Last week I was rushing along one of the main streets of Geneva, when I spotted an older woman with a begging bowl.  As I drew close she looked up at me and spontaneously smiled. What struck me instantly, was the joy in her face and no hint of ‘please give me’, rather it was the reality of two equals greeting each other. Throughout the remainder of the day the lady’s face remained etched in my mind, particularly when I read the address of Ms. Magdalena Sepulveda, the Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, at the United Nations (UN) in New York, 25 October. She urged individuals and States to ‘assess their own prejudices against the poor’, reflected in the global tendency to punish, segregate and undermine the rights of the those living in poverty.   

Franciscans International (FI) is working closely with the Special Rapporteur to develop the ‘Draft Guiding Principles on Human Rights and Extreme Poverty’, which will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in 2012. We are working to eliminate poverty through addressing systemic injustice at the UN, because FI believes that extreme poverty is an abuse of human rights and therefore Governments must take their responsibility and address the situation as a top priority.  According to Ms. Sepulveda: “There is something seriously wrong with our societies if our policies assume that the most marginalised and disadvantaged are lazy, irresponsible, indifferent to their children’s health and education, dishonest, undeserving and even criminal.”  As Franciscan-hearted people, this is not a view we can subscribe to, rather it is one we have to redress in every way possible, particularly in the context of the current global financial crisis…

Sr. Denise Boyle, fmdm
FI Executive Director‍

Following the violent dispersal by Indonesian security forces of the Third Papuan People’s Congress in October 2011, in Jayapura, FI’s new report confronts the Indonesian Government, with the full scale of human rights abuse in West Papua.

The report: ‘Human Rights in Papua 2010/2011’ was launched on 2 November during a round-table discussion with key stakeholders working on the West Papua situation, including a representative from the UN Indonesian Permanent Mission. Read more>>

UPR-Info released the Mid-term Implementation Assessments (MIA) on Burkina Faso and Burundi containing information received from NGOs including FI. The reports detail whether UPR recommendations made at the United Nations have been fully, partially or not implemented by the Governments of the two countries. Read more>>

FI and the Association of the Franciscan Family of India (AFFI) organised three workshops in October on the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in India. Over 90 participants, including Franciscans and other faith-based organisations, attended the meetings held in Bangalore, Raipur and Guwahati.

The workshops aimed to share and develop a good understanding on the key justice issues around: food and water security; contemporary forms of slavery; Dalits; tribal groups; and environmental protection. The participants drafted a report to address these issues for FI to submit to the UN, to be reviewed in advance of the second UPR of India in June 2012. Read more>>

As Benin comes up for its second UPR in October 2012, FI facilitated a meeting between Franciscans working at the grassroots and UNICEF. This was to follow-up on the UN’s recommendations related to the issue of ritual infanticide, a practice still carried out in Northern Benin. Read more>>

Theory met practice when the ‘Souffle d’Assise’ invited FI to lead two workshops about its work for justice which is inspired by Franciscan values.  The participants had been studying spiritual theory at the Franciscan centre and FI was able to provide concrete examples of how Franciscans are working together to help bring about positive change for peace. Read more>>

FI participated in the Human Trafficking Symposium held in October at the Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington D.C.. Several Ethiopian refugees' shared their testimonies about travelling through Sudan, Dubai, Russia, and several Central and South American countries to reach Mexico, only to be detained by United States (US) officials, as they attempted to cross the border.  Read more>>