Presentation Sisters Justice Desk for Ireland and England
Just Work! And hope-filled collaborations!
I continue to be inspired by the work of the Presentation Sisters across the world, and once again I can see hope.
From the very first day at the Justice Desk, my work has involved collaboration between the Irish and English Provinces, but equally too, I was encouraged to reach out to others similarly engaged in the work of Justice, and to collaborate where our work and aims align.
As the chairperson of Africa Europe Faith and Justice Network (AEFJN) I represent the Presentation Sisters who are one of ten congregations to come together in this work.
In RENATE I collaborate with upwards of thirty-six Congregations, and at Talitha Kum I am part of one hundred and thirty-nine Networks all working together to advance the cause of those victims who can be counted amongst those ‘furthest behind’. In all this collaboration there is the promise of hope.
One the greatest and perhaps most exciting opportunities that arose in 2024 was working with the Presentation Temporary Professed Sisters.
I met with them early in 2024 to help them understand a little more about the SDGs and how they related to all in our IPA world. Then later in the year I had this privilege renewed when I was asked to speak to the issue of Human Trafficking and our collective work in helping to make a difference for victims. It is at these gatherings that I continue to find genuine hope.
Built into the Jubilee Year is the promise and hope of freedom for those enslaved, freedom from debt and rest and restoration of the environment. It promises to be a hope filled year!
Living in Ireland means that much of what I do concerns Ireland, but I have a commitment to working for the Sisters in England, and most recently I have become a trustee of the National Justice and Peace Network (NJPN) in the UK. (See image above).
I have been involved with the NJPN for several years on the periphery, speaking at their conferences, and also offering workshops on both the SDGs and on Human Trafficking. This year I was invited to join the NJPN Executive and was delighted to do so, as this would give real purpose and weight to the work that I can now undertake for the Presentation Sisters in England. (See image above).
Brian O’Toole,
Director of the Interprovincial Justice Desk
To contact the Justice Desk, you can send your email to: presinterprovjustice@gmail.com
The creation of the Justice Desk in 2016 was a new venture for three Presentation Provinces (North East and the South West Provinces (in Ireland) and the England Province). The collaboration part was about informing each other about their work for Justice, even if many of the Sisters in Ireland and England would already have known each other, irrespective of the province they were in.
A lot of the work for Justice that the Sisters undertake is a response to a need. As Director of this Justice Desk, Brian O’Toole provides the communication link between the Provinces and the International Presentation Association, a global network of Presentation Sisters which has NGO status at the United Nations.
A two-way correspondence between local concerns, campaigns and commitments, on the one hand, and the Global Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) agenda on the other is a vital dimension of the work of the Justice Desk.
I think that my job is to build the case for hope by doing it in action, by living out an active charism – it is not a passive charism – it is a charism that motivates, a charism that inspires, a charism that provokes and prompts and doesn’t sit still.
(Brian O’Toole)
There is a natural sense of community, and a sense of us all being in this together. The work is also about putting people in touch with each other, and about new opportunities all in service of moving our message ahead and bringing it to a wider audience or to a new ear, to somebody who might make a little bit of difference, or a little bit of noise or bring a new perspective to it.
Justice News Information Links
2023 Justice Desk Updates – April 2023 (google.com)
2023 Justice Desk Updates – April IPA Update (google.com)
Brian O’Toole can be contacted as follows:
Presentation Sisters Justice Desk
Ireland and England,
Room 14 St. Patrick’s Hall,
Marino Institute of Education,
Griffith Avenue,
Dublin 9,
D09 K4P6.
Contact phone no: 089 2085253 Email: presinterprovjustice@gmail.com
Facebook: Justice Desk – Facebook
Review of Ireland by the Committee on the Rights of the Child
(Ireland’s implementation of the Rights of the Child)
In August 2022 the Presentation Interprovincial Justice Desk as part of the International Presentation Association, in collaboration with other congregations, made a joint submission to the Committee on the Rights of the Child. Our submission contributed to the review of Ireland by the Committee which examines how well the Convention on the Rights of the Child is being implemented in Ireland and the steps taken by Government to ensure that every child’s rights are protected. The submission outlined concerns and recommendations across five specific areas of concern:
- Children as victims of Domestic violence.
- Children as victims of Human trafficking.
- Children living in the Direct Provision system.
- Right to education.
- Racism in schools.
This joint submission was a collaborative effort by the International Presentation Association (IPA) with the Christian Brothers European Province Advocacy Office, Our Lady of Apostles Ireland, the Society of African Missions – Irish Province, the Cork Migrant Centre , and Presentation Brothers Ireland. This work was supported with input from local grassroots groups and both national and international civil society organisations including Barnardos, in Ireland.
The Review by the Committee on the Rights of the Child
The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is the body of 18 Independent experts that monitors implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. All countries who have signed the Convention are obliged to submit regular reports to the Committee on how the rights are being implemented. Ireland is under review this year.
Our Joint Submission
You can download the IPA Joint Submission to the Committee on the Rights of the Child here and our submission to the Committee with respect to the rights of those children with families in prison can be found here.
January 2023 –
On Tuesday 24th of January prior to the first session of the Review of Ireland, those in Civil Society gathered in a small room in the Palais Wilson to plan how to maximise the impact of their attendance by sharing printed submissions with each other, by linking with like-minded NGOs where we spontaneously collaborated around social media and messaging.
Roderic O’ Gorman, Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth led a large Irish Delegation that attended the Review. The Committee on the Rights of the Child posed upwards of 50 questions in the first session whereupon the Irish Delegation retired for 20 minutes to prepare their answers. Upon their return as many questions as was feasibly possible were answered and those that couldn’t were flagged by the Minister as questions he would come to in time when more information became available. The Committee was rigorous in its’ examination and very well informed and indeed commented from time to time on the quality of the answers provided where they thought more needed to be done or that the answers weren’t comprehensive enough.
The Committee were extremely critical of the lack of availability of quality disaggregated data that would offer a clear picture of those children in Ireland furthest behind. We were able to approach the individual committee members on this very topic of poor data with respect to children who are victims of human trafficking and domestic violence and ask them to press this issue home in subsequent or follow up questions. We were also able to approach the Irish civil servants to ask for clarity where we felt answers fell short of what was required. This was a real advantage of being present in the chamber. We were able to have a real-time influence on the proceedings through by engaging with the Committee and the Irish Delegation and further, we are also able to bring to the Committee queries or questions that were being posed by co-authors of our submission who were watching the sessions online at home in Ireland.
An Update from the Interprovincial Justice Desk
Much of the focus in November has been on COP27 and what it means for us as a committed group of Christians. Our commitment to the processes of the COP27 negotiations are a follow on from our IPA commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
On Oct 17th last, the UN Day for the Eradication of Extreme Poverty we had the privilege of attending Dublin’s famine stone to hear the voices of those with a lived experience of poverty.
Brian looks forward very much to the opportunity to meet our Friends of Nano face to face at the end of the month in Mount St. Anne’s Retreat & Conference Centre to explore together those interests and commitments we have in common. See HERE
An Update from the Interprovincial Justice Desk
- A “real zero” agreement means moving away from fossil fuels, the root cause of the climate crisis.
- Reduce Debt: Developing countries are suffering from the triple crisis of debt, climate change, and nature loss.
- Respect Human Rights.
- Address Loss & Damage: Climate change is not just the future, it is the present for many of the world’s most vulnerable citizens who have lost their homes, their livelihoods, and their cultures. Wealthy nations have fiercely resisted providing specific finance for these losses.
- A fresh look at agriculture as a solution. A quarter of the globe’s greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture. Agroecology is a system of food production that nourishes rather than destroys nature and offers a good solution.
- Progress on 2022 Glasgow COP26 commitments.
See also Shoeless on Sinai to COP27
The Eradication of Poverty
We prepare to mark the 6th World Day of the Poor on Sunday, 13th November (a Day established by Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter “Misericordia et Miser” in 2016, to celebrate the end of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy). This day has been an important focus point for advocacy and action every year since then. Its aim after all is to encourage the Church to “go out” into the streets to encounter poverty in its different forms and to alleviate the suffering, as well as addressing the core drivers and advocating for change.
See HERE
See also
Collaboration
The Presentation Justice Desk is a collaborative mission of the English, North East and South West Provinces and three times per year we collaborate prayerfully on a significant day as we encourage all in our three provinces to pray with us.
Our next day of special collaboration will be on August 9th centring our attention on the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2022. See International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples | United Nations
Also Indigenous & Tribal People – International Presentation Association (globalpres.org)
Standing Together Against Direct Provision
The International Presentation (IPA) has joined the newly formed coalition of organisations standing against Direct Provision. STAD (the Irish word for stop) – Stand Together Against Direct Provision – are calling for the Government to fulfil the commitments it made to end direct provision by 2024 in the White Paper on Ending Direct Provision published in March 2021.
#addthe10th
At the Justice desk I am privileged to be an ATD board member representing the Presentation Sisters in Ireland. ATD Ireland are part of an important alliance called #addthe10th.
The purpose of this group is to have socio-economic status recognised as the tenth ground of discrimination in Irish equality legislation, namely the Equal Status Act and the Employment Equality Act. Those with an experience of poverty are “constantly fall through the cracks” of equality legislation.
Socio-economic discrimination can occur in many forms and can be experienced both individually and collectively. Discrimination is often felt within public services, such as in healthcare, housing and accommodation, when seeking employment, education, social welfare, or with the police.
Measuring Ireland’s Progress (SDGs)
Measuring Progress: The Sustainable Progress Index 2022 ranks 14 comparable EU countries based on their delivery of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Written by Prof. Charles M.A. Clark of St John’s University, NY; Dr. Catherine Kavanagh of UCC; and Colette Bennett of Social Justice Ireland, the index compares 14 EU countries across all UN SDGs, assesses their performance on each individual SDG; creates a ranking table for performance overall; and provides national and local-level policy proposals to improve Ireland’s progress towards the Goals.
All 17 SDGs have been referenced but the results have been collated to indicate the degree to which we have implemented the SDGs to account for our Economic, Social and Environmental Progress. Overall Ireland stands about 10th out of 14. Below us are Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain. We scored highest in SDG 4—Quality Education where we came 1st out of 14 but we scored poorly on SDG #13—Climate Action (11th out of 14). There is no doubt that COVID-19 has had an impact on our ability to achieve full implementation of the Goals and the 2030 deadline looms large. Much done – more to do as they say.
Alliances
Over the course of the last year much of our work was online and at a distance from people. ‘Zoom’ allowed attendance at three or four meetings per day whereas beforehand the pace was definitely gentler with more thinking time for all. We continue to work particularly closely with the Religious in Europe Networking Against Trafficking and Exploitation (RENATE), AEFJN Ireland, COALITION 2030, Altogether in Dignity (ATD) Ireland, Edmund Rice International, Social Justice Ireland and Our Lady of the Apostles and others.
Brian O’Toole
Director, Interprovincial Justice Desk
[This is just a current selection from the vast ‘Justice landscape’ that the Inter-Provincial Justice Desk feeds into – thank you Brian for sharing this].
Universal Periodic Review Update
2. Migrants & Refugees in Ireland
3. Domestic and Gender Based Violence.
The UN High Level Political Forum July 2021
There will be a report in greater detail on the HLPF in July. See other info. High-Level Political Forum 2021 (HLPF 2021) .:. Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform (un.org)
Ireland and the Universal Periodic Review (UPR)
The UPR is a unique process which involves a periodic review of the human rights records of all 193 UN Member States. This is essentially a peer review that occurs for each country about every 5 years and Ireland is up for review this year. Ireland must declare how it has improved the human rights situation at home and the UPR will assess the extent to which Ireland respects its human rights obligations as set out in the UN instruments.
Any individual or indeed group can make a submission to the Irish UPR and the due date is March 18th of 2021. At the Interprovincial Justice Desk, we sought out like minded partners who might come together with us to strengthen the message submitted by a joint submitting group.
This group now comprises of; Edmund Rice International, the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of the Apostles (OLA Ireland) and the International Presentation Association (IPA). Our submission will only take account of the areas of focus of our respective congregations and thus in our submission we are commenting (and recommending) on Direct Provision, Migrant Citizenship, Migrant Integration, Human Trafficking in Ireland and Violence against Women.
Our final submission will be sent to other NGOs and services in Ireland (prior to formal submission) to review, comment, add to or subtract from and to ensure that our submission is on point, takes account of the primary issues and suggests likely and possible recommendations.
It is hoped too that they might co-sign the final document again strengthening the possibility of having some of our joint recommendations adopted. Ireland is one of up to 45 countries up for review this coming November and we will watch and wait in anticipation of a promising, forward thinking, inclusive and informed national outcome document by years’ end.
Brian O’ Toole
At the Interprovincial Justice Desk
- the UN Charter
- the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- human rights instruments to which the State is party (human rights treaties ratified by the State concerned)
- voluntary pledges and commitments made by the State (e.g. national human rights policies and/or programmes implemented), and
- applicable international humanitarian law.
Read the Commission’s report to the UN HRC: IHREC Submission to the Human Rights Commission under the Universal Periodic Review for Ireland, September 2015
In order to prepare for engagement with canvassers for local candidates running for the current election on the 8th February 2020, please avail of a useful and extensive compilation of resources compiled by Brian O’Toole, with material drawn from a broad range of organisations. Thank you, Brian. See HERE
- Homelessness
- Housing / Rent / Housing Lists
- Health
- Climate Change / Climate Emergency
- National Childcare Scheme.
- Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
- Biodiversity Emergency.
- Direct Provision and treatment of Refugees / Asylum Seekers.
- Child and Adult Mental Heath Services (CAMHS). Poorly Funded and uneven spread of services throughout the country.
- School Secretaries (two tier group).
- People forced onto Means- Tested Job Seekers at 65 years of age when forced to retire (as per company policy) whilst their State Pension won’t kick in until they become 67 years of age.
- Rural Broadband.
- Public Transport.
- Abolition of the Universal Social Charge.
- Moving Towards 0.7% of GNI Overseas Development Aid (ODA).
- Allowing for homes to sell electricity generated by their own solar panels back to the grid (Micro-Generation).
Brian O’Toole can be contacted as follows:
Presentation Sisters Justice Desk
Ireland and England,
Room 14 St. Patrick’s Hall,
Marino Institute of Education,
Griffith Avenue,
Dublin 9,
D09 K4P6.
Contact phone no: 089 2085253
Email: presinterprovjustice@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ presentationjusticedesk/
