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| Volume 3, Issue 1 -- January 2006 |
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From the JPIC Office The first days of the New Year are upon us. For many, it is a time for remembering and reflecting on the past year while for others it is about looking forward. Popular culture tells us that this is the time for making a fresh start. There is always a strong temptation to make resolutions with the hope that they will bring us greater happiness and peace. Unfortunately, for many people, myself included, these resolutions often turn into frustrations and disappointments after they are haphazardly implemented then abandoned after a few weeks or perhaps a few months. How as a society can we expect that we will successfully fulfill our resolutions to get organized, lose weight, stop smoking, spend more time with the family, get out of debt, etc., when our culture tells us during 99 percent of the year that what will bring real happiness is to buy more, eat more, work harder, charge more and so on. Is it any wonder that our efforts to reprioritize our lives are met with intense resistance and ultimately failure? New Year’s resolutions, while well-intentioned, are actually quite a luxury. It assumes we have the ability to choose how much we will eat, spend, buy, work, and indulge ourselves. We take for granted that ours is a world of abundance. But at what and who’s cost? There are millions of the people who will not be faced with the task of having to shed a few unwanted pounds because they are undernourished to begin with. There are people who will not have to choose to work less because they have no jobs in the first place. And there are those who do not have to worry about decluttering their house because all they have are a few scraps of wood and metal for a roof. I imagine that there are countless people in the world who would love to be able to make a New Year’s resolution, to have a fresh start, but who simply have no choice but to live with less. Please don’t misunderstand—I am not against resolutions. I think they can be useful tools in redirecting our energies toward more positive choices and lifestyles. Indeed, I believe the motivation behind our resolutions is what makes us more likely to succeed or fail. I suppose if I had to make a resolution for this year it would be to have more patience. I would like to be more patient with myself when my imperfections cause me to stumble and fall. I would like to be more patient with others who cause suffering due to their own faults and failures. Ours is an imperfect world. Perhaps real change is the ability to embrace our imperfection rather than strive for perfection.
Message from the Border Since we last shared news from the Lomas de Poleo mesa along the New Mexico-Texas-Mexico border, there seemed to be a significant positive turn of events for the people living on the mesa. There was a November federal ruling that the residents’ land is federal land and that any documentation presented by Pedro Fuentes Zaragoza, the man attempting to take the land from Lomas residents, would not be considered valid. A surveyor was to go to the mesa to map the land, and land titles were to be given to families on the mesa. This all seemed very encouraging. In the past month, however, there has been a dramatic and discouraging swing away from justice. In December, the City of Juarez voted to begin housing and other development on the mesa. City officials are going house to house, offering the families “relocation packages,” which some of the families have accepted. This has caused divisions between families, which adds to the tension. Nonetheless, there are approximately 50-60 families who are firmly committed to remaining on the land. Zaragoza also has been given permission to re-insert the fencing and cement posts that were taken down a few months ago. Although he is yet to actually replace the posts and fencing, it is suspected that he is behind the City of Juarez’s construction and development. The atmosphere is tense and violent. There seem to be urgent new developments each day. The good news is that the word about these developments has spread throughout Juarez and there is an ever-growing number of nongovernmental organizations as well as civil and religious organizations responding to the plight of Lomas residents. The residents plan to collect 40,000 signatures and demand a referendum on the city’s plan to develop the mesa to halt the construction. Residents and other organizers met on January 5, to plan the campaign. We ask for your continued prayers of support. Economic Justice In December 2005, the World Trade Organization held its sixth Ministerial Meeting in Hong Kong. Two Columban missionaries were present during the meetings and saw first-hand the protests, forums, and artistic events that took place.
The True Story about Hong Kong It could well have been a carnival, and in a sense it was. Colorful tents—red, orange, yellow, green, blue—in a spacious park; hundreds of banners of all shapes, sizes and colors; thousands of people from dozens of countries marching, chanting, singing, dancing; thousands of spectators looking at displays, listening to talks, or just trying to figure out what was going on. It was a celebration of life, freedom, self-determination as well as a protest against a gigantic multilateral organization that is trying to usurp these fundamental rights from all peoples of the world. The World Trade Organization is slowly but surely claiming for itself powers that have so far been reserved for governments. And the WTO is driven by industry rather than by the world’s governments. The desire to protest this loss of basic rights drove 10,000 people to gather in Hong Kong for the meeting. A lasting impression: The energy and determination of the 2,000-strong Korean delegation. They were mostly farmers, men and women, all wearing the same hats and vests who gathered in Victoria Park every day and then marched, shouting and chanting, around the park and through the town. One day, in their efforts to get to the WTO convention center, they managed to relieve the police of some of their shields. When they failed to break the police lines, some jumped into the sea and attempted to swim to the center. The water was not exactly warm. On Saturday, 900 of them (with a few Japanese) were surrounded by police and forced to spend the night on the street. No food, no drink, no toilets, no blankets. I’d say all the Koreans are now in bed recovering. Another strong impression was the refusal by people, most of whom came from impoverished Third World countries, to lie down and let the “developed” countries’ multinational corporations use the WTO to help themselves to their seeds, water, transportation, education, and everything else. These people have been suffering since at least colonial times. The “developed” countries have used everything they can think of to exploit the poor: slavery, massacres, genocide, war, assassination, “debt.” You name it, they have used it. But, still, the survivors protest. Still they find reason to celebrate the little they have. It’s amazing.
The Show’s Over Folks! After a week of high-level discussions among the trade powerbrokers of the world at the Sixth Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Hong Kong, journalist Voltaire Veneracion remarked that “the loud voices of protesters did penetrate the walls of the forum and were heard by the delegates.” Veneracion stressed that during the Saturday evening fracas in nearby streets, when riot police clashed with mostly Korean farmers on December 17, those inside the meeting rooms “did know what was going on outside” and that the presence of more than 2,000 delegates representing various nongovernmental organizations (NGO) reinforced the opinions of those outside. “They know the NGOs are in touch with the grassroots,” he said, “and they do listen.” He cited the formation of the G-120 (an informal voting block of 120 of the poorer nations) as a sign of hope, noting, “they really did defend the plight of poorer nations (against wealthier ones).” In a week of frantic activity at Victoria Park, the headquarters of the People’s Action Week, continuous colorful cultural displays, seminars on labor and migrant rights, as well as reflections on politics, gender issues and the harmful effects of trade liberalization in some quarters and especially agriculture were the daily fare. Daily rallies, mostly made up of Filipinos, Koreans, Indonesians, Thais, Nepali and Japanese, wound their way through the lanes and alleyways of Causeway Bay, displaying their plight to the Hong Kong public, which generally received them graciously and often with applause and great interest. The most attention was focused on the Korean farmers, as press reports prophesized an eventual showdown with the police. Shunned from the beginning even by the local organizers of People’s Action Week, they found themselves denied time on stage in Victoria Park to showcase their cultural performances or state their grievances. It was only on the third day that a second stage was hastily assembled to give them, and other left-out groups, airtime. The statement of the farmers was simple: they wanted to present their grievances to the delegates at the entrance to the Convention and Exhibition Centre. While expressing no intent to be violent, they let it be known that they “would do what they had to do” to get there. The daily carnival-style rallies turned sour on that Saturday, when police drew a line on the ground in Gloucester Road, between Victoria Park and the WTO meeting center, and denied the farmers permission to cross. Using all the guile and expertise gleaned from national service training in the Korean Army (universally recognized as no chocolate soldiers), the farmers at times outfoxed the police and belligerently insisted on their right to move through. They dismantled guard rails and used iron bars against the police batons in a well-contained battle that at times took on the air of a rugby match. At one point a farmer wrenched a protective shield from a policeman, brandished it overhead, then politely returned it to its owner! In what has been termed by human rights watchdogs as an overreaction, the police released, without warning, pepper spray, which also caught innocent bystanders. Columban Father Peter O’Neill said he was close enough to get a good dose. Fr. O’Neill had traveled to Hong Kong from Taipei to be a panel member and address a forum of the Asian Migrants Association. “I did not realize we were so close,” he said, “as you cannot see too much. We were just walking, and when we could not go any further we sat on the street to rest.” The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) was highly critical of police behavior for what they termed the “unnecessary” action and for using a water cannon, which, they noted, police used ineptly, spraying everything and everybody in a huge radius. But the commission mostly focused its criticism on the treatment of the 900 or so detained demonstrators, who were kept without blankets (on a cold night), sanitation, food, water or medical treatment for up to 10 to 12 hours. Members of the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace and the Diocese Labor Affairs Commission were present at the melee, and Bishop Joseph Zen Ze-kiun came to witness the scene. The following day, he complained that when he went to visit a Sister and two priests, who had been picked up at the Kwun Tong Magistracy, that he was roughed up and denied information about their whereabouts. AHRC also criticized the government’s refusal to allow farmers to present their petition at meeting headquarters. The group termed this “a denial of the right of free movement and speech.” The police had little desire to arrest anyone; none of those who had taken part in the melee were rounded up. Later several hundred people formed a sit-in on the streets, and police appealed to them to go home. This was probably a mistaken tactic, but they then gave them a 2:30 a.m. deadline. At that time they were backed into a corner and thought they had to do something. Hong Kong has no facilities to deal with such numbers, and all but 100 were released the following day without charge. AHRC saved a salvo for Police Chief Dick Lee Ming-kwun, calling the melee a “riot” on television on the Saturday evening and for his comment that “the demonstrators have shown their true colors.” They claimed this was a gross exaggeration, but one that the sensationalist-driven Hong Kong daily press relished, splashing their Sunday editions with “The siege of Wan Chai.” This ignored the fact that thousands spent the evening walking around, taking photographs and even dropping into bars for a drink. No damage was done to any property. The Koreans also won some hearts, especially among the younger generation in Hong Kong. Yeung Sau-chun, a 23-year-old waitress, said she left her restaurant on the second floor and went to the street to take pictures. “I just wanted to be close to them, they really touched my heart,” she said, adding that “they were quite protective of me and waved.” Her colleague, Alexander Chen Wai-kun, said that shopkeepers around his area were nonplussed. Commenting on the deserted streets and shopping arcades during the week, Alexander said, “It is quite safe here. We are close to the Exhibition Centre (where the WTO meetings are taking place), we have seen crowds come and go, and except for a couple of minor scuffles, they have been peaceful and even joyful in their mood.” He said that he thought it was “not fair” that people were depicting protesters as violent, and “especially unfair” to single out the Korean farmers to beef up anxiety. “Their livelihoods are under threat,” he said. “They have the right to state their case strongly.” One resident of outlying Wu Kai Sha said he was disappointed with the large uniformed-police presence near his home. “We never see police around there,” he said. “But just because some Korean farmers are staying at the nearby YMCA, they are out in force.” He also said he thought this was “unfair” to the Korean people, and “not appropriate for Hong Kong, which presents itself as a world city in Asia, to show this sort of face to international guests.” As far back as February 2005, participants in the People’s Action Week preparatory meeting at the City University in Kowloon Tong complained that government officials were already spreading the word about violent demonstrators. “It tends to paint every demonstrator and protester as being violent and dangerous,” one said at the time. Although the high visibility and some actions of the police have been criticized, many involved in activities in Victoria Park and the street rallies have spoken with appreciation for their assistance and the concern shown for the safety of property and participants. Keiko Sonoda, from Japan, along with Fr. Paul McCartin and his brother, Dan, from Australia, presented information about genetic engineering, cloning and the patenting of life. He said, “they [the police] have been really kind, regularly checking that I am all right.” The issues surrounding the WTO are complex. Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the head of the five-person Vatican delegation to the ministerial meeting, said that in its present format, the WTO “does not work.” He stated one side of the equation: “It is vital that it work” as it is the only “member-driven” structural proposal that presents an alternative to bilateral agreements and, therefore, has the potential to be “above self interest.” Protest groups and some other WTO delegates see it differently, albeit for different reasons, preferring the elimination of the WTO as the way forward. Nevertheless, all good things come to an end, and on Monday morning, December 19, the morning paper showed the broom man pushing the rubbish in Wan Chai under the caption, “The show’s over folks!” Genetic Engineering The following reflection comes from Columban Father Michael Gormly who attended the December “Food Safety: Our Human Right” Conference in Manila, the Philippines’ capital city. Against the background of the World Trade Organization meetings in Hong Kong and in the aftermath of the Synod on the Eucharist in Rome, I recently participated in food sovereignty discussions in Seoul and Manila. The meetings were about the genetic engineering of food products and the patenting of life. They were also about sustainable agriculture and viable alternatives. Apart from the discussions, there were opportunities to visit experimental farms where organic farming techniques are taught and to spend time in centers for ecological living and learning. This was an opportunity to join missionary colleagues in Asia grappling with the emerging issues, policies and technologies related to plant and animal technology. The deliberations engaged a popular culture that emphasizes consumerism, individualism, and a “throw-away” lifestyle. Participation in such political, scientific and economic discussions evokes a religious imagination that is a genuine counterbalance to a sense of manipulation and exploitation. The biggest challenge is to confront the moves by a handful of corporations to take out patents on living organisms and their growing control over the seeds of staple crops. Our moral voice is added to Third World networks confronting the legal instruments within the World Trade Organization, which assert dominion over life especially through the legal mechanisms of the WTO and TRIPs 27.3.(b) in particular. Why are the issues of food sovereignty and genetic engineering high on my agenda? The missionary worldview is one of reverence for the beauty and intricacy of God’s creation. The job demands respect for the sacredness of created life and commitment to reduce the destructive impact on the poor and on the planet. It is not enough for me to preach about concern for needy people across the nations and the future of the planet. I must also identify and grapple with the profound spiritual, cultural and ethical issues that underpin the growing disparity between rich and poor and the devastation of the environment. So the patenting of life, which is enabled by the legal mechanisms of TRIPs 27.3.(b), is not just another social justice issue that calls for analysis. It is a religious and moral process that is threatening to usurp life and God as its Creator. I draw inspiration from words spoken by Pope John Paul II shortly before his death in 2005. He spoke in direct terms about food being at the heart of our human and religious experience. People seek daily bread in prayer, and gratefully bless food in meals together. They work to bring food to the hungry and to eliminate hunger. Speaking to the diplomatic corps, the pontiff called for a “vast moral mobilization” to enhance life and respect the blessings of creation. He invoked a key tenet of Catholic social teaching: the principle of the universal destination of the Earth’s goods. The social dimension of food was later expressed by the bishops at their Synod on the Eucharist: “In the commitment to transform unjust structures to restore man’s dignity, created in the image and likeness of God, the Eucharist becomes in life what it means in celebration. This dynamic movement opens to the world: it questions the process of globalization which not infrequently increases the inequality between rich and poor countries; it denounces those political and economic powers that deplete the earth’s riches; it reminds about the serious exigencies of distributive justice in face of the inequalities that cry out to heaven; it encourages Christians to commit themselves and act in political life and social action.” (#48) In my travels, people sought clarification on the New Zealand situation regarding genetic engineering and food security. I explained that in poll after poll, New Zealanders have made it plain that they do not want genetically engineered or modified food products. Consumers want the nation’s food production to remain GE free because not enough is known about potential risks and benefits in the modification of the food chain. As a quality primary producer, New Zealand depends on a clean green image and makes a robust economic case for remaining GE free. Farmers are not attracted to GE crop varieties, seeing no apparent economic benefits from commercial GE food production, and expressing serious concern in inadequate systems for border detection of GE contamination. The market for New Zealand products would be affected immediately if the outside world presumes or perceives that genetically modified organisms are part of the food production. Unlike the New Zealand government’s recent decision, Korea has had “country of origin” labeling on all produce since the early 1990s. This major market for our produce is increasingly sensitive and aware of issues of quality, purity and safety concerning food. New Zealand milk provided for baby food supplements is explicitly marketed as being good and healthy for babies, precisely because it comes from New Zealand. One cannot help but wonder what might happen if the Korean market was to become aware of plans to engineer human genes into cows. Penetrating questions are raised about the political will of New Zealand politicians, government officials and business people to preserve a bio-pure, bio-secure, and clean green image. This nation is clearly as much under scrutiny as the power players in the international community. Some folk wonder about the pragmatic lifting of the moratorium in order to seek unknown benefits in terms of science, medicine, agriculture and economy. Others note how government ministers confusedly speak about options, investment opportunities, and research competency. Many are aware of an ambivalence among New Zealand officials in their commitment to the Cartagena Protocol on Bio-Safety and the employment of terminator technology. Likewise, religious institutions are under scrutiny. It is no secret that the Vatican is under pressure to provide moral endorsement to the deployment of genetic engineering technologies as a significant tool to combat hunger. This pressure is on behalf of agrichemical seed companies seeking control of the world’s food system and agriculture through ownership of the technologies and proprietary rights. Meanwhile, Third World farmers and consumers make clear their right to know and to choose with regard to their seed and their food. They claim a responsibility to understand what is happening and call into question decisions made to their detriment. The hope persists that a pro-life institution like the Catholic Church will not promote the commercialization and propagation of genetically engineered organisms. There is no roadmap on these matters, but the pace and sophistication of scientific developments now outstrips our capacity to understand the detail. Even specialists find it difficult to keep up with changes in the field. A sobering story emerged in Korea while I was there. An eminent scientist, Hwang Woo-suk, admitted that his “landmark” stem cell work was fabricated. The scandal has become an irreversible blow to the integrity of certain research projects and institutions around the world. It adds to our caution about potential harmful impacts on human health and agro-biodiversity. The well-known Canadian scientist and broadcaster, David Suzuki, told journalists in April 2005, “Anyone who says ‘Oh, we know that this is perfectly safe,’ I say is either unbelievably stupid or deliberately lying. The reality is we don’t know. The experiments simply haven’t been done and we are now becoming the guinea pigs.” Contact Us
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