A Response to the Instruction from the Vatican
Congregation for Catholic Education - January, 2006


FREE TRADE STATEMENT

    4.  Investors - State Dispute Mechanism – ITA shall not have these types of mechanisms
   that allow corporations to directly demand that a state alter its own laws based on “potential
   profits losses.”
   5.  Equal Market Access Strategies – ITA shall take into consideration the market
   inequalities that exist between developed and undeveloped nations in so doing plan a constructive
   strategy for using tariffs and standards that would lead to the development of the industrial,
   technological and infrastructure of undeveloped nations. This should be reflected by the developed
   nations ending subsidies and lowering or eliminating tariffs from the start of the trade agreement.
   6.  Protection of those who are Marginalized - Under no circumstances should the
   trade agreement facilitate or encourage the displacement of, or deprivation of property or rights
   of those who are poor and/or marginalized.      
   7.  Economic Sustainability - Economic instability and market fluctuations are unavoidable
   side effects of free trade agreements. Therefore, we insist that participating governments prepare
   for the instability by strengthening social programs such as welfare, job training, healthcare,
   unemployment protection, and universal education. This may be paid for in part by tariffs on the
   flow of capital across national borders.
   8.  Environmental Protections - The local community, in coalition with the international
   environmentalist community, should have the first and final say over all aspects of the economy
   that have the potential to negatively impact the biodiversity and sustainability of the environment.
   This oversight would extend to infrastructure projects such as dams and airports. Additional taxes
   on foreign corporations and investment capital should be levied to support environmental law
   enforcement and initiatives.

ACTIONS
1. Share this statement with your family, friends, coworkers and your faith community via email.
2. Send a copy to your Senators and Representative and ask them how them how they will employ the Benchmarks in upcoming International Trade Agreements. For contact info, go to  http://www.congress.org/congressorg/dbq/officials/
3. Send a copy to your local newspaper or church newspaper with a request that they provide some coverage of the statement.

Endnotes
1. Heckscher Ohlin (HO) Theory is the basis for NAFTA. It is a improvement on the Theory of Comparative Advantage.  
2. HO Theory only takes into account only two countries, two factors of production , and two products being traded.
3. Based on the World Bank’s GINI index, which measures disparity in the distribution of wealth, as well as the UN Development Program’s figures with the UN Human Development Index. In the US, The richest 1% owns more than the bottom 95%. A typical US CEO earns 419 times the average employee. The richest 5% of American households own more than 60% of the nation’s household wealth. Between 1973 and 1997, the average annual incomes of the poorest 20% of families actually fell by 5%, while the average income of the richest 20% of families grew by 41% . The incomes of the richest 5% of families grew by 64%. Statistics current in 2000, taken from US Census figures and Congressman Bernard Sanders report “Working Families in the Global Economy.”
4. In Mexico Between 1993 and 1995 the number of unemployed workers had doubled to 1.7 million. Between 1994 and 1996 real hourly Mexican wages had fallen by 27 %,  and stood at 37 % less than 1980 levels. During the first three years of NAFTA,  the citizens classed as "extremely poor" had risen from 32 % to 51 %.
5. 2002  estimate from CIA World Fact Book.
6. 2003 estimate from CIA World Fact Book.
7. In Mexico union membership fell from 30% in 1980 to 20% in 2000.- NACLA vol 39 no 1 pg 18
8. A regularly updated, searchable database of NAFTA-TAA and TAA certifications is maintained by Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch at http://www.citizen.org/trade/nafta/
9. Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch, “The Mexican Economy, Agriculture and Environment” Public Citizen’s
NAFTA at Ten Series, http://www.citizen.org/trade/nafta/. Also the North American Congress on Latin America reports that Mexican workers’ wages fell by 50% between 1980-2000. NACLA vol 39 no 1 pg 18.
10. Ibid., “Undermining Sovereignty and Democracy”
11. ILO conventions (29, 87, 100, 105, 111, 138, and 182)
12. ILO convention (169)

A CATHOLIC VOICE ON THE INVASION AND OCCUPATION OF IRAQ


INTRODUCTION:  We address ourselves to the US Catholic Community and all people of good will. As a Catholic social justice organization working for systemic change, 8th Day Center for Justice proclaims
and promotes the fundamental Gospel values of  nonviolence, the dignity of each person, the common good
and the integrity of creation. In this spirit, we denounce the unprovoked US-led invasion of Iraq in
March 2003, the ongoing occupation -- including torture and all other human rights violations, and all US efforts to control Iraq’s economy, security and political life.





RATIONALE FOR 8th DAY’S POSITION: The whole Catholic voice has not been heard. We appreciate the Vatican position before the invasion. Prior to March 2003, the Vatican – along with the US Conference of Catholic Bishops as well as  the leaders of most major religious denominations -- declared that the pending attack failed “just war” criteria.¹ Despite its declaration, the Vatican failed to use its moral authority to guide military personnel away from participation in this war. Furthermore, once the attack began the Vatican supported the US occupation as a necessary force for stabilizing the country.² 8th Day Center adds its voice to those who disagree with this position.

8th Day’s position is that the invasion was immoral and illegal
       • the reasons for the invasion were inaccurate and manipulated the public trust³
      • the US did not have a “just cause” because it was under no imminent threat³
      • all reasonable diplomatic options had not been exhausted³
      • the invasion would set a precedent for preventive strikes⁴
      • the invasion violated several articles of international law⁵

8th Day’s position is that the occupation is an extension of this immoral invasion
       • the number of deaths and injuries of combatants and civilians are incomprehensible6
      • the US is training local death squads (Salvadoran Option) akin to the dirty wars it conducted in
         Central America in the 1980s7
      • prisoners are designated “enemy combatants”, without recourse to international standards or due
         process⁸
      • torture has become a normal part of the occupation9
      • the US employs the policy of “Rendition”, that is, sending prisoners to other countries for the
         purpose of torture.⁹
    
      • Iraq’s infrastructure has been devastated¹⁰
      • Iraq’s antiquities, treasures of the human community, and culture have been destroyed¹¹
      • the use of Depleted Uranium munitions has turned Iraq into a radioactive “hot zone”¹²
      • the US plans to maintain indefinite military, economic and administrative authority over Iraq¹³
      • Iraqis voted for "a timetable for the withdrawal of the multinational forces from Iraq"¹⁴
    
      • US military personnel have been placed in the untenable moral position of killing or being killed¹⁵
      • the US “back door” draft -- a unilateral extension of military enlistments -- prolongs this untenable
         moral position¹⁶
      • resistance fighters target everyone aligned with the occupation forces¹⁷
      • vast numbers of civilian and military personnel are suffering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
         (PTSD)¹⁸
    
      • many nations now seek nuclear weapons as a deterrence to a “preventive” attack and occupation
         by the US¹⁹
      • astronomical military spending steals from people who are made poor through cuts in social
         programs.²⁰

CALL: In recognition of the priority of self determination of the Iraqi people, and in light of the immorality of the invasion and occupation, we call for . . .

2. all occupying military personnel to reconsider their involvement in this immoral undertaking
    and refuse to participate any further;
    the Catholic community -- in light of the social, economic and legal risks incurred by such a
    decision -- to support those who are reconsidering their involvement, or who refuse to
    participate, by offering  the following services: personal counseling, guidance in seeking
    Conscientious Objector status, sanctuary from prosecution, free legal advice, financial
    aid, and even heralding their moral fortitude.

3. the Catholic community to demand US restitution for all the harm done to the Iraqi people,
   their institutions and the land. Restorative Justice demands nothing less.

 
CLOSING: In the spirit of the Gospel command to treat all persons as our sisters and brothers and to
show respect for all creation, the staff of the 8th Day Center for Justice denounces, once again, the
unprovoked US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, the ongoing occupation -- including torture and all
other human rights violations, and all US efforts to control Iraq’s economy, security and political life. We
invite you to join your voice to our call.

ACTION
1. Share this statement with your family, friends, coworkers and your faith community via email. Or, print and distribute a copy with a photo, from www.8thdaycenter.org/aboutus/statements.html
2. Send a copy to your local bishop and ask them how they are going to respond to the Call.
3. Send a copy to your local newspaper or church newspaper with a request that they provide some coverage of the statement.

Endnotes
1. Statement of Cardinal Pio Laghi, Special Envoy of John Paul II to President George Bush,
Washington D.C., United States of America, Wednesday, 5 March 2003,
http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2003/03-051.shtml; Iraq War 'Unjustifiable', Says Bush's Church Head, Ed Vulliamy, The Observer (UK),
Sunday, 20 October, 2002, http://www.observer.co.uk/iraq/story/0,12239,815693,00.html; Letter to
President Bush on Iraq, September 12, 2002, Churches for Middle East Peace,
http://www.cmep.org/letters/2002Sep12_BushReIraq.htm
2. Pope Tells Bush Situation in Iraq Must Be "Normalized" Agence France Presse, June 4, 2004,
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0604-03.htm ; Irresponsible to pull out of Iraq now, Vatican
official warns, Vatican, May. 27, 2004, http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=29836
3. The secret Downing Street memo, The Sunday Times - Britain, May 1, 2005,
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1593607,00.html ; The Secret Way to War, The New York
Review of Books, 6/9/05, http://www.nybooks.com/articles/18034 ;Wolfowitz comments revive doubts
over Iraq's WMD, USA Today, 5/30/03,
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-05-30-wolfowitz-iraq_x.htm
4. India Mulls 'Pre-Emptive' Pakistan Strike, Cites U.S. Iraq War Precedent, AFP, 04/11/03,
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article2867.htm
5. The United Nations, International Law, and the War in Iraq, World Press Review online,
http://www.worldpress.org/specials/iraq/ ; Iraq war illegal, says Annan, BBC, Sept. 16, 2004,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3661134.stm
6. Study puts Iraqi toll at 100,000, CNN.com, October 29, 2004,
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/10/29/iraq.deaths/ ; Iraq Body Count,
http://www.iraqbodycount.net/ ; U.S. deaths in Iraq surpass 1,600, CNN.com, May 8, 2005,
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/05/08/iraq.main/; Casualties of the conflict in Iraq since 2003,
from Wikipedia the free encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_and_occupation_of_Iraq_casualties#Iraqi_military_casualties
7. The Salvador Option, Newsweek, Jan. 14, 2005,
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6802629/site/newsweek/
8. ‘Enemy combatant’ added to DOD doctrine, United Press International, 4/08/05,
http://washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20050408-043247-5208r.htm; Bring Justice to Thousands Still
Illegally Detained in Iraq, Amnesty International, 7/17/04, Women’s International League for Peace and
Freedom, http://www.peacewomen.org/news/Iraq/July04/justice.html
9. Getting Away with Torture? Command Responsibility for the U.S. Abuse of Detainees, Human Rights
Watch, April 24, 05, http://www.hrw.org/reports/2005/us0405/
10. Health fears grow in polluted Iraq, BBC News, 7/24/04,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3922055.stm; U.S. Blames Own Contracting Rules for Iraq
Reconstruction Failures, The New Standard, 4/15/05,
http://newstandardnews.net/content/?action=show_item&itemid=1691 ; Allied Air War Struck Broadly in
Iraq; Officials Acknowledge Strategy Went Beyond Purely Military Targets, The Washington Post, June
23, 1991, http://www.scn.org/ccpi/WashPostWarDamage23Jun91.html ; Oil ministry an untouched
building in ravaged Baghdad, AFP, April 16 2003,
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/16/1050172643895.html
11. The 2003- Iraq War & Archaeology, University of Vienna, Austria, 5/23/05,
http://iwa.univie.ac.at/index.html;
12. Poison Dust: a new look at U.S. radioactive weapons, DVD, International Action Center, NY, NY,
2005, http://www.iacenter.org/poison-dust.htm; Remains of toxic bullets litter Iraq, Christian Science
Monitor, 5/13/03, http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0515/p01s02-woiq.html
13. Iraq Elections I, 8th Day Center for Justice Bulletins, 1/28/05,  
http://www.8thdaycenter.org/resources/bulletins/05_0128.html
14. Getting the Purple Finger, The Nation, 2/11/05,
http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20050228&s=klein; Survey Finds Deep Divisions in Iraq; Sunni
Arabs Overwhelmingly Reject Sunday Elections; Majority of Sunnis, Shiites Favor U.S. Withdrawal, New
Abu Dhabi TV/Zogby Poll Reveals, Jan 28, 05, Zogby International, Utica, NY, http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=957
15. Lenten Reflection I: Regaining my humanity, 8th Day Center for Justice Bulletins, 3/11/05,
http://www.8thdaycenter.org/resources/bulletins/05_0311_Lenten_Reflection_II.html
16. California case could shed light on 'back-door' draft, USA Today, 8/23/04,
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnist/2004-08-23-wickham_x.htm; Beating the Back Door
Draft, Austin Chronicle.com, 8/8/04,
http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/dispatch/2004-10-08/pols_naked9.html
17. Iraqi Shiites march for ouster of U.S., Colin McMahon, Chicago Tribune, 4/10/05,
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0504100402apr10,1,6578831.story?coll=chi-newsna
tionworld-utl ; Unembedded in Iraq, Newtopia Magazine and Alternet, 12/6/04
http://www.gp.org/articles/shaw_2004_12_06.html
18. Trauma of Iraq war haunting thousands returning home, USA TODAY, 2/28/05,
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2005-02-28-cover-iraq-injuries_x.htm ;
19. U.S. doubts North Korean claims, Richard Roth, CNN.com,world, 10/2/03,
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/asiapcf/east/10/01/nkorea.nukes/
20. Cost of the war in Iraq, http://www.awitness.org/journal/cost_iraq_war.html; a Failed "Transition":
The Mounting Costs of the Iraq War, http://www.ips-dc.org/iraq/failedtransition/index.htm

STATEMENT ON THE ATTACKS AGAINST THE WORLD TRADE CENTER AND PENTAGON

8th Day Center for Justice deplores the violent loss of lives in Pennsylvania, New York City, and Washington D.C. from yesterday’s tragic events. We express our heartfelt sadness for all the victims and prayerful support to their families and friends.

We recognize that such an act of terrorism is a result of systemic violence. The economic and military policies of the U.S. have resulted in untold poverty and deaths globally, which causes many to view the U.S. as a perpetrator of such violence.

We believe that an escalation of violence as proposed by U.S. leaders will only perpetuate the cycle of violence.

Therefore, we call U.S. political, religious, and civil leaders to respond with
     •    reconciliation based on social justice rather than revenge
     •    open dialogue rather than inflammatory rhetoric
     •    peaceful nonviolent alternatives rather than plans for war
     •    respect for all peoples rather than stereotypes and blame
     •    restraint rather than retaliation
     •    examining the impact of U.S. policies on the global community rather than proclaiming innocence

As we continue to mourn the many lives lost we plead for a world of nonviolence rather than one of fear and terror.

Following three lengthy meetings over a three week period, 8th Day Center staff reached consensus on the following statement on the sexual abuse controversy within the Roman Catholic Church.  This statement will be sent to all US bishops, the media and the general public.

A Call  for Transformation - May 17, 2002

The 8th Day Center for Justice Staff wants to express our sorrow, our grief and extend our prayers of healing for the victims sexually molested by priests. We call for the transformation of a structure, which has not only allowed such evil to exist, but to thrive.

Over the past two years, the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church has been faced with two major scandals involving misuse of power over another person. The first to come to light was the rape of nuns and other women by priests throughout the world. Some were used as concubines to avoid the HIV virus. Some were threatened with loss of privileges or even necessities if they did not submit to the wants of the priest. The second, and most recent scandal, is the sexual abuse and rape of children by those in positions of authority and trust - their priests.

We condemn not only the abuse of power by individual priests, but the scandalous cover-up and obstruction of justice by Church officials. These acts contradict the most basic principles of the Gospel teachings on love, mercy, and justice.

It is out of this context and the continued abuse of power over centuries by the Church hierarchical system, that we join the collective voices of Catholics throughout the world and call for transformation. Such transformation has been long overdue. Lack of transparency in decision-making and disrespect for non-clerics especially women, allows sexual abuse to thrive.

Recent actions by the Cardinals in Rome prove the urgent need to begin the process of transformation. The "Final Communique" from the April 23-24 meeting between the Vatican and U.S. Cardinals includes threats to "reprimand individuals who spread dissent _" Such threats seek to squelch voices calling for transformation and allow for continued scapegoating and minimizing of culpability. True transformation can only come from those who exercise their prophetic role to the call of the Gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit.

New policies to restrict homosexuals from entering the priesthood will not address the issues of sexual abuse. Such abuse of minors is not inherent among homosexuals; both homosexual and heterosexual men are capable of committing such crimes. According to Sr. Kathleen Pruitt, president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious "Homosexuality is not the issue. Celibacy is not the issue. The issue is whether we will address the need in the church for an integrated holistic theology of human sexuality and start discussing how you foster healthy relationships." Similarly, shared responsibility and power by women in decision making positions can provide a balance to the male patriarchal thoughts and policies expressed by the Church hierarchy.

We, staff of the 8th Day Center for Justice, are not experts in the area of pedophilia and sexual abuse. We have done work for 27 years on issues of systemic change. Psychiatrists, lawyers, and other experts on pedophilia are advising the Church on how to deal with the current scandal. Good ideas may come from the Bishops' meeting in June. However, we see this as a measure to merely deal with the current scandal. It does not deal with the overall problems, which have not only allowed sexual abuse and the rape of children, but of nuns and other women as well. We do not want to wait until the next scandal erupts to deal with transformation issues.

We ask the institutional church to develop a process to address the following topics on transforming the church structure:

• A church structure that shares its responsibility and power among the laity, the clerics, and the congregations of religious life, thus providing an atmosphere that allows each to develop and exercise their own spiritual gifts in the Church and in our world.
• The role and participation of women in decision making positions of the Catholic Church including the priesthood.
• The need in the church for an integrated holistic theology of human sexuality and how to foster healthy relationships.
• The opening of the priesthood to married persons and laity.

We ask all the faithful to commit to prayer and action to help usher in a new movement of the Spirit. Let us all pray for the victims, abuser priests and those involved in the cover-up of these activities. We pray that the grace and wisdom of God will see us all through this difficult time yet monumental opportunity for transformation.

ACTIONS
1.  Share this statement with others, especially family and friends, and be willing to engage in conversation with them about this issue.
2.  Call or write you own bishop, urging them to raise issues of church transformation at the annual meeting of the US Catholic Bishops in Dallas TX on June 13, 2002.  To find their phone, address and email, go to http://www.USCCB.org
3.  Encourage those discouraged persons within the church to consider this as a moment of great opportunity for transformation, a work of the Spirit among us.
4.  Write a letter to the editor about the issue of church transformation
5.  Attend the Call to Action events in Dallas during the bishops meeting.  For more info visit  http://www.cta-usa.org/responses/dallas.html
 

»Back to top

Contact: dm@aglobalcall.org Global Call to Action Voluntown, CT, USA  http://www.aglobalcall.org/
From: (Please see end of this message for the full list of signers and their identification)
    * Nobel Peace and Literature Laureates
    * Cindy Sheehan and other peace and human-rights activists
    * Religious leaders of various traditions
    * Prisoners of conscience
    * Former government ministers
    * Poets, authors, journalists

We, the undersigned, invite peace-makers throughout the world to participate in an international
campaign of massive, nonviolent civil resistance to stop the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq. These
actions could be organized to include both non-violent civil resistance and legal demonstrations.

The killing of tens of thousands of civilians, the wounding of perhaps 100,000 or more people, the torture and murder of prisoners in U.S. custody—these and other realities of the occupation are evidence of the massive state terrorism being perpetrated against the people of Iraq. At the same time, we mourn the deaths of over 2,300 soldiers of the “coalition forces,” while we denounce the lies (weapons of mass destruction, ties between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda) proclaimed in an effort to justify the invasion.

First Date of International Actions: Monday, March 19–20, 2006, the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. The subsequent days of action are specified below.

THE ACTIONS
Some would participate in legal demonstrations while others would stage sit-ins, die-ins, and other nonviolent methods of blocking “business as usual” at government buildings or installations (including military bases and recruiting centers) or at corporate offices of war profiteers in the U.S., Great Britain, and other countries which are taking part in the deadly and unjust military occupation of Iraq. For these governments, “business as usual” is the business of violence, death, and exploitation. It must be blocked and stopped by responsible citizens.

Peace-makers in countries whose governments are not at war in Iraq could consider U.S. or British embassies, consulates, military bases, or appropriate corporate offices as sites for legal demonstrations and nonviolent civil resistance.

Examples of Possible Actions
A group could sit down in the entrance of a U.S. or British government installation in any country, refusing to leave when the U.S. Marines or other security agents order them to disperse. They could insist on having a meeting with the ambassador or the officer in charge of the military base, or they could wait for a clear statement from Washington, D.C., or from London of the date when all their soldiers will be withdrawn from Iraq.

If those doing civil resistance are not able to enter U.S. or British property, they could sit down on the street or sidewalk in front of the building or base, or they could lie down in a “die-in” representing the victims of the war. In any case those involved in civil resistance might be carried out of the building or away from the entrance and arrested by the police.

We invite people to think of other creative forms of civil resistance and to share these ideas with us so
that we can pass them along to others. (For instance, people in the U.S. might consider the local offices
of their U.S. Senators and Representatives among the potential sites for non-violent action.)

All of this could happen in the presence of the mass media and in conjunction with a large legal
demonstration very close to the same site.

The impact of these actions on public opinion, the mass media, and governments would come from their
sheer quantity and geographical diversity, on the same day, as well as from the clarity of their message
and the disciplined nonviolence of the tactics. As this invitation spreads through the internet and other
media, we expect that hundreds of actions could be held in scores of countries around the world, all with
the same purpose—to demand an end to the violent military occupation of Iraq.
A Sustained, Growing Campaign

The second International Day of Nonviolent Civil Disobedience to End the military occupation of Iraq
will be May 1, May Day, the International Day of the Worker—an occasion for massive demonstrations
in all countries where working class struggle is celebrated and kept alive. The impact of the war on the
poor and working class of the world could be emphasized.

The third International Day of Nonviolent Civil Disobedience to End the Military Occupation of Iraq
will be August 9, 2006, the 61st anniversary of the U.S. nuclear bombing of Nagasaki, Japan—to
demand an end to U.S. proliferation of nuclear weapons of mass destruction and an end to the U.S. state
terrrorism in Iraq.

The fourth International Day of Nonviolent Civil Disobedience to End the Military Occupation of Iraq
will be Sept. 11, 2006, the 5th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the U.S.—to commemorate and
deplore that horrible act of violence and to denounce the terrorist violence which the U.S. government is
inflicting on Iraq under the false pretense of the “war on terrorism.”

If necessary, we will continue with the International Days of Nonviolent Civil Disobedience to End the
Military Occupation of Iraq. The fifth could be on Dec. 10, 2006, International Human Rights Day. (The
Day itself, Dec. 10, falls on a Sunday, which would be appropriate for legal demonstrations. Groups
doing civil resistance or civil disobedience actions at government installations may choose Monday,
Dec. 11, when these offices will be open. This is similar to the situation of March 19–20.)

Path to Action
If you are interested in discussing this proposal with us, please contact dm@aglobalcall.org (It is
possible that by making this initial contact you may be putting yourself in some legal jeopardy).

If you express interest in implementing this proposal, our Coordinating Committee could put you in
touch with others from your country, region, or city who have also expressed interest to explore
possibilities for collaboration.

We would be willing to support the local grass roots organizing efforts according to the needs of the
individuals and groups in these areas. Contact us if you would like any guidance or assistance. As we
develop our contact list, we will send out update information and other information to assist you and
your group in the planning of your actions.

The Number One message of every action would be: End the military occupation of Iraq. This emphasis
must be clear if the many actions in many places are to have a profound impact on the public and
governments. Local or national organizers may wish to present one or two related issues or demands,
with the main focus staying on ending the military occupation of Iraq.

Our Coordinating Committee will send out a brief sample statement which could be used with each
action. Groups are free to express their demands and motivations in religious language or not, as they see
fit.

Spreading the Word
We ask individuals, groups, and organizations around the globe to endorse this Call and to send it out to
their mailing lists and to the media. Groups which are not committed to participating in the actions of
civil resistance could simply transmit our Call.

We hope that this global call will be a part of a sustained grassroots campaign to end the violent
occupation of Iraq. Through our Coordinating Committee, we would be happy to support grassroots
efforts to this end and to work with others in organizing nonviolent civil resistance around the world.

Some persons and organizations may choose to organize legal demonstrations (without any component
of civil resistance) on the days we have proposed. We would request that they inform us of the legal
demonstration they are planning, and that they inform their local media. We will also inform
international media about the actions planned.

As for those who are planning civil resistance in their locality, if you are proposing this publicly prior to
your action, please inform your local or national media and please let us know so that we can inform the
international media.

If you are not making this public before your action, please inform us as soon as the action takes place so
that we can report it as one of many actions in various parts of the world.

Thanks for your kind consideration of this proposal.

Sincerely,
(Signers are from 16 countries. In some cases organizational affiliations are for personal identification
purposes only.) Gary Ashbeck, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, Jonah House, Father Daniel Berrigan, S.J., New York, New York, USA, Catholic priest, author, lecturer, peace activist, Father Bob Bossie, S.C.J., Chicago, Illinois, USA, cofounder of Voices in the Wilderness and a staff member at the 8th Day Center for Justice,  Father Roy Bourgeois, M.M., Columbus, Georgia, USA, Catholic priest; founder, School of the Americas Watch, Father Ernesto Cardenal, Managua, Nicaragua, Catholic priest; poet, sculptor, former Minister of Culture of Nicaragua, Bishop Pedro Casaldáliga, Sao Felix de Araguaia, Brazil, Retired bishop of Catholic diocese of Sao Felix, Theologian, author, Christian Base Communities, Spain, Patricia Clark, Nyack, New York, USA, Executive Director, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Comité Oscar Romero de Madrid, Madrid, Spain, Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 1976 Nobel Peace Laureate, Co-founder of Peace People, Susan Crane, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, Jonah House, Father John Dear, S.J., Cerrillos, New Mexico, USA, Catholic priest, peace activist, author, Rev. Richard Deats, Nyack, New York, USA, Former Executive Secretary and Fellowship Editor, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Marie Dennis, Washington, D.C., USA, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Pax Christi International, 8th Day Center for Justice, Chicago, Illinois, USA, Father Miguel d’Escoto, M.M., Managua, Nicaragua, Catholic priest; Foreign Minister of Nicaragua 1979–1990, Proponent of Nonviolent Evangelical Insurrection against Imperialism, Xavier Dias, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India, Editor of Adhikar, a monthly Hindi bulletin for communities affected by mining. Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, Washington, D.C., USA, Jim and Shelley Douglass, Birmingham, Alabama, USA, Mary's House Catholic Worker, Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Detroit, Michigan, USA, Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit, Pastor of urban parish, author, lecturer, peace activist, Father G. Simon Harak, S.J., New York, New York, USA, Catholic priest; Anti-Militarism Coordinator, War Resisters League, Jennifer Harbury and Sister Dianna Ortiz, Washington, D.C., USA, Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International, Hartford Catholic Worker Community, Hartford, CT, USA, Father Francois Houtart, Louvain la Neuve, Belgium, Catholic priest; Prof. Emeritus of the Catholic University of Louvain; Member of the International Council of the World Social Forum, Jonah House Community, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, Judith Kelly, Arlington, Virginia, USA, Mid-Atlantic Regional Associate, Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service, Prisoner of conscience in the movement against the School of the Americas, Kathy Kelly, Chicago, Illinois, USA, Voices for Creative Non-Violence, Eric LeCompte, Washington, D.C., USA, SOA Watch event coordinator, Jerimarie Liesegang, PhD, Hartford, Connecticut, USA, Queer Activist, Director, Connecticut TransAdvocacy Coalition, Madrid Committee of Solidarity with Black Africa, Madrid, Spain, Danny Malec, Voluntown, Connecticut, USA, Global Call to Action, Father Regino Martínez, S.J., Dajabó, Dominican Republic, Catholic Priest, Coordinator of Border Solidarity, Liz McAlister, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, Jonah House, Edel Mihm, Saarbrücken, Germany, Journalist, Father Uriel Molina Oliú, Managua, Nicaragua, Catholic priest; theologian, founder and former director of Centro Antonio Valdivieso, Managua, Father Ismael Moreno, S.J., El Progreso, Yoro, Honduras, Director of the Reflection, Research and Communication Team (ERIC), Father Joseph E. Mulligan, S.J., Managua, Nicaragua, Catholic priest working with Christian Base Communities; writer, peace activist, Mary Novak, Voluntown, Connecticut, USA, Global Call to Action, Father Michael O’Grady, S.J., Cambridge, MA, USA, Adolfo Perez Esquivel, Argentina, 1980 Nobel Peace Laureate, Harold Pinter, London, England, 2005 Nobel Literature Laureate, Ted Schmidt, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Editor, Catholic New Times, Ramón Sepulveda Velez, Puerto Rico, Community Organizer, Cindy Sheehan, Berkeley, California, USA, Peace Mom; Mother of Army Spc. Casey A. Sheehan, who was killed in Iraq on April 4, 2004; Founder of Gold Star Families for Peace; Cindy camped at George Bush’s ranch in August, 2005, demanding to speak with the president., Joanne Sheehan, Norwich, Connecticut, USA, Chair of War Resisters’ International, War Resisters League/New England coordinator, Father Eugene Toland, M.M., Bolivia, José María Vigil, Panamá, Teólogo, Dr. Stellan Vinthagen, Goteberg, Sweden, Department of Peace and Development Research, Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, The Shalom Center, Workers’ Vanguard Communities, Spain, Rev. Bill Wylie-Kellermann, Detroit, Michigan, USA, United Methodist Pastor; writer, Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education, Father Francisco Xammar, S.J., Tarragona, Spain, Catholic priest; International Christian Secretariate of Solidarity with the Peoples of Latin America (SICSAL), Celeste Zappala, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, Mother of Sgt Sherwood Baker, killed in action in Iraq on April 26, 2004; Member, Gold Star Families; United Methodist.

	A CALL TO ACCOUNTABILITY End Sexual Violence Against Catholic Sisters—In Religious Life and in the World Community We are deeply troubled and saddened by recent reports published in the National Catholic Reporter of March 16, 2001, of the sexual harassment, exploitation and even rape of Roman Catholic nuns by priests. They serve as a stark and horrifying example of the global problem of violence against women that is the daily reality for millions of women of all ages, classes, races and religions.
	Accounts of the humiliation and even deaths of women whose human rights have been violated by Catholic priests are harrowing: • In Latin America, a priest demanded sexual "favors" in exchange for clothes for a girl and her family. • In Africa, some priests seeking partners free of HIV/AIDS have sexually exploited nuns. Some of these priests have actually transmitted HIV to the nuns or made them pregnant. Tragically, some nuns have died. • In Europe and the United States, priests and seminarians have demanded sexual "favors" from nuns in exchange for assistance with studies. • In the United States, church authorities shielded a parish priest from prosecution by returning him to the Philippines so that he could elude a lawsuit filed by a woman, who as a teenager, was sexually abused by him. This is a worldwide problem. Reports cite incidents in 23 countries: Botswana, Burundi, Brazil, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, India, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Tonga, Uganda, United States, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. We deplore the Vatican's false claim that this problem is limited to sub-Saharan Africa in an attempt to dismiss or cover up the problem.  That this sexual violence occurs in the context of the worldwide AIDS pandemic is especially disturbing. HIV/AIDS is the leading cause of death in Africa and the fourth most common cause of death in the world (United Nations Population Fund, 2000). Therefore, we condemn the hypocrisy of church policies that deny life-saving condoms and contraceptives, responsibly chosen by women and men. These policies knowingly put women's lives at risk in the name of a culture of life. Furthermore, the sexual exploitation by priests of nuns has also resulted in pregnancies; some nuns have been dismissed from their communities; others have been forced to have abortions. At least one nun died as a result of an abortion. We condemn such coercive practices. We are appalled that church authorities were formally and fully briefed on these problems in 1995 and up to now have taken no public action to end the abuse, treating the perpetrators with impunity. Vatican secrecy and inaction have surely contributed to sexual abuse. The Vatican must be accountable for these tragedies. Church officials must do all in their power to bring an end to violence against women in the church.		We join with the European Parliament, the National Coalition of American Nuns, the Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Church, the Latin American Network of Catholics for the Right to Decide, and the International Movement We Are Church, in this call to accountability. We call on the Vatican to be accountable: • To reveal the measures it has taken to eliminate violence against women by Catholic clergy, and measures it proposes to take in order to secure justice for women; • To cooperate with local civil authorities by providing evidence and assisting with the prosecution of Catholic church officials involved in rape and other sexual violence; abuse and exploitation by church officials; • To provide medical care for those nuns and other women who have been infected with HIV by Catholic clergy; • To immediately reinstate nuns who were dismissed from their communities and/or jobs because they brought attention to such abuses; • To reinstate those nuns dismissed from their orders due to pregnancy, and to provide financial support for the care of children fathered by priests; • To adopt a policy on sexual conduct that seeks to eliminate all forms of violence against women in the church and society; and • To issue a public apology in the form of a pastoral letter from the Holy See for all forms of violence against women, including sexism, committed by its church officials. We call on all people of faith and the greater world community to eliminate all forms of violence against women: • To continue to provide and participate in training and education to promote women's human rights; and • To work to dismantle structures of domination that perpetuate violence against women. We call on the world's religious leaders: • To give their unqualified support to women who are the victims of violence within their institutions or in other faith groups; and • To speak out against such abuse whether it occurs in their faith or another faith. Respect for the autonomy of other faith groups cannot serve to mute the voice of religious leaders on this grave sin against women.

Initial Sponsors:

• 8th Day Center for Justice, United States • Acht Mei Beweging (Eighth of May Movement), The Netherlands • Association of Feminist Theologians in Austria • BAOBAB for Women's Human Rights, Nigeria • Call to Action of Northern Virginia, United States • Call to Action San Antonio, United States • Catholics for a Free Choice, Canada • Catholics for a Free Choice, United States • Catholics for the Spirit of Vatican II, United States • Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir en América Latina y España • Center for Women's Global Leadership,United States • Chicago Women-Church, United States • CORPUS, United States • Dignity/USA • Droits et liberté dans les Églises, France • Equal Partners in Faith, United States • Equality Now, United States/Kenya • Federation of Christian Ministries, United States • Federation of Women Lawyers, Kenya • Feminist Majority Foundation, United States • Fundación para Estudio e Investigación de la Mujer(FEIM), Argentina • Girls Power Initiative, Nigeria • Greater Cincinnati Women-Church, United States • International Council of Jewish Women, United Kingdom • International Federation of Married Catholic Priests

• Linangan ng Kababaihan (Likhaan), Philippines • Loretto Network for Nonviolence, United States • Loretto Women's Network, United States • National Coalition of American Nuns • Nous sommes aussi l'Église, France • Nuns Welfare Foundation of Nepal • Pax Area, School Sisters of St. Francis, United States • Planned Parenthood Federation of America • Quixote Center, United States - Catholics Speak Out - Haiti Reborn - Priests for Equality - Quest for Peace • Sisters Against Sexism, United States • Sisterhood Is Global Institute, Canada • Sisters In Islam, Malaysia • Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition (TASSC), United States • Voters for Choice Action Fund, United States • We Are Church, Austria • We Are Church, United Kingdom • WIDE - Women in Development Europe, Belgium • Women-Church Convergence, United States • Women Living Under Muslim Laws, International Solidarity Network (WLUML) • Women's Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual (WATER), United States • Women's Ordination Conference, South Africa • Women's Ordination Conference, United States

WHAT YOU CAN DO: 1. Sign the accompanying petition. Add your name for inclusion in future ads. Sign as an individual and/or as an organizational endorser by sending an email to: kakd@claret.org . in the Subject area: "Accountability". In the Message area, please give your full name, (organization if applicable) + address, City/State/Zip. Get your friends and colleagues to sign the Call to Accountability.  2. Write to the Holy See Mission at the UN and let the Vatican know your views: Archbishop Renato R. Martino, Apostolic Nuncio, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, 25 East 39th Street, New York, NY 10016-0903. 3. Write to the UN Commissioner on Human Rights and let them know women in religious institutions have human rights: Mary Robinson, UN Commission on Human Rights, 8-14 Avenue de la Paix, 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland. The Call to Accountability Campaign is an ad hoc coalition of religious, women's rights and human rights groups whose goal is to raise public awareness about sexual violence against women in the Catholic church and hold accountable the individual and institutional leadership involved or complicit in this problem. Send the signed petitions to:  The Call To Accountability Campaign c/o Women's Ordination Conference PO Box 2693, Fairfax, VA 22031-0693 Telephone +1 (202) 986-6093, Fax +1 (301) 589-3150 Email cso@quixote.org If you would like to make a financial contribution to the Call to Accountability Campaign, make checks payable to Women's Ordination Conference, and include "Call to Accountability" in the memo line. For More Information: 8th Day Center for Justice 205 W. Monroe Chicago, IL 60606, Tel. (312) 641-5151, Email kakd@claret.org »Back to top