The International Young Christian Students World Council meeting is now under way in New Delhi.
The movement is leading the way in the use of social media during the Council through a special website website set up by former secretary-general Manoj Mathew.
Everyone can follow the progress of their event and even share their own comments and contributions through Facebook and on Twitter.
CCI offers its best wished to IYCS leaders for the success of their event.
South African YCS leaders marched in a June 16 procession for Africa Child Day commemorating the beginnings of the Soweto Uprising against the former apartheid regime in 1976.
The students were attending a one-week annual conference in Mohale’s Hoek high school, Transformation Resource Centre reports.
The procession where the youth carried placards and sang different songs, began at Mohale’s Hoek high school via Likhutlong, Thoteng and Moeaneng villages, St Stephen’s high school to the main street and back to the starting point where speeches were made.
Speaking at the event, the District Administration Manager, Diteboho Monese, said the day calls on the youth to take initiative to effect changes in issues that concern them.
He said, now the country is heading towards Local Government elections, the youth are expected to fully participate in such activity, while at the same time ensure that their aspirations are incorporated in the national development plan.
YCS President, Ramothamo ‘Nyane, said South Africa gained freedom through influence by the youth learners, adding that youth learners in Lesotho can effect change as well in the country.
He said the day’s commemoration is held in support and cognisance to struggle acts against apartheid by South African youth in June 16 1976. ‘Nyane called on the youth to stand up in arms against corruption to eradicate poverty as a number one Millenium Development Goal (MDG), which he said when not addressed, it would be difficult to achieve other goals.
He commended the government for progress made towards achieving universal primary education though he expressed concern about what will happen beyond primary level. The President of Lesotho Youth Federation (LYFE), Nts’ekhe Tlaba, said there is still hope that the youth will influence the government to give education cognisance it deserves as a right to every person.
He urged the youth to work as a team to address problems they are faced with and influence that the MDG’s should be attained. The African Child Day is commemorated annually in several African countries on June 16.
SOURCE
Young Christian Students commemorate African Child Day (Transformation Resource Centre)
CCI India members gathered at Sacred Heart, Poonamallee near Chennai to celebrate New Pentecost with a special Mass celebrated by Father Thomas Joseph, 92, a worker chaplain since 1950.
“Thomas Joseph stressed on the message of ‘peace’ in his homily. He said peace cannot be achieved without justice and so our struggle for justice is struggle for peace,” CCI Convenor M.J. Ruben reports.
“At the sharing session afte the mass, the CCI members and contacts shared how they are building peace throught their involvement in various fields.
“Lazar Fernando had to give up his good prospects in the Gulf and returned to India to take care of his spastic child. He underwent training and took up a job in a school for spastic children. When the school closed down, the parents of the special children requested Lazar to start a school for their wards. In the meantime, Lazar’s son died at the age of 14. Lazar realised the pitiable state of the children as well as their parents who were mostly poor fisherfolk. He collected some donations from traders and friends besides loans from his wife’s workplace and rented out a house and started a school for special children. Now, the school ‘Mercy Niketan’ has 35 children.
“After joining CCI Lazar is able to share his work and get more contacts and know how to run the school. Susairaj and Ruben are in the Trust and they are planning to develop the school; the parents are now pressing Lazar to open a hostel like facility for children above 18 yrs since it is very hard for the poor parents to look after them. The school gets a small percentage of the teacher’s salary from the state social welfare department.
“Gnanaraj who is a railway employee offered to help out Lazar to find local donors through the network at his work place.
“Sebastian, a worker leader with years of trade union experience hinted that there may be a possibility of getting a house for Lazar’s Trust through one of his contacts who wants to help some genuine organisation. He said he cannot promise now but hopes to convince the donor after seeing Mercy Niketan’s work.
“Susairaj shared how Pentecost is a special day in his life as a motivation for his dedication to work among children and women.
“Heston George felt that people should be motivated to help development organisations by offering their skills free of charges. He said that many such base organisations do not know how to present their activities or to seek funds.
“The group also analysed the social commitment of the Church; many felt that the parish structure keeps the lay people out of social commitment. The young people do not involve actively since they do not find a meaningful role.
“Rupert Rathnaraj initiated a lively discussion on how ‘consumerism’ is promoted by globalization. An image is created that people have lot of money to buy; acutally people are made to buy not from their surplus but because it gives an identity.
“Fr. Thomas Joseph spoke about the child workers and social commitment of the Church.
“Ms Glynis Joseph, Coordinator of Chennai CCI coordinated the discussions and said that more such interactions will be organised. She also presented the CCI message on New Pentecost 2011.
“M. J. Ruben, International Convenor gave an overall picture of CCI and its evolution. He traced the life of Cardijn and how his method see judge act has been acknowledged as a tool of social analysis around the world; he also mentioned that this year is the 50th anniversary of see judge act being accepted as part of social teaching of the Church.
“Ruben also shared with the group the efforts of YCW and Sr. Jeanne Devos and others from the National Domestic Workers Movement who are lobbying in Geneva at the ILC to get the convention on dometic workers passed without any hiccup.
“A brief information about the forthcoming CCI 10th anniversary International Forum and General Assembly in Bangkok was also shared before conclusion.
“While concluding Ms Glynis Joseph thanked Fr. Thomas Joseph and others for making the New Pentecost event a memorable one despite the long distance each one had to travel.”
In March 2008, the ILO Governing Body decided to place an item on the agenda of the 99th Session (2010) of the Conference with a view to setting standards on decent work for domestic workers. At that Session, the Conference decided, by a resolution adopted on 16 June 2010, to place on the agenda of its 100th Session an item entitled Decent work for domestic workers, for second discussion, with a view to the adoption of a comprehensive standard (a Convention supplemented by a Recommendation)
On the 7th June, 2011, the dream of millions of domestic workers and the entire working class became a reality with the adoption of the text of the historic convention on domestic workers. This landmark convention recognises domestic work as genuine ‘work’ and places domestic workers on par with other categories of workers.
However, the final text of the convention and recommendation will come up for voting at the International Labour Conference next week. Cardijn Community International (CCI) hopes that the convention will be approved.
CCI salutes the efforts of the domestic workers’ movements, associations, NGOs and other civil society organisations including the International YCW (IYCW) and National Domestic Workers Movement in India for their tireless decades long struggle to get this declaration adopted.
CCI is of the view that mere adoption of a convention will not change the life of the domestic workers around the world. Much has to be done in sensitizing the people and to bring about a change in the ‘mind-set’ of those who employ domestic workers. The active cooperation of the member states is very essential in the implementation and monitoring of the spirit and motive of the convention.
CCI for its part will continue to be in solidarity with the cause of the domestic workers and shall include in its activities a campaign to implement the convention in letter and spirit.
International Coordination
Cardijn Community International (CCI)
Father Charles Rue recalls the formative influence of the YCW and the See Judge Act method in this article from the Australian Columban magazine.
06.06.2011
I am grateful to the YCW for the insights it has given me and the courageous example of people systematically applying faith to their real life situations.
My first memory of the YCW (Young Christian Workers) was in the 1950s when the curate in our rural parish proposed to us young men who had just left school to establish a local branch. The YCW and the YCS (Students) was the alive Catholic action of the day that applied faith to life. We discussed the idea but decided that we would rather join the local Junior Farmers. That group was seen as Protestant (later proved to be wrong), but we saw it as more related to our lives as budding farmers.
My next encounter was a YCW information camp for seminarians run by Fr Frank Marriott in the 1960s. A vivid memory was hearing the story of a young worker who could not read well. Rather than give him some spiritual book, he was first given a ‘western’. We were informed that there had to be some immediate interest in reading for him. I thought this was a very practical approach.
In South Korea in the 1970’s I was assigned to be chaplain to a YCW group of girls working in a cloth factory. At each meeting they described their life as workers in the factory, reflected on it in the light of faith and then decided on an action to try. They reported back on the action at the next meeting.
See-Judge-Act Method
This is the tried and tested YCW method: See-Judge-Act. They described the lack of heaters in the factory leading to fights among the workers. Their action in ‘turning the other cheek’ was to stand back from the heaters. They reported that they were too cold; the fights continued.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE
The strong influence of YCW (Australian Columbans)
CCI which is a co-partner in the New Pentecost movement is observing the Pentecost this year by promoting the theme ‘Peace Education towards Sustainable Development’.
As part of its 10th Anniversary celebrations, CCI is holding an international forum in Bangkok on the 23rd July 2011 with the theme ‘Peace Building towards Sustainable Development’.
Cardijn Community International (CCI) feels that while efforts should be taken by one and all to avert destruction of humanity and nature through warfare, there should be an all out effort in ‘peace building’ so that the whole of humanity can live in harmony with one another and nature; peace education also presupposes ecological education.
The Vatican II document Pastoral Constitution On The Church In The Modern World — Gaudium et Spes speaks elaborately on ‘peace’, a part of which is reproduced here:
“78. Peace is not merely the absence of war; nor can it be reduced solely to the maintenance of a balance of power between enemies; nor is it brought about by dictatorship. Instead, it is rightly and appropriately called an enterprise of justice. Peace results from that order structured into human society by its divine Founder, and actualized by men as they thirst after ever greater justice. The common good of humanity finds its ultimate meaning in the eternal law. But since the concrete demands of this common good are constantly changing as time goes on, peace is never attained once and for all, but must be built up ceaselessly. Moreover, since the human will is unsteady and wounded by sin, the achievement of peace requires a constant mastering of passions and the vigilance of lawful authority.
But this is not enough. This peace on earth cannot be obtained unless personal well-being is safeguarded and men freely and trustingly share with one another the riches of their inner spirits and their talents. A firm determination to respect other men and peoples and their dignity, as well as the studied practice of brotherhood is absolutely necessary for the establishment of peace. Hence peace is likewise the fruit of love, which goes beyond what justice can provide.” (It must be noted that Cardinal Cardijn whose legacy CCI wants to promote, was a driving force behind drafting this document at the Vatican II).
On this Pentecost, let us invoke the Holy Spirit to fill humanity with ‘peace’ and ability to engage in ‘peace education towards sustainable development’.
International Coordination
June 4, 2011
www.newpentecost.com
www.cardijn.info
Cardijn Community condemns violence against struggling workers in Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
Cardijn Community International (CCI), an international development network, is deeply distressed at the way the workers’ struggles are handled in Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
In Indonesia, the PT Micro Garment Plant workers in Bandung are on strike from May 6 demanding reduction of working hours to 10 hrs a day and protesting against the dismissal of 460 workers during the dispute.
It has been brought to our notice that the police force which behaves as if they are the custodians of the property of the management used ‘force’ and brutally attacked the striking workers to disperse them from the factory gate. A pregnant woman was kicked by the police and had a ‘miscarriage’ and lost her baby. The police have cordoned off the area from May 31 parking their vehicles to prevent the workers from assembling at the factory site.
However, the workers are ceaselessly continuing the struggle in the hope of succeeding in their demands. International solidarity is gaining momentum and pressure is being mounted on the government of Indonesia to intervene in the dispute and render justice.
CCI is equally disturbed at the violence unleashed by the police on Monday, 30 May on the Free Trade Zone workers from Garment Factories who were protesting against a Private Sector Pension Bill which does not guarantee pension to the workers. Fr. Reid Fernando, Animator of the Young Christian Workers of Colombo Archdiocese has issued a statement condemning the ‘violence
generated by the police’. Log on to www.cardijn.info for more details.
We call upon the trade unions, civil society organizations and the international community to extend their support to the struggling workers in these two countries.
We also call upon the governments of Indonesia and Sri Lanka to intervene and render justice to the struggling workers and bring to rein in the erring and overzealous authorities.
For CCI International Coordination,
M. J. Ruben
International Convenor
June 1, 2011
Sri Lankan worker chaplain Father Reid Shelton Fernando has unequivocally condemned violence “generated by the police” in clashes on Monday that injured many people in clashes between police and Free Trade Zone workers from garment factories who were protesting against a private sector pension bill.
“The violence generated by the police has to be condemned totally. Some law enforcing officers behaved in a very unbecoming manner — kicking workers and dragging them along the road,” said Father Reid Shelton Fernando, chaplain for the Young Christian Workers movement in Colombo archdiocese. Two police officers have since been arrested, ucanews.com reports.
About 100 workers have been hospitalized, some with bullet wounds. Police personnel were also injured.
“There should be an impartial investigation to find out what exactly happened,” Father Fernando said.
According to the priest, the government will provide 33 percent of the workers’ retirement fund but will not guarantee them a pension.
SOURCE
Priest condemns attack on workers (ucanews.com)
Indonesia YCW is reporting that workers are continuing their action at the PT Micro Garment Factory in Bandung despite intimidation and violence that caused one pregnant worker to lose her baby.“Yesterday (31/5), the police had taken over the action area and they park their trucks on the action area in the front gate of the PT. Micro garment factory, the workers of PT. Micro Garment were forced to move around the truck, sitting around, peal pray and slogans. All the mothers who are pregnant was evacuated to the safe place,” Indonesia YCW reports.
“Pressure, bad threat, terror and intimidation strongly increase done by the police, the workers getting more suppress physically and mentally.
“As you know last Friday (27/5), police brutally disperse the action and one the pregnant women lost her baby due miscarriage kicked by the police. They are suffering hunger now since they cannot collect the donation from the members anymore except receiving from workers from other factories and from people who sympathy to the action.
“Around 186 workers still continuing sitting around the police truck under the strong pressure now waiting the government and employer to grant the worker’s demands.
“The YCW Indonesia planned to move forward to Jakarta to meet the labor ministry and human right commission to urge the central government to take immediately action to protect workers in PT. Micro Garment since till now the local government and parliament are only hearing the case without any proper action.
“Your solidarity and support are very essential to safe the life of the workers in PT. Micro garment and their family,” the Indonesia YCW statement says.
Over 460 workers have now been sacked by the company, according to a workers’ statement.
What you can do:
Police have used “brutal force” to end a protest by women workers at the PT Micro Garment factory in Bandung, Indonesia.“The Indonesian police sent around 300 personnel to dissolve the action of workers,” reports a local YCW leader.
“The police forced the demonstrators to disperse and end the action immediately.
“The number of demonstrators are 186 workers and majority are women and some of them are pregnant. The situation are really bad and (there is) chaos now,” the leader explained in an email calling for solidarity.
“The YCW Indonesia president (Ikin) took a decision to pull the workers from the location to avoid more victims,” he explained. “Now the police still at the location to watch the situation and ready at anytime to hit the demonstrator at as the order of the employer.
“The employer now in the difficult situation due to bed quality of their production, even though they have change hundred of the workers but the their buyers are not satisfy with the quality of the goods. This week the employer is in Hong Kong to lobby the buyer to extend the shipping time of the order.
“Indonesia YCW is in critical situation now since the polices are really brutal hitting and kicking the workers and the employer making false propaganda using Christianity issue and force the neighbor against the workers,” he continued.
“The call of YCW Indonesia is:
– Launch a financial campaign to help the workers of PT Micro Garment and YCW Indonesia
– Send your political pressure to the Indonesian authority (Don’t send any letter to the employer)
– For the ILO delegation, please seriously bring this issue to the discussion (held the side event and invite the ILO officer and trade union and Indonesian minister)
– Please talk to Indonesian President (Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in ILC). He will give special speech during the ILC since the International community think that Indonesia is the best sample for domestic workers protection program.”
VHR Media also reports on the strike saying that 18 female workers fainted as a result of clashes with police.
Chairman of the Joint Labor Struggle Solidarity (GSPB) Micro Garment, Nana Ibrahim,said 18 women workers fainted during a clash between striking workers and policework and workers who will come to work.
“The atmosphere here is chaos. The police beat us,” said Nana Ibrahim, chairperson of the Joint Labor Struggle Solidarity group (GSPB).
The PT Micro Garment workers have been on strike since 6 May and plan to continue until 6 June.
They are demanding a reduction of working hours to 10 hours per day and are protesting the dismissal of hundreds of workers because of the strike.