: The right to rest and leisure
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
FAO Hunger Map 2010
Prevalence of Undernourishment in Developing Countries
Article 25: The right to an adequate standard of living
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
“I said to myself, Malala, you must be brave. You must not
be afraid of anyone. You are only trying to get an
education. You are not committing a crime.”
Pakistani Malala Yousafzai addresses the UN on her 16th
birthday.
Article 26: The right to education
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Aboriginal Day in Canada:
Two young First Nations
men dance in full regalia on
Parliament Hill in Ottawa
on June 11, the National
Day of Reconciliation. The
occasion marked the oneyear anniversary of Prime
Minister Stephen Harper's
historic apology for abuses
in the residential school
program (Matthew
Little/The Epoch Times)
Article 27: The right to participate in the cultural life of
the community
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Article 28: The right to social order assuring human rights
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
One has not only a legal
but a moral responsibility
to obey just laws.
Conversely, one has a
moral responsibility to
disobey unjust laws. I
would agree with St.
Augustine that “an unjust
law is no law at all.”
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. sits in jail cell
in Birmingham, AL in October, 1967.
Article 29: The right to be subject only to such legal
limitations that secure the rights of others
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Noam Chomsky
Article 30: Freedom from state or personal interference in
the above rights.
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Artists in Action
St. Mary Springs Academy Students Show Artistic Creations
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Tree Ornaments Decorated by St. Mary Springs Academy Students
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
We hear your voice, O God, as your Church affirms
the right to food:
“One Human Family, Food for All”
“Consumerism and a “culture of waste” have led some of
us to tolerate the waste of precious resources, including
food, while others are literally wasting away from
hunger.”
Pope Francis: World Environment Day Message, June, 2013
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Thus we pray:
• That we unite in prayer and action with Pope Francis and
Caritas International to provide food for all in the human
family
• For the 925 million people in the world who are malnourished
• For the 46.7 million people in the U.S. who must rely on food
stamps
• For the millions of people who lack access to nutritious food
• For the agribusiness corporations that they may recognize the
right of all humans to nutritious food
All: Hear our prayer, Lord of Mercy, compassion and
justice.
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
We hear your voice, O God, as your Church affirms the right
to health care:
“Affordable and accessible health care is an essential
safeguard of human life, a fundamental human right for
all people.”
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Faithful Citizenship, 2003
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Thus we pray:
• For the 60 million people in the US who lack access to
adequate health care and the 48 million who are uninsured
• For parents throughout the world who sacrifice their health
treatment in order to provide care for their children
• For those dying of treatable diseases while politicians and
pharmaceuticals debate about patents and profits for drugs
• For deeply indebted countries that must cut social spending
on health care in order to repay loans
All: Hear our prayer, Lord of Mercy, compassion and
justice.
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
We hear your voice, O God, as your Church affirms the right
to decent housing:
“By virtue of their human dignity, all persons must be
guaranteed housing which not only offers physical shelter,
but a suitable place for satisfying social, cultural, and
spiritual needs.”
Pope John Paul II, St. Peter’s Address, June 16, 1996
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Thus we pray:
• For the 400,000 Haitians who remain homeless after the
2010 earthquake
• For the 830 million people world wide who live in urban
slums without proper sanitation and clean water
• For the 45.2 million displaced people throughout the world
forced to flee because of conflict or persecution
• For the thousands left homeless by natural disasters around
the world
• For the 1.1 million homeless in the United States
All: Hear our prayer, Lord of Mercy, compassion and
justice.
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
We hear your voice, O God, as your Church affirms the right
of workers to decent jobs with adequate pay:
“Work is a fundamental right and a useful good, belonging
to all people, and must be made available to all who are
capable of engaging in it…A society in which the right to
work is thwarted or denied, … , cannot be justified from
an ethical view, nor can that society attain social peace.
The State has the duty to promote active employment
policies.”
The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace,
Compendium of the Social Teaching of the Church, 2004: #287-291.
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Thus we pray:
• For workers of companies that make very high profits but
do not respect the dignity and rights of their employees
• For workers who lose their jobs because corporations seek
cheaper labor in developing countries
• For workers in developing countries who labor long hours in
unsafe conditions for low pay, no benefits, and no job
security
• For workers who are denied their right to form trade
associations and to bargain collectively
All: Hear our prayer, Lord of Mercy, compassion and
justice.
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
We hear your voice, O God, as your Church affirms the
dignity of every person and that all be treated justly:
“The duty to respect the dignity of each human being, in
whose nature the image of the Creator is reflected,
means in consequence that the person cannot be disposed
of at will. Those with greater political, technical, or
economic power may not use that power to violate the
rights of others who are less fortunate. Peace is based on
respect for the rights of all.”
Pope Benedict XVI: Message for the World Day of Peace, 1.1.2007
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Thus we pray:
• For gender equity throughout the world, that the rights of
women and girls be fully respected
• For the millions of lives lost through abortion
• For the 2.3 million prisoners in the U.S., the majority of
whom are African American and Hispanic
• For the abolition of Capital Punishment in the U.S. and
globally
• For the victims of modern slavery and prosecution of those
who commit these crimes
• For those still held in the U.S.’s war prison at Guantanamo Bay
All: Hear our prayer, Lord of Mercy, compassion and
justice.
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Closing Prayer on Human Rights Day
Leader: God of justice and mercy, help us to
remember that you have created each and
every person with dignity and worth.
All:
In all that we do, help us to build peace by
treating one another with the respect and
honor due to each person.
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Closing Prayer on Human Rights Day
Leader: This day we remember and give thanks for
the 65th anniversary of the adoption of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
All:
We honor the courage of those who came
before us, who sought to declare that
regardless of any differences among
peoples that we all share basic human
rights.
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Closing Prayer on Human Rights Day
Leader: We pray for fortitude in the face of fear
that we might create a path to peace by
doing what is right and just whenever we
see a human right being violated.
All:
In all that we do, help us to treat one
another with the respect and honor due to
each person.
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Closing Prayer on Human Rights Day
All:
We pray for strength and steadfastness in
the work of establishing peace in the
world. In all things may we honor you, O
God, and honor the dignity of each
person made in your image. We as this in
the name of Your Son, the Prince of
Peace. Amen.
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013
Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes
12/10/2013