Global work for justice

Working for change to sustain people and earth

Passing on the IPA Lantern

 

The International Presentation Association (IPA) is pleased to announce that Jessica Dewhurst has been appointed as the new Executive Director of the IPA.

 

“It is with great hope that I pass the IPA lantern to Jessica. I am certain that IPA is in capable hands and will continue to flourish under her guidance”. – Ann Marie Quinn PBVM, Outgoing Executive Director.

Outgoing IPA Executive Director, Ann Marie Quinn PBVM, met with Jessica in the IPA NGO New York offices in October, to formally welcome her in person and to pass on the IPA lantern. We also bid Ann Marie a fond farewell and deep gratitude as she moves to her new role.

Ann Marie wrote these beautiful words of welcome and farewell, shared with her permission on the IPA website:

 

“In the spirit of Nano Nagle, this moment of passing the IPA lantern symbolises more than a transition of leadership—it is a profound continuation of the flame that has guided us in our mission of justice, compassion, and service to the most vulnerable.  As the lantern is handed on, we are reminded that Nano’s legacy endures through every hand that lifts her lantern, every step taken in solidarity with the oppressed.

With Jessica Dewhurst now carrying this light forward, we trust that the flame will continue to illuminate paths of hope and transformation for all”.

[Message from the outgoing Executive Director, Ann Marie Quinn, PBVM].

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A New IPA Website

The International Presentation Association (IPA) is a global association of Presentation Sisters and Presentation People from across the globe, who believe in the universal value of human rights. It strive to amplify the voices of justice advocates and defenders worldwide, fostering a community dedicated to positive change.

The IPA was founded in 1988 as a global advocacy association to continue the work of Venerable Nano Nagle, into the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

​It is comprised of thousands of people across the globe, who are inspired by the charism of Nano, as well as are comprised of the Presentation Sisters Union, the Conference of Presentation Sisters of North America and the Presentation Society of Australia and Papua New Guinea. 

The IPA have launched a new website that offers a dynamic space where Justice Contacts, as well as anyone inspired by Nano’s mission and the global work of the Presentation Sisters, can come to connect, learn and be inspired to work for justice.  See www.ipango.org

The International Presentation Association (IPA) holds Consultative Status at The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). 

You can contact the IPA Team by email at:  ipa.ngo.rep@gmail.com 
or at info@ipango.org

A New Logo for the IPA

” … the new IPA logo is more than just a design—it embodies our values, mission and global commitment to justice, peace and care for the Earth”. ~ (Lané Ferreira, Communications and Administrative Assistant, International Presentation Association). 

Nano Nagle

The focal point, the inspiration of the  International Presentation Association (IPA) is Nano Nagle.  Our foundress, Venerable Nano Nagle,  is at the centre of the logo, holding the hand of a child, while with the other hand holding up her iconic lantern.  The design of this element was inspired by the installation at Nano Nagle’s Birthplace, in Ballygriffin, Mallow Co. Cork.

The image of Nano and the children walking confidently forward, symbolises a collective journey towards justice, empowerment and advocacy, reflecting Nano’s legacy of courageously leading others towards a brighter and more equitable future.  She never hesitated, reminding us of our call to persevere with the vital work.

The Lamp or the Lantern

The lamp/lantern (a key element of our previous logo) has been retained in the new design to preserve Nano Nagle’s legacy and symbolism.  The lantern in the logo is depicted significantly larger in proportion to the other elements to highlight its importance as a symbol for the world.  It reflects Nano Nagle’s lantern as a guiding light for her community, and her continued inspiration globally.  It is a call to action for us as Presentation People, to take up her lantern and continue her mission today.

The Children

Nano founded her ministry through education as she believed in the transformative power that education had, not only to change the life of one child but the entire world.  The children in the logo represent the work of Nano  and her Sister’s,  with children through education. The children are called to action, so  that we may continually work to ensure that quality education is accessible to all children across the globe.

The four children are shown in the logo in the colours green, red, orange and blue. These colours symbolise the importance and beauty of diversity.  This relates to race, culture,  ethnicity, religion, language and much more. This also highlights the IPA’s dedication to the rights of indigenous and tribal people.   Many who have often faced systematic injustice, marginalisation and threats to their cultural heritage and ancestral lands.  The young girl in orange represents the IPA’s commitment to eliminating all forms of violence against women and children, including human trafficking and forced marriages.

The United Nations UNITE Campaign to end all violence against women uses the colour orange as a symbol of hope and a brighter future free from violence. As the IPA’s specific UN Advocacy to eliminate violence against women, it was important to incorporate this element into our logo.

Collectively these elements are a call to action for the respect, celebration and protection of all diversity and the end of all violence against women and children.

The Globe

And then finally, a large globe in the background  of the  logo represents the organisation’s global reach and commitment to creating a better world for all.  It emphasises our commitment to honouring and advancing the inherent rights of the Earth, recognising that the well-being of humanity and the planet are interconnected. We champion the principles of environmental stewardship, social justice and global solidarity. It also represents the International Presentation Association’s connection with the work at the United Nations.

It is hoped that this new logo  its  explanation will  inspire us to take Nano Nagle’s legacy forward into the future.

Note:  The explanation of the logo has been taken from a transcript of the introductory video narrated by  Lané Ferreira, Communications and Administrative Assistant, International Presentation Association.

*Presentation People refers to individuals connected to the mission and charism of Nano Nagle and the Presentation Sisters. This includes lay associates, partners in mission, educators, advocates, and supporters who embody Nano Nagle’s vision of justice, compassion, and service. United by a commitment to education, human rights, environmental sustainability, and social justice, Presentation People work to create a more just and compassionate world.

Thank you Sr. Ann Marie

At the close o f the final session on our Province Justice Day 2023,  Sr. Mary Hanrahan (Provincial Leader, NEP) made a presentation to Sr. Ann Marie Quinn, outgoing Executive Director of the IPA in recognition of her work, and that of the IPA Team in bringing to fruition a reinvigorated and newly focused IPA, that will support our work for Global Justice until the next Assembly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Call As IPA

From the 8th IPA Assembly Closing Address (2023) by Julie Watson PBVM – Congregational  Leader.

“Our theme for the Assembly – Listen! God of the Universe beckons – has been the touchstone which invited us to be grounded in the God who calls us. To pay attention, to notice, to listen to God’s call in the reality of our lives.

He came so that all may have life and have it to the full. When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion. He invites us to see and to act, to be moved with compassion, to be open to the other … This same invitation is the thread running through the life of Nano. … Nano’s way of living was nourished by the Gospel. … Nano was moved with compassion to act against the injustices of her time … Now it is our turn to step up and be midwives of an unnamed future … not just those of us gathered here at this Assembly but each one of us across the globe committed to the charism of Nano, and the call of Jesus to be His disciples, are called to live the values of justice and service in our communities and in our ministries”.

The Vision of IPA

A world in which the oneness and sacredness of life is honoured. “Love one another as you have hitherto done” ~ Venerable. Nano Nagle.

Mission of the IPA

To speak and act in partnership with others for global justice, from a contemplative stance, in a spirit of oneness with the whole of creation. “Spend yourselves for the poor”  ~ Venerable Nano Nagle.

Our Call to Action

The International Presentation Association believes in and  respects the dignity of all. In our advocacy we will honour and advance the rights of women and children, indigenous and tribal people, and our Planet Earth.

“Nano’s time was a time of darkness, a time where the people of Ireland were    powerless & voiceless. Today our world is broken by the Cry of Earth & the Cry of the Poor. Our World is crying out for the light of Transformative Justice. It calls all of us committed to the work of Justice to live from a contemplative space, like Nano did in her time”. “I would like to take this opportunity to  express a few words of gratitude. Once again to express my thanks for the    opportunity to serve IPA in the position of its inaugural Executive Director over the past 5 years. It is not a position I would have imagined I would have been in when I attended the 7th Assembly, but God works in mysterious ways”.

(Anne Marie Quinn, PBVM, Executive Director, (IPA) speaking at the 2023 IPA Assembly, her last as Executive Director).

It would be impossible to share any one element of these days, but you can access  a sense of the momentous value of this time by visiting the International Presentation Association (IPA) website at https://globalpres.org/8th-ipa-assembly/  alongside the various media postings shared on our communications platforms during these days.  The images speak for themselves.

Heartfelt gratitude to all who worked so hard to make this material so immediately available.

In the following days and weeks update material will be shared here as it becomes available.

See also We Are All IPA!

An IPA—Action Update

“Listen! God of the Universe beckons…”.

 

As we journey together towards the 8th International Presentation Association (IPA) Assembly taking place in St. John’s Newfoundland, & Labrador, Canada, from 18th to 24th June 2023, we give thanks for the foresight, wisdom and commitment of those founding Sisters who saw the value of a global voice for Justice.

The International Presentation Association (IPA) came into existence thirty years ago when, in a spirit of contemplation the three global units of Presentation    Sisters who met together, were overwhelmingly convinced that they could do more together than alone.  This led to the formation of the International Presentation Association in 1988.

In the words of the Executive Director of the IPA, Sr. Ann Marie Quinn referring to this 8th Assembly gathering:

“With the Spirit of Nano beckoning us, we gather to strengthen bonds and deepen our commitment to act justly, conscious of the urgency of our times”.

Today, the IPA continues to expand in influence, in no small way, through its networking and collaborations at the United Nations, where the IPA has been accredited with Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 1999. This recognition gives Sisters working at community level, a global platform to be a more effective ‘voice for the voiceless’.  They act as a global consciousness expanded to embrace a deeper understanding of the relationship between vulnerable communities and the environment.

The IPA Assemblies are vital in providing a forum for IPA Members and Presentation People around the world to  foster unity and enable collaboration to further the mission of the IPA.

The theme for this 8th IPA Assembly is:

“Listen! God of the Universe beckons…”.

See:  https://globalpres.org/8th-ipa-assembly/

Prayer for IPA Assembly 2023

God of the Universe …

In this time of great vulnerability throughout our world
you beckon us to create space to engage in deep listening.

May we listen to you in silence.

May we open our hearts to listen to the voices of one another
and may we listen to all of Creation with wonder and respect.

In our listening may we be guided to:

– speak courageously,
– love inclusively,
– imagine creatively,

and co-create a more peaceful
and just world
that flows from living
a spirituality of being in communion.

Amen