 The Sisters of St. Francis have been members of the Board of Directors of the Iowa Division of the United Nations Association-UNA since Clinton Franciscan Elizabeth Cameron was first seated in 1986. Elizabeth originated the idea of a Franciscan presence at the UN and with the help of Dr. Robert Muller, then undersecretary general, brought the idea to the Franciscan Federation and then to the world. As members of the Board of Directors of UNA-USA IOWA DIVISION and in keeping with the world wide Franciscan desire for peacemaking, reverence for all creation, solidarity with the poor, and active nonviolence, the Sisters of St. Francis peace and justice program included the following activities during the past quarter:
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The UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are a set of 8 global
objectives aimed at improving the lives of the world’s poorest people.
The Goals, which cover a range of human development issues from
providing universal primary education to halting the spread of HIV, were
adopted at the
2000 UN Millennium Summit
by 189 nations and have spurred unprecedented global efforts to help the
world’s poor.
The MDGs, which are slated to be met by 2015, provide a framework for
action throughout the United Nations system.
Now at the half-way point, the MDGs have been met with
uneven success.
This is especially true for Goal 7 which highlights the important
relationship between the environment and poverty reduction.
Goal 7 explores how integrating the principles of sustainable
development can not only help reduce poverty, but ensure that the
world’s resources are used safely and efficiently.
According to the World Commission on Environment and Development that
first gave prominence to the term nearly two decades ago, sustainable
development is defined as “development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs.” |
Every year since 1947, U.N. Day has been observed in nations large and
small around the world on October 24th, the day in 1945 when
the U.N. Charter was signed in San Francisco and the opening day of the
General Assembly session each year at U.N. headquarters in New York.
In the United States, each President, beginning with Harry Truman, has
issued a proclamation asking citizens to observe U.N. Day and to reflect
upon the importance of the United Nations to our national interest as
well as to each American individually.
And on nearly every year since 1985, Clinton has observed U.N. Day by
raising the U.N. flag on the Memorial flagpole where it will flies for a
week of remembrance.
The Clinton Franciscans have been serving on the Board of Directors of
the Iowa Division of the UNA
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 the UN flag flies on the memorial flagpole in Clinton Iowa  Janice Cebula OSF, president of the Clinton Franciscans  
Ensuring environmental sustainability is key to achieving all of the
Millennium Development Goals according to a report issued by InterAction
entitled,
U.S. Contributions to Reducing Global Poverty: An Assessment of the U.S.
and the Millennium Development Goals
“A healthy environment provides the building blocks for the primary goal
of the MDGs: poverty alleviation.
The loss or degradation of environmental goods and services undermines
sustainable development and leads to such negative impacts as poor
nutrition, the spread of disease and conflict over scarce resources.
Ultimately, it is the world’s poor who are most dependent on
environmental goods and services for daily living, and, therefore, also
most vulnerable to their loss.” |
PARTNERING FOR
PEACE AND
NONVIOLENCE
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Click to Enlarge |
The multi-cultural "Stop the Hate" walk and prayer vigil co-sponsored by the congregation and local schools draws hundreds to Clinton colleges to support understanding and tolerance. |
CLINTON
FRANCISCAN "CENTER" FOR ACTIVE NONVIOLENCE -
CLOSE
THE SOA - SUPPORTING THE U.N.
GANDHI-KING SEASON FOR NONVIOLENCE
LAND STEWARDSHIP -
SHARING SACRED SPACES
