Sisters and Associates Adopt Corporate Stance for Climate Justice
On June 27, during a final General Chapter session, the Sisters and Associates unanimously passed a Corporate Stance on Climate Justice. We, the Dominican Sisters and Associates of Tacoma, recognize the imperative action promoting climate justice in God’s creation. We commit to participate and collaborate in actions to protect the environment, reduce our carbon foot print, and advocate for policies that protect the most vulnerable among us and future generations. We will focus on our own personal and communal transformation as the first step to healing our planet. This is the fourth corporate stance the sisters and associates have taken, previously having addressed the issues of human trafficking, comprehensive immigration reform, and the death penalty.
This has been a multi-year process as the community studied the issues related to climate and care of creation. We realized that this topic is far broader than only climate change which is why we chose to address climate justice. In this we have joined our voice to other US Dominican Congregations, LCWR, and other organizations which have spoken out on the topic. We recognize the sacred rights of earth and all her inhabitants acknowledging the destructive impact of human-caused climate change in our world. Theologians, Ecologists, and Environmentalists demonstrate that the damage is helping to create global warming. The consequences have taken its toll on humans and plant life. Individually and collectively we are making lifestyle changes to reduce our carbon footprint and encourage others to do the same by:
- educating ourselves and others about global warming
- joining like-minded groups to mobilize awareness and action for a more sustainable future by working for systemic change and legislation to protect the environment and the community of life
- making responsible investments that support the development of sustainable energies
- advocating for more environmentally responsible corporate policies and practices
- recycling when possible
- reducing our individual carbon footprint pooling by recycling, carpooling
- making use of technology for meetings rather than by car or air
Act on our Corporate Stance against the death the penalty!
The Sisters of Providence and the Tacoma Dominicans are working together against the death penalty. Use the messages below to email the members of the committee by February 15.
We call upon our state leaders to pursue authentic solutions to violence and to reconsider what it sees as a just retribution in our society. Take a stand against the death penalty. Please move Senate Bill 5354 out of committee.
Here is a sample of what can be written:
- We challenge our state to use its power, not to kill but to safeguard the lives of all its people.
- The death penalty is neither a solution to violence nor a just retribution.
- It is cost prohibitive and has not been shown to deter violence.
The state senate has a bill in the Law and Justice Committee to abolish the death penalty. Please contact your Senator, if they are on the committee, and contact the Chair and Vice Chair and ask to have the bill moved out of committee.
- The Chair is Sen. Mike Padden, mike.padden@leg.wa.gov
- Vice Chair Sen. Steve O’Ban, steve.o’ban@leg.wa.gov
- Other members in Pierce County are:
- Sen. Jan Angel, jan.angel@leg.wa.gov
- Sen. Jeannie Darneille, j.darneille@leg.wa.gov
Dominican Sisters Conference Public Statement on DACA
We, the Dominican Sisters Conference and the Dominican Justice Promoters in the U.S., are saddened and compelled to speak out against President Trump’s removal of protection for more than 800,000 young people through the rescinding of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. These “Dreamers” were brought to the U.S. as children . . . some as infants . . . and now are in danger of deportation from the only country they have ever known.
As people of faith, we take seriously the gospel call to welcome the stranger and care for those in need. But these young men and women are not strangers; this land is their home!
We have long called for immigration reform, we now urge Congress to take immediate action to protect these young people – Americans in every sense of the word – by enacting the bipartisan Dream Act of 2017, and working for compassionate, comprehensive immigration reform for all.
The Dominican Sisters Conference represents 6,000 Catholic sisters and their associates across the United States. The Dominican Justice Promoters represent the sisters, friars, and laity of the Dominican Family in the U.S. This statement is also posted online at http://dominicansistersconference.org/public-statement-on-the-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-daca/.