Dominican Call To Action
2003-2006

Meeting in Elkins Park, PA
June 29 - July 3, 2003

The 2003 Dominican Call to Action was prepared by the Justice Promoters of the Congregations and Provinces of North America. It outlines the priorities for the next three years and invites your participation and action in the implementation

The role of the Dominican Family in North America is to be in solidarity with and support of the people of Iraq. Therefore, we recommend the following:

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To encourage the Coordinating Committee on Iraq of the North American Justice Promoters to continue the development of activities and to implement strategies for the Dominican Family in North America.

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To develop education and information activities domestically which provide truth on the situation.

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To promote activities to strengthen our links with the Iraqi people as an expression of our solidarity with them.

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To endorse and promote the Iraq Solidarity Fund

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To request the Geneva and New York offices of the Dominican Family at the UN, to intervene urging the international community through the UN to take seriously its responsibility for dealing with the aftermath of the war in Iraq.

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To hold the United States government, as the leader of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, to their responsibility as occupying power to respect and implement the Geneva Conventions and to work with the international community through the United Nations for the speedy and long-term recovery and reconstruction of Iraq.

Therefore we recommend the following strategies:

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That we support the United States Development Assistance legislation entitled the: Millennium Challenge Account which addresses: Africa Food Crisis, Global Health and Debt Relief

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That we continue to foster responsible investment in Africa through intermediaries, e.g. Shared Interest.

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That we monitor the various U.N. HIV/AIDS resolutions and convey findings to the North American Justice Promoters.

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That we call the President of the United States to accountability on HIV/AIDS following his Africa trip in the summer of 2003. We recommend: calls and letters to the President after his trip to encourage an appropriate humanitarian response to this epidemic.

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That for ongoing educational materials on HIV/AIDS we refer the North American Justice Promoters to the following resource sites:

Marknoll
Africa Faith and Justice Network
Catholic Relief Services

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That the North American Justice Promoters maintain a link with the Dominican Alliance Africa Sub Committee.

Considering that:

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Colombia continues suffering the consequences of a 50 year armed conflict: natural resources are being depleted, millions of people are living in misery, four thousand non-combatant deaths are reported each year, three million people have already been internally displaced.

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There are more than three thousand (nine Congregations, Friars, Nuns, and Laity) Dominicans living and ministering in a Catholic country where there has been more violence against Church workers in conflict areas than anywhere else in the world.

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Colombia is the largest recipient of U.S. military aid and receives only 20% of its U.S. aid for humanitarian assistance.

We urge the Dominican Family:

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To raise awareness of the critical situation in Colombia and the consequences (economic and ecological) of U.S. policies on the people of this country;

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To request that U.S. legislators make human rights a priority in decisions affecting Colombians; to increase humanitarian aid, especially for displaced persons; to lessen military aid, and to stop aerial fumigation;

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To urge the Colombian government to fulfill the recommendations made by various United Nations commissions that examined the human rights situation in Colombia;

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To support the closing of the Western Hemispheric Institute of Security Cooperation, formerly SOA (Most trainees are presently from Colombia);

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To review our investments in corporations dealing with Colombia i.e. Monsanto, and Occidental Petroleum;

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To express our support and solidarity with the people of Colombia through our Dominican Family in Colombia (Delegation, e-mail, letter writing to Colombia officials).

In addressing these injustices society needs to work toward:

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The legalization of immigrant workers

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The right of immigrant workers to reunite their families

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The protection of immigrant rights in the workplace

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The establishment of a more hospitable environment for migrant workers, including the right to a sustainable livelihood and the right to safe and sanitary living and working conditions

Therefore we recommend that the Dominican Family take some initial steps to:

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Be aware of immigrant and/or migrant issues in local geographic areas, and
advocate for justice for those whose voices are not heard.

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Review congregational, provincial, and institutional employment practices in terms of supporting a living wage, offering health benefits, and protecting immigrant workers who are being detained or deported by the Department of Homeland Security.

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Support the Immigrant Workers' Freedom Ride. The Immigrant Workers Freedom Ride is a response to the inferior treatment and exploitation of immigrants. It will take place from September 20-October 4, 2003. See the following websites for suggestions for accompaniment.

We oppose the globalized commoditization of water, land, seeds, and the processing of food that undermines nature's diversity and life systems. The corporate control of food and the imposing of the use of genetically modified foods without the knowledge of consumers violates the principles of: **

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Respect for life in all its diversity, by not recognizing the interdependence of all beings and that all forms of life has value regardless of its worth to human beings

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Ecological integrity through harm to nature's species and to the environment

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Social and economic justice, increasing poverty through loss of farmland and the resulting inability of people to buy food

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Democracy, as people are not given a choice of wholesome/cultural foods

** Principles from the Earth Charter (view at www.earthcharter.org )

We recommend that:

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We educate ourselves and our publics regarding the serious ethical questions raised by the globalization of our food systems and genetically modified foods

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We examine our congregational investment portfolios and corporate responsibility statements in light of these concerns about genetically modified foods.

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We link with the work of the U.S. Dominican Federation regarding the adoption of a corporate stance on genetically modified foods.

Therefore we recommend:

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That we continue to educate ourselves as well as our congregations/provinces on the issue

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That we would form a working group of justice promoters to co-ordinate information and encourage action on the trafficking issue

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That we share resources within the justice network

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That we, as Dominicans, be in collaboration with appropriate groups (for example, those who work in opposition to the legalization of prostitution)

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That we continue our awareness and support of Dominican efforts at the United Nations on the issue

We appreciate the fact that Dominicans in North American have been involved in a variety of justice and peace endeavors through out the years. Our corporate statements will continue to call for congregational involvement. Collaboration and networking will remain consistent catalysts for educational and legislative efforts as well as humanitarian aid. Building on previous actions, our intention is to maintain our dedication and initiatives in the following areas:

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Death Penalty
Recognizing that we are called to heal and liberate all creation, we reaffirm our commitment to act collaboratively to abolish the death penalty in the United States.

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Middle East
We are deeply concerned about the situation in the Middle East, especially the on-going Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and we recognize the centrality of the conflict in the region. We are acutely aware of the suffering of the peoples as a result of the conflict. In light of this reality, we commit to study about and to plan for on-going action for peace. Furthermore, we pledge continued support for the micro-economic Palestinian Solidarity Project.

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Racism
We reject the beliefs, behaviors, and prejudices that exclude people. Therefore undoing racism continues to be a long-term commitment on our part.

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Vieques
We recommend that we continue to accompany the people of Vieques in their continued struggle to regain their land through their referendum of July 2001. We urge the Dominican Family to take every available opportunity to support the people of Vieques as they enter a new phase of self-determination and development.