2014 List of Further Resources #1

The selection of Further Resources published in Mercy E-News throughout 2014 can be found below. If you hadn't time throughout the year to read, watch and listen to these, you might like to do so over the Christmas holidays and before Mercy E-news returns on 21 January 2015.

Note: Timebound news items, including UN observances, conferences and other highlighted events, have been deleted and monthly links to newsletters such as Stop Trafficking and LCWR's Update have been replaced by a link to the current/latest issue at the end of this list on #4

MARCH 2014

'It is reported that Pope Francis is preparing a text on the environment, and Donal Dorr expects that the resulting document will develop the links that Francis has already and repeatedly made between "concern for the exploited earth and concern for marginalised and exploited people". How does Pope Francis’ thinking about the environment compare with that of Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI?'
See: ' "The fragile world": Church teaching on ecology before and by Pope Francis' by Donal Dorr. Read the article

'Spirited Spat: Pipeline Battle Rages on Kentucky's "Holy Land"'- tells how the Loretto Sisters and the Trappists from the Abbey of Gethsemane are challenging the Bluegrass Pipeline that would send natural gas liquids pulled from Pennsylvania fracking sites to a Gulf Coast export complex. Read the article

'Water is a critical but contentious resource for the fracking industry, which is booming in the US and poised to take off globally. Despite vast media coverage on the topic, many issues remain poorly understood by policymakers, the business community and other stakeholders who stand to be affected by the industry's widening presence.'  See: Fracking and water pollution: what we can learn from the US experience.' Read the article

The Syrian conflict has now entered its fourth year. More than 146,000 people, at least a third of them civilians, are dead and as many as 2.5 million Syrians have now fled their country. The Atlantic online has gathered a series of images of events over the past few months in a visual story called 'In Syria: Three Years of War'. This presentation makes for very sobering viewing. See it here

The performance by Sister Cristina Scuccia, member of the Ursuline Sisters of the Holy Family, singing Alicia Keys song 'No one' appears to have stunned the judges on the Italian version of The Voice and has since garnered enormous publicity and gone viral on YouTube. Watch Sr Cristina here if you haven't seen her yet. But as CathNews reminded its Australian readers last month, Sr Janet Mead's (ISMAPNG) rendition of The Lord's Prayer was an international smash-hit in 1973, selling millions and pipped only by Elvis at the Grammy Awards. Watch that clip on YouTube here

World Water Day resources:

Blue Gold : World Water Wars (Official Full Length Film)
'...follow numerous worldwide examples of people fighting for their basic right to water, from court cases to violent revolutions to U.N. conventions to revised constitutions to local protests at grade schools.'
Watch it here (1:29:44) Visit the website

The aim of the Catlin Seaview Survey is to scientifically record the world’s coral reefs and reveal them to all of us in high-resolution, 360-degree panoramic vision. The survey commenced in September 2012 on  the Great Barrier Reef and is currently charting Sydney Harbour. See images, watch videos of places of the world's reef beauty. Explore the survey vision

Trócaire, the Irish Catholic agency for world development, has produced an excellent animated resource for schools, 'Our World, Our Water', as part of its Lent 2014 campaign which focuses on the global water crisis. The animation deserves a broad audience. Watch the animation here. (3:16)

The Infographic 'Our World Our Water' is worth reading and appropriate for classroom use. Download it here (PDF)

World Water Day website. The theme this year is 'Water and Energy'
Water.org : Safe water and the dignity of a toilet for all, in our lifetime.
Grace Communications Foundation: develops innovative strategies to increase public awareness of the critical environmental and public health issues created by our current food, water and energy systems, and to promote a more sustainable future.

Last month, in a 3-part interview in the blog Catholic Ecology, Christiana Peppard, an Assistant Professor of Theology, Science and Ethics at Fordham University, author of Just Water made the case that access to water is both a justice and a “Right-to-Life Issue.” Read the interview here

Dr Peppard has also collaborated on the production of two animations for schools which, like Trócaire's 'Our World, Our Water' can be used more broadly for information, stimulus and reflection.
Watch: Where we get our fresh water (3:47) and Fresh Water Scarcity: An Introduction to the Problem (3:39)

(Repeated) How Food, Water and Energy are Connected. Download the guide

'Johnson thinks a lot about how humans interact with ocean resources (like fish), and what drives us to exploit or conserve these resources. One question she returns to, over and over, is: How can we enable people to take a long-term view when it comes to the wealth of the oceans — 'to save some for later, to use the ocean without using it up?' Fom the newly published article How the Famous Marshmallow Study Explains Environmental Conservation: A marine biologist discovers the importance of behavioral economics. Read the article in The Atlantic

6 New Designs For Water Fountains, To Get You Off Bottled Water For Good. Do you know where the public water fountains are in your neighbourhood? Read the article

The River by Alessandro Sanna
'Illustrator Alessandro Sanna exposes with remarkable sensitivity that gossamer connection between the physicality of the land and our transcendent experience of the passage of time, the inner seasonality of being human. Through his soft watercolors shines the immutable light of existence.' Order online

Catholic Theological Union's Joy of the Gospel Series
Between 13 February and 7 March, Members of CTU's faculty have explored online in videos and podcasts their chosen passage from Pope Francis' recent exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel).  Presenters:

Opening Video: Steve Bevans SVD (04:35)
Episode 1: Barbara Reid, OP (04:11)
Episode 2: Robert Schreiter, CPPS (08:21)
Episode 3: Rev. Richard Fragomeni (05:42)
Episode 4: Dianne Bergant, CSA (03:39)

Watch the series
Download the Podcasts

Spiritual Leadership for Challenging Times: Presidential Addresses from the Leadership Conference of Women Religious
Addresses given by Therese Kane rsm and Doris Goettemoeller rsm are two of the 10 former LCWR presidents whose words are reproduced in this forthcoming volume. The others are: Joan Chittister, OSB; Nadine Foley, OP;  Nancy Schreck, OSF; Mary Ann Zollmann, BVM; Marlene Weisenbeck, FSPA; and Pat Farrell, OSF; as well as the late Margaret Cafferty, PBVM and Mary Whited, CPPS.

Details of how to place your order through the publisher Orbis Books can be accessed on the LCWR website, or order from Amazon

The National Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Brazil (Cnbb) on Ash Wednesday launched the 2014 Brotherhood Campaign, focusing this year on the theme Brotherhood and human trafficking. In his letter of participation and encouragement for the launch of the Campaign, Pope Francis writes 'It is impossible to remain indifferent when one learns that there are human beings who are bought and sold like merchandise! Think of the adoption of children destined to be sold for organ transplants, of women who are deceived and forced into prostitution, of workers without rights or a voice who exploited, etc. This is human trafficking...'
Read the text of the Pope's letter

On 6 March researchers in Arizona, where the Super Bowl will be held in 2015, released the first comprehensive research on sex trafficking at the Super Bowl.They analyzed and placed [located] online sex ads, identifying nearly 2,000 potential sex trafficking victims, including 84 children in New Jersey and Arizona, during the 10 days before and after this year’s Super Bowl... Read the interview transcript

At the 2014 King's College London conference on Organised Crime in Conflict Zones held on 6 March, Kevin B Bales, Co-Founder of Free the Slaves and consultant to the UN Global Trafficking Program on the Trafficking of Human Beings, stated that one of the reasons slavery still exists is because of the concept of 'dehumanisation', the 'creation of a sub-human species'. This concept, which is widespread in countries experiencing conflict, is largely driven by political and economic instability, he said. Read the report

“We cannot lose sight of the underlying reasons why human trafficking has become so pervasive,” Kai Nielsen, UNHCR’s Representative in Sudan, says. “Addressing human trafficking means we must also address issues such as the exploitation of migrants, gender discrimination, poverty and the legislative capacity of authorities across the region.' Read the report

The annual Los Angeles Religious Education Congress (March 13-16) is again being streamed live this year and will be available here

Presenters include Jim Wallis (Revolutionary Hope), Ronald Rolheiser (Fear and Her Many Children: As Dampening Our Hope and Our Fire), John Allen jr (The Francis Revolution: The Papacy at the One-Year Mark)

Archived presentations of previous Congress webcasts can be accessed here

Gender Equality, 2013 Year in Review
From the adoption of an historic agreement to end violence against women to a viral campaign exposing the scope of sexism online, this timeline captures select gender equality gains in 2013. Access the timeline here

'A safe and sustainable world demands women’s rights, women’s empowerment and gender equality'
Statement by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka on 'Promoting equality, including social equity, and gender equality and women’s empowerment' at the 8th session of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development, New York, 5 February 2014. Read the Statement

UN Women post-2015 position paper
UN Women calls for freedom from violence, equality in capabilities and resources and women’s voice to be the cornerstones of a transformative stand-alone gender equality goal. Read it here PDF (48pps)
 
There is a Girl Out There Who Needs You (new publication)
A timely resource for IWD, the 58th Commission and beyond, this latest publication from The Partnership for Global Justice deals with the situations that put girls at risk, including childhood marriage and lack of education. Cost is US$3 or €2 Download the flyer here (PDF)  Inquiries/purchases: Deirdre Mullan rsm

'Ash Wednesday: The Hands that Hold the Ashes' Read it here and then take the opportunity to explore Jan Richardson's The Painted Prayerbook (website)

'Holding My Bowl of Rice and Glass of Water' by Maureen Wild, SC. Written some years ago but still relevant. Read article here

FEBRUARY 2014

With Lent now a week away, here are 3 more online resources which you might care to explore:
Living Lent Daily from Loyola Press (Website)
Praying Lent 2014 from Creighton University (website)
Bread for the World: Lenten Prayers for Hungry People (website)

On Faith and Fracking

Faith leaders from across New York State talk about our role as guardians of the Creation, our responsibility to each other, and our obligation to future generations. Although made twelve months ago, the content remains current. Watch it here (09:44)

Through Mercy Global Action (MGA), MIA advocates for water justice, access to clean water and sanitation. I Thirst: A Lenten Journey from Desert to Garden by Terri MacKenzie SHCJ 'was created to help people heighten their appreciation of God's gift of water, God's living and acting within it, current water conditions on Earth, and how we can respond in faith'. Download the resource here PDF (14 pps)

Amy Hereford CSJ works as an attorney and canonist, consulting with many religious institutes on a wide variety of legal matters. Religious Life at the Crossroads: A School for Mystics and Prophets, is her recently released book from Orbis Books. Read about it here. Purchase from Amazon here

-Elizabeth A. Johnson CSJ, is distinguished Professor of Theology at Fordham University. Her latest book, published 16 January by Bloomsbury, is Ask the Beasts: Darwin and the God of Love. Read about it here. Purchase from Amazon here

Last July Sr Elizabeth delivered the Evelyn Underhill Lecture in Christian Spirituality at Boston College on the subject of her new book. Watch the lecture here (1.25). Her essay entitled 'At Our Mercy: The Tree of Life Now Depends on One Twig', adapted from the book, was published online two weeks ago in Commonweal. Read the essay here

-Simone Campbell SSS, A Nun on the Bus: How All of Us Can Create Hope, Change, and Community.

'The Bible is an agrarian classic in the whole body of literature [...] a way of living and ordering our lives – care of the land and all its creatures. Food and water is pervasive in every human endeavour, and part of the Bible account.' From the talk given by Edward Echlin at Christian Ecology Link’s 'Just Food' day held in London on 18 January. Read the individual addresses and session reports here

Why global water shortages pose threat of terror and war
'From California to the Middle East, huge areas of the world are drying up and a billion people have no access to safe drinking water. US intelligence is warning of the dangers of shrinking resources and experts say the world is ''standing on a precipice' ' Read the article in the Guardian here

Women of Syria: An appeal for peace
A number of Syrian women civilians with diverse backgrounds and perspectives from throughout Syria met in Geneva in January to unite their positions and issue a document that affirms their shared vision regarding the peace process for their country. Watch this affecting clip here (2:47). Read the full Outcome Statement of the Syrian Women's Conference here

Vanessa Quai from Vanuatu, the 'new Pacific superstar' has a mission to spread the inspiring message of peace, love and unity that the lyrics of her song True Harmony carry. The song has its origin in a prayer popularised in the churches of Fiji. Listen to and watch Vanessa perform here.

The GRACE Communications Foundation wants people thinking more critically about the water in their food ('virtual water'), and has released a report that includes the average global water footprints for a number of foodstuffs: 119 gallons (450 litres) of water to produce 1 lb (.45 kg) of potatoes, 288  gallons (1090 litres) to produce 1 loaf of bread, 3,170 gallons (12,000 litres) to produce 1 lb (.45 kg) of chocolate and 42 gallons (159 litres) to make one slice of pizza. Read the 28 page report here (PDF)

The IPJC Hydraulic Fracturing 4 A4 page leaflet provides opportunities for education, analysis, reflection and action on the issue of hydraulic fracturing. Download the leaflet here (PDF)

JANUARY 2014

The Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center (IPJC) has posted their Winter newsletter online (PDF). Writers in this issue include Miriam McGillis,OP; Alexandra Kovats, CSJP; Gail Worcelo, SGM and Carol Lee Flinders, PhD.  Download or read this quarterly here; back issues are also available.

In their foundation’s just-released annual letter, Bill and Melinda Gates challenge three pervasive myths in development economics: 'Poor countries are doomed to stay poor.' 'Foreign aid is a big waste.' 'Saving lives leads to overpopulation.'

They conclude: 'We all have the chance to create a world where extreme poverty is the exception rather than the rule, and where all children have the same chance to thrive, no matter where they’re born. For those of us who believe in the value of every human life, there isn’t any more inspiring work under way in the world today.' Read their letter

Video of The Shriver Report Live event, A Woman’s Nation Pushes Back from the Brink, presented by The Atlantic in Washington, D.C last week, is now available online. A Reflection by Joan Chittister OSB introduces the second clip 'Voices Zooming In'. Watch the event here

In the US the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released its global temperature figures for 2013. The year 2013 ties with 2003 as the fourth warmest year globally since records began in 1880. The annual global combined land and ocean surface temperature was 0.62°C (1.12°F) above the 20th century average of 13.9°C (57.0°F). This marks the 37th consecutive year (since 1976) that the yearly global temperature was above average. Read the report

The Girl Rising Educator’s Edition, including Teacher’s Guide and exclusive video extras, is now available for purchase. Details can be found here

President Obama has declared January 2014  National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. Sisters of Mercy continue Catherine McAuley's ministry of outreach with distressed women today by opposing Human Trafficking. Read more

Catholic Mission and Catholic Religious Australia's Mission Network have combined to produce 'The Francis Effect: Living the Joy of the Gospel', bringing together 12 Australian leaders from various Catholic ministries to offer their individual insight in response to Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium The Joy of the Gospel. Foreward by Stevan Bevans SVD. Read the book online at no cost or purchase it for AUD$15.00

In 2013 we followed the story of Malala Yousafzai, celebrating her strength, her convictions and her accomplishments. Now meet Dasani, a homeless girl living in poverty with her family in New York. Her circumstances are different from those of Malala, but in her own way she, too, is remarkable. Dasani's story was told last month in the five part New York Times series 'Invisible Child. Girl in the Shadows: Dasani's homeless life.' Read it here


Yale 2013 Chubb Lecture with Wendell Berry, poet, novelist, philosopher, environmental activist, cultural critic, and farmer, recorded 7 December 2013 at Yale. Watch it here (1:23:58)

Thumbnail Image courtesy of BrianHolm at FreeDigitalPhotos.net