Presentation Sisters Union North East Ireland Union of Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
You are warmly invited to participate in our Justice/ Friends of Nano Conference 2024. The theme this year is “Hope in hard times … open to non-violent resistance …”.
Date: Saturday 12th October 2024
Location: Mount St. Anne’s Retreat & Conference Centre, Killenard, Portarlington, Co. Laois.
Time: 10.30 am to 4.00 pm
To find out further information and to book your place contact: Carole at secretary@presprone.com
Note: Latest date for receipt of bookings is Monday 7th October 2024. You are also asked to note that this is not an online event.
Our speakers
Dr. Jessie Rogers speaking at the IPA Assembly in June 2024.
Dr Jessie Rogers, originally South African, undertook her graduate studies at the University of Stellenbosch and came to Ireland in 2007 to teach in Mary Immaculate College before joining the Faculty of Theology at Saint Patrick’s College, Maynooth, Co. Kildare in 2014.
As a Scripture scholar specialising in the Old Testament, her academic work focuses on biblical wisdom literature. In recent years it has broadened to include spirituality and a focus on the theology of childhood. Dr Rogers is a member of the Irish Biblical Association, the South African Society for Near Eastern Studies, the European Society for Catholic Theology, and the Godly Play International College of Trainers. Dr. Rogers brings international and ecumenical experience to her new role. Dr. Rogers is Director of the Centre for Mission and Ministries / Lecturer in Sacred Scripture at St. Patrick’s Pontifical University Maynooth: see https://sppu.ie/staff/dr-jessie-rogers
As well as being the Leader of the Day of Deep Reflection at our 8th International Presentation Association (IPA)Assembly in St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada in June 2023, Dr. Jessie Rogers was also been invited to remain for a second day as delegates began their deliberations to help us understand what was emerging.
Mia de Faoite is Training Lead at Ruhuma. (Image, courtesy of Rhumam’s website).
Mia de Faoite BA (Hons) LLM(International Justice)Mia is a survivor activist with over 10 years experience working as a campaigner and policy advisor on the issue of commercial sexual exploitation. She is the Training Lead at Ruhama, Ireland’s national NGO which supports women affected by prostitution, sexual exploitation and sex trafficking. Mia talk about who Ruhama are and what they do. In her presentations she often explores what the sex trade looks like in Ireland today, explaining some of the complexities around human trafficking including legislation and discusses the harsh realities of the sex trade itself.
Brian O’Toole, Director of Interprovincial Justice Desk for Ireland and England.
Brian O’Toole is Director of the Presentation Sisters’ Interprovincial Justice Desk for Ireland and England, and is Ireland’s representative on the Religious in Europe Networking Against Trafficking and Exploitation (RENATE) Working Board and leader of the RENATE law Research team. In July 2024 RENATE launched their research on ‘Legal Practitioners’ work with Victims of Human Trafficking’ at the Bakhita Centre for Research on Slavery, Exploitation and Abuse, at St Mary’s University, Twickenham.
Rich in data and direct quotations, the research findings are numerous, not least being the fact that those who are charged with legally supporting victims of human trafficking or modern slavery, very often do so with limited support themselves.
Brian O’ Toole who led the Law Task group said: ‘‘The legal practitioners work in challenging conditions, where the work is slow, the caseload is high, training is largely absent and all for very little pay. In many cases lawyers quietly support victims long after their work obliges them to, such is the need and vulnerability that they have identified that they feel that to cease support would be tantamount to abandonment, even though there is no pay for this extra but necessary support. The work is neither attractive nor lucrative, but this report alerts us to, not only, the importance of those who take on this work but also the need for more to shoulder what is indeed a heavy burden.” See HERE
To find out more about Friends of Nano see https://presentationsistersne.ie/friends-of-nano/
About Nano Nagle and Presentation Justice see https://presentationsistersne.ie/province-in-action/
Previous Justice days see https://presentationsistersne.ie/justice-action-updates/