Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2008 / Dominican voice at U.N. promotes peace, justice
Dominican voice at U.N. promotes peace, justice
by Robert Delaney of The Michigan Catholic
Published February 22, 2008
Adrian – Dominican sisters and friars are able to make their justice and peace concerns known in the international forum through Sr. Eileen Gannon, OP, the Dominican Leadership Conference’s main representative to the United Nations.
From offices near the UN’s New York headquarters, the Dominicans are among the non-governmental organizations that express their positions and offer input on policy. Sr. Gannon makes presentations to UN Secretariat staff, gatherings of member nations’ representatives, and also other NGOs at the UN.
Originally motivated to establish a UN presence by the effects of the post-Gulf War sanctions on Iraq, the Dominicans have remained concerned about Iraq as the situation has changed over the past 10 years.
“We have been consistent advocates for the humanitarian concerns of the people of Iraq,” Sr. Gannon says.
A current focus is the approximately 2 million Iraqi refugees who have fled their strife-torn country, as well as another 2 million displaced within Iraq.
Sr. Gannon, a Sparkill (N.Y.) Dominican, was in Michigan for a Jan. 24-27 conference hosted by the Adrian Dominicans.
Sr. Gannon also works to promote the UN’s Millenium Development Goals, which aim to substantially reduce poverty, hunger and disease by 2015.
“They’re a wonderful set of goals, and the United States did sign on in support of them, but they get no publicity in our country,” she says.
But Dominicans worldwide have endorsed the goals, and the DLC’s UN mission tries to keep them informed about progress – or lack of progress – toward achieving them, Sr. Gannon continues.
“I’m heartened by the fact that some nations of the world have taken this seriously. Most countries, however, and our country in particular, have failed to live up to what they have promised,” she says.
Sr. Gannon, says she believes it has been useful for Dominicans to share their views at the UN. “And it has helped us, as Dominicans, to see ourselves as part of a worldwide community – not just a national community,” she adds.
For more information, visit www.domlife.org/DLC/NGO_UN/Aboutus.htm.
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