January Meeting 2022

Photo is from Sr. Annmary in Dominica from their furniture workshops.

The First meeting of the IPA Focus Group 2 took place on Jan 27th and in attendance were sisters from Newfoundland, New York, Australia, North & South India, Dakota,

Some of the ongoing work reported by those attending:

Dakota:

The Sisters have organised a Webinar on Regenerative Agriculture that will be attended by in excess of 100 participants. There are two employees charged with managing the 100 acres that the Sisters have returned to the wild. They have been gathering wild seeds for planting in Spring when the weather gets better. South Dakota is not in lockdown despite the Covid Numbers remaining stubbornly high. There appears a need to lobby the government given the unjust bills that are being proposed.
Newfoundland:Lockdown in apparent and there continue to be restrictions for the Mother House and those in the nursing home. A core group are working on Laudato Si. One source of possible solutions is https://drawdown.org/ The Sisters are particularly keen on the foundation of a School of Integral Ecology at the Catholic University that will offer new courses.Plastics Pollution - https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-live-webinar-to-underline-plastics-most-pressing-issues/ This energises the Sisters.
AustraliaWith the memory of COP26 receding we must consider what are the continuing lessons / implications as we look forward to COP27 in Egypt. The Sisters are linked with the Pacific Islanders who have a lived experience of the effects of Climate Change. The Australian and New Zealand Navy are working hard to alleviate and mitigate the worst affects of the Tongan volcano.
North India:Work and travel restrictions (Covid) hamper the Sisters ability to complete some of their planned SDG Training. But this doesn't prevent them from continuing to prepare their monthly Reflections on the SDGs and Laudato Si. You can click into January Here In North India the children are engaging in the Children's Parliament online and the Sisters were able to run an in person session for the children also. See https://www.nineismine.in/ The Sisters have asked the children to think on what SDG they might work on and in this way they are localising the SDGs.
South India.So many are unwell with Omicron or the flu. There are Laudato Si actions planned in each community, while the children of South India are also engaged with the Children's Parliament. The Sisters have begun advocacy training that works to educate and inform on the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children. The Schools continue to be closed for the moment.
New YorkHeavy Snow expected to deepen the current cold spell. As the leadership celebrated their first 100 Days they express a sadness in remembering their 4 Sisters who have died in that period. There is no visiting still for those in Nursing Homes. The Sisters below to 3 separate core groups that work to on:

UN Advocacy Focus for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Children.
Maintain a commitment to the Laudato Si work.
Rural / Environmental Economic Inequality.
There is also ongoing Synodal Work.

Safecity: It's hoped that there will be more information to be gleaned at the IPA Research meeting on Friday Jan 28th.
For the next meetings: A Number of ideas have been floated:

That each Focus Group would invite / attend another focus group to learn what they are doing, learning, sharing.
Each of the three Focus Groups could produce a collaborative prayer service / with a resource sheet that could be shared with another group and indeed with all of the IPA Family. We would (given our focus) prepare a service for Sept for the Season of Creation in advance of COP27.
That BOT would offer some comment on What next since COP26.
The Sr. LC might report on the Pacific Islanders and their view of COP26 as they head for COP27. This might take into account displacement of peoples, Migration, the effect on girls and their education, the lack of water given the presence of salt water.

We will take account of time differences for our next meeting which we may leave until such time as the clocks have readjusted to a more mannerly time!

25 Reflection for the AEFJN -Ireland Meeting..docx