A Voice for the Voiceless
Passionist NGO at United Nations
“The only real power an NGO has is the power of persuasion. We’ve got some real power in the sense that we have the power of faithfulness and commitment on the ground of our members who are putting in hard work. Passionist men and women are in 59 countries working with the really poor, the truly crucified ones. We’ve got the expertise of experience; we’ve got the ear of the people.”
Questions and Reflections continue…
NGOs are at the UN to offer an alternative perspective, and of course we have grass roots support. At first the representatives put their fingers in their ears. Getting them to hear can be a thankless task, but that is no different than the challenges of bringing forth the Gospel.
How did the Passionists wind up at the UN?
A decision was made in 2000 at our general Chapter that, in looking toward the future, we wanted new places to bring the Passionist charism. The UN seemed like a good choice because it is unilateral. A new body was created called Passionist International that would represent not only the Passionist men, but Passionist sisters and lay people as well.
What kinds of efforts has Passionist International been engaged in?
In December of 2007, the General Assembly held a special session at United Nations Headquarters focusing on building a world that is truly fit for every child. Participants gathered in New York to review progress towards “A World Fit for Children,” ¬ a landmark plan of action agreed by world leaders in 2002 to improve the well being of children. Five years ago governments committed to a set of time-bound and specific goals in four priority areas concerning children: promoting healthy lives; providing quality education; protecting against abuse, exploitation and violence; and combating HIV/AIDS.
We have also advocated for the “one laptop per child” program, debt relief for impoverished countries, and climate change initiatives to name just a few.
Do NGOs such as Passionist International meet with resistance at the UN?
I recall a Brazilian bishop saying, “When I feed the poor they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.” It seems that when we religious limit ourselves to works of charity, people say, ‘Aren’t they good?’” But when we move into areas of justice, people feel we’re not “sticking to our own trade.”
I do believe that if we know our facts and do more than just emote, particularly for the smaller countries, then we can be a resource to them. It all comes down to connecting with governments and to forming relationships. If we can foster trusting relationships, then we can have some influence.
Our work is not about utopian transformations, but about basic substantial justice.
How does the Passionist charism fit into your NGO work?
It’s complete fit! Our charism is about God’s inclusive love, about reconciliation, about a passion for life. Jesus tore down walls and offered a new place for all of us to stand together.
