Get Involved:
Here are some ideas of how you can participate more actively
in FI’s mission. These are starting points and might
stimulate more ideas.
1) Help FI voice Franciscan values and concerns at United
Nations conferences and Summits throughout the world.
- FI welcomes working with those interested in giving us
feedback/analysis for the Preparatory Committees (PrepComs)
by reading the various drafts of the documents and suggesting
what issues to pursue, where change is needed, and how policies
will affect those who are poor or marginalized. Personal
stories are always a powerful addition.
- FI welcomes Franciscans who are interested in participating
in a UN conference as part of our delegation. Participants
would have to read the documents in advance, stay informed
on relevant issues, and participate in e-mail discussions
or PrepComs in preparation.
- Implementation of UN Programs for Action adopted by Conferences
always need monitoring at the national level, and often
needs the help of civil and religious groups to be effective.
For example, "The Program of Action of the World Conference
Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related
Intolerance" was agreed to by governments, but there
still remains a tremendous amount of work to be done at
the local level to overcome racism. Franciscans are needed
at the local and national levels to help implement programs
as well as to call their governments to accountability.
2) Research topics of importance to your community,
share your work with FI. UN Commissions and Committees
meet regularly to monitor compliance with international treaties
and covenants. Interested persons can provide FI with research
on some of the topics being addressed or provide testimony
as to country-specific compliance. This can include writing
reports or participating in the meetings. FI follows closely
The UN Commission on Human Rights, the Sub-Commission on the
Protection of Human Rights, the Treaty Bodies that monitor
the promotion and protection of human rights, the Commission
on the Status of Women, the Commission on Social Development,
and the Commission on Sustainable Development among others.
3) Animate your community to work on a common FI project.
A congregation or province might like to work on a common
UN project such as eliminating trafficking in persons, or
using UN themes as a study topic for basic or ongoing formation.
Franciscans in formation might like to do research around
FI's UN advocacy.
4) Help us with our formal
studies. Often, FI puts out a more formal
request for feedback on a certain issue, or asks members to
reflect on something through our Franciscan lens. In such
a case we count on people at all levels in our network to
help facilitate the process – further disseminating
the request and channel the results back to us.
5) Volunteer at one of our international offices, or
with your national FI. Participating in FI’s
ministry at the UN can be a valuable Sabbatical experience
for Franciscan sisters and brothers. Franciscans can encourage
students in their colleges or those in formation to volunteer
for a semester or year-long internship with FI.
6) Share your successes
with other Franciscans. FI is looking for
"best practices" stories -- ways that individuals
and groups are able to address international problems at the
local level. We then can share these with Franciscans in other
areas, as well as in the proper UN fora to promote replication
of the successes and to stimulate ideas for positive change.
7) Keep FI informed!
FI wants to work through existing Franciscan structures
wherever possible to develop and enhance our international
ministry at the United Nations. Please inform our two international
offices (New York and Geneva) about the local, national or
regional Franciscan structures and networks that promote Justice,
Peace and Integrity of Creation, as well as information about
communications networks.
8) Help us reach more people.
FI is constantly building its international address
database for better communications. Sharing addresses and
emails of local convents/friaries and province headquarters
will help us build and strengthen this international Franciscan
network.
If you would like to participate in any of these projects,
please contact us at
newyork@fiop.org
(New York) or geneve@fiop.org
(Geneva)
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