Dear friends and supporters, Sisters and Brothers,
Welcome to the January 2014 edition of the Franciscan Voice! After a period of restructuring here at FI, we are reestablishing the Voice to bring you news of our work from Geneva, New York, and around the world. Every month we will send out the newsletter in five languages, with a selection of articles from our website, overviews of country-specific issues, and opportunities to support the work of FI.
2014 is a very special year for Franciscans International. This year marks the 25th anniversary of our official accreditation as an NGO with the United Nations. This was the culmination of the efforts of the Franciscan Family to establish a Franciscan voice at the UN, and the true beginning of FI’s advocacy work. Twenty-five years on, we are proud to uphold the vision of FI’s founders, and continue breaking new ground in international advocacy. Over the past year we have spoken out on the issues of children’s rights, trafficking, the rights of indigenous peoples and extreme poverty, among others. Our booklet Development: sustainable for whom? was published in December, accompanying our work against destructive mining projects including fracking, and other concerns in environmental justice. We continue to undertake training and consultation projects with our partners around the world. FI works for and with an international network of grassroots supporters. It is thanks to this partnership that our advocacy has an impact.
We would also like to offer our thanks to all those who have supported and strengthened FI over the past 25 years. We hope you will follow us over the year ahead, as we continue to advance and focus our work.
We wish you a happy and peaceful 2014.
Markus Heinze, OFM