President General participated in the International Congress organized by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and Gregorian University on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, held on 10 and 11 December. Below you will find the link to the opening conference given by the Prefect of the Dicastery, H.E. Cardinal Peter K. Appiah Turkson.

Cardinal Turkson: Marking 70th Anniversary of Universal Declaration of the Rights of Man

The San Jose Articles provide expert testimony that there is no such thing as an ‘international right to abortion’, contrary to what UN personnel and others say and many people think. This document provides us with a tool to help us refute these claims and to assert the rights of the unborn child in international law.

See: http://www.sanjosearticles.com/ and diffuse this information widely to your members, organisations and governments.

by Fermina Alvarez Alonso

We are living in a particularly important moment for the Church, a time marked by the need for a “new evangelization” ad intra and ad extra. Even though some claim that the term “new evangelization” eeds further clarification, it is clear enough that the world needs a new, fresh way of thinking: a credible, oherent witness on the part of Christians. We hand on what we believe (i.e., evangelization ad extra), and the intensity of our belief demonstrates, in one way or another, the authenticity of our Christian lives (i.e., evangelization ad extra). To give impetus to these two dimensions, the Holy Father has chosen to dedicate the next Synod of Bishops – to take place in October of 2012 – to a reflection on the intensity with which the People of God live and proclaim their faith.

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, WUCWO joined with this statement all International Organizations that work tirelessly for the elimination of violence against women.

Statement:

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, established in 1999 by the United Nations Assembly, reminds every 25 November the unavoidable commitment for all, public and private institutions, associations and movements to continue in every context the reflection and awareness to defeat the rampant and very deplorable phenomenon of violence against women.

On this day, we all say, civil society, institutions and associations, STOP VIOLENCE ON WOMEN, with demonstrations, debates and conferences. But it is not enough. We need a strong ethical movement to break the subculture of "possession"; we need to break the silence, we need that women do not underestimate and do not hide the first signs of danger to avoid the "crescendo" that leads to irreparable acts.

On the occasion of the anniversary of 25 November, our associations and organisations, always attentive to children and women, advocate investing more attention and energy in the prevention of all phenomena of violence, including those that are generated and carried out in the family and that also affect children, often direct and passive victims of this same violence.

Only an education in the respect for the person and a capillary work against every stereotype, together with a clear and strong institutional policy against violence, can help our society to progress in humanity. It is a question of resuming a broad cultural work on the value of the human person, especially where it is weakest; it is necessary to resume, with a contemporary vision, the project of promotion and spiritual, social and political growth of women.

Throughout history, women have fought for equal dignity and equal rights as men, their fellow human beings. Despite having achieved significant results in terms of democratic participation and equal opportunities, even today, unfortunately, acts of violence are still perpetrated every day and there are still many forms of discrimination (work, social life, politics), prejudices and stereotypes. We therefore believe it is necessary and urgent, on the one hand, to take up, with real commitment, educational programmes for non-violence and respect for the other and, on the other, to provide adequate family support and innovative legislative and social policy instruments that contribute to a better harmonisation between family life and the personal and working life of women.

Our Associations and organizations are committed to strengthening networking with all stakeholders at the local level, aware that the more intense and common will be the sense of responsibility, the greater will be the effectiveness to break down and eliminate the social scourge of violence against women.

In memory of all the women who are victims of violence, war and poverty, of women forced to flee their countries, of women who have died with their children, of women who are victims of trafficking, our Associations and organisations committed to the social, civil and cultural promotion of women everywhere, starting with the family, call on the institutions responsible to put all the rules to combat violence against women into practice.

We also hope that more and more in the life of the Country and in the Church, we can promote the presence of women as desired by Pope Francis: "there is still we need to create still broader opportunities for a more incisive female presence in the Church. Because «the feminine genius is needed in all expressions in the life of society, the presence of women must also be guaranteed in the workplace» and in the various other settings where important decisions are made, both in the Church and in social structures" (EG 103).

WUCWO (World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations)

ACLI (Associazioni Cristiane Lavoratori Italiani)

Azione Cattolica Italiana

Centro Italiano Femminile

API-COLF (Associazione Professionale Italiana Collaboratori Familiari)

Confederazione Italiana dei Consultori Familiari di Ispirazione Cristiana

Coordinamento nazionale donne CISL

Fondazione Beato Federico Ozanam - San Vincenzo De Pauli