After more than seven years of war, millions of Syrians displaced from their homes or in exile, and nearly a half a million people dead, the tragedy of the Syrian people cries out for an inclusive diplomatic, negotiated solution to the conflict. We need to break the vicious cycle of violence with transforming initiatives that will lead to a just and lasting peace.
“The administration’s decision to rescind the DACA program left hundreds of thousands of families and young adults in incredibly vulnerable and uncertain situations. Now with Congress' inaction, Dreamers and their families must face the holidays without the reprieve of permanent protections.”
"We know intimately the struggles that migrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers around the world face, and we are committed to working for national and global policies that defend and protect their rights. For that reason, we support the process leading to a Global Compact on Migration and a Global Compact on Refugees, and express our deep concern that the U.S. government has withdrawn from that important international process. It is our hope that the United States will reverse its decision and reenter the discussions in the spirit of welcoming the stranger and collaborating globally for the good of all vulnerable people on the move."
The Columban General Council on the opening of the United Nations’ COP23 presided by Fiji and hosted in Bonn, Germany, wishes to send a message urging all leaders to take meaningful action on advancing the agreements made at COP21 in Paris and COP 22 in Marrakesh. Columbans have been present in Fiji for more than 60 years and know intimately the impacts of climate change on small island state
Faith communities vigorously oppose the administration's decision to repeal the Clean Power Plan. Our faith traditions see the care of creation and protection of the vulnerable as two of humanity's fundamental responsibilities. Below are the responses of many different faith groups to this decision.
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As the persecution of the Muslim minority in Rakhine State in Myanmar/Burma reaches a feverish pitch and forces thousands to flee to neighboring Bangladesh, Columban Superior General, Fr Kevin O’Neill, sends a message of solidarity saying: “We reject persecution of any community regardless of religion, race, or ethnic identity. We urge an end to the violence and violation of human rights of the Rohingya people and hope for their peaceful return to their homes in the Rakhine State of Myanmar/Burma.”
The U.S. Region of the Missionary Society of St. Columban joins Catholic leaders in urging dialogue with North Korea and Iran. Pope Francis has called for dialogue with North Korea and a rejection of “the narrative of fear…and the rhetoric of hatred.” At the UN, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s foreign minister, said, ”The international community must respond by seeking to revive negotiations ... Peace and international stability cannot be founded on mutually assured destruction or on the threat of annihilation.”
Columbans stand firmly against today’s decision from the administration to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
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