Edmund Rice International

The Christian Brothers have decided they cannot remain silent in the face of recent events in Bolivia. The Bolivian government has decided to build a road through a National Park which is home to some sixteen thousand indigenous people.  Opponents of the project claim that the decision violates the Bolivian Constitution and existing laws such [...]

To be effective, the work of ERI in Geneva very much depends on having an active Edmund Rice Network engaged in advocacy at the local level. This has required the appointment of a ‘contact person’ in each province or region. Again in order to carry out the role, the contact person needs the support and [...]

“Already the MDGs have helped lift millions of people out of poverty, save countless children’s lives and ensure that they attend school” said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the launch of the Millennium Development Goals Report 2011 in Geneva earlier this month. “They have reduced maternal deaths, expanded opportunities for women, increased access to [...]

“After adoption, ratification!” was the call of over 70 NGOs and labour groups from 5 continents, including domestic workers themselves, at a conference hosted by the International Catholic Centre of Geneva on June 3rd and 4th, 2011. Organised by a network of Catholic-inspired NGOs and their partners, the consultation was held in anticipation of the [...]

The following is taken from a longer article written by Durgesh Kumar Atwal, a student at St Johns Christian Brothers College in Chandigarh, India A couple of days ago, about 400 children gathered at the Central Plaza of sector 17 Chandigarh for an unusual activity. It was one that I wouldn’t normally associate with traditional [...]

Br Barry Noel pictured with the Permanent Representative of Saint Lucia to the UN in New York, Dr. Donatus (Keith) St. Aimee. The Universal Periodic Review of Saint Lucia took place in Geneva on Jan 25th. Drawing on the knowledge and experience of those involved with the Presentation Brothers ministry in Saint Lucia, ERI made [...]

The day following Australia Day (Jan 26th), Australia faced the Human Rights Council in Geneva on its record on human rights, as part of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). This was a historic occasion, the first time Australia had entered into dialogue with its peers in the United Nations on its overall respect for human [...]

Children from Lebanon, through an initiative of the non-governmental organisation World Vision, came together in order to write and submit a submission to the Human Rights Council as part of the review of Lebanon, held on 10 November 2010. This was the first time that children have directly participated in the UPR process. The report [...]

Speaking at a Human Rights Day Event (10th December) in Geneva, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called on Governments “to acknowledge that criticism is not a crime, and to release all those people who have been detained for peacefully exercising their fundamental freedoms to defend democratic principles and human rights.” The [...]

From Ireland to Sierra Leone, from Kimberley to Brisbane and from many places in between, students from Edmund Rice Schools around the world demonstrated their solidarity and support for the initiative of the group of Indian children to cycle to their National Capital to urge their government to honour their funding committment to enable all [...]