Action Alert

The Adrian Dominican Sisters have long been engaged, individually and communally, in efforts to protect the integrity of creation and bring about a more just, peaceful and compassionate world. The Office of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation coordinates these efforts by bringing to light injustices and recommending ways to take action.

Action Alert

Death Penalty

Abolish the Death Penalty

The Adrian Dominican Sisters stand in solidarity against the death penalty because of our commitment to the life and dignity of every living person. In our stance calling on the United States to abolish the death penalty, we believe in forgiveness and compassion for offender and support, compassion, and healing for the victims of violence. In 2021, eleven prisoners have been executed in the United States by the U.S. federal government and five states. Ten prisoners have been executed in 2022 by five states. Sixteen executions are scheduled in the remaining months of this year.

Here are actions we can take to help bring about the abolishment of the death penalty in the United States:

Watch Pope Francis’ message urging for the global abolition of the death penalty.
Pledge to pray with Pope Francis. Let us call and lift up this prayer that we may mobilize mercy and uphold the dignity of all, regardless of the harm they have suffered or caused.
Attend First Friday Vigils. On the First Friday of each month, Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN) holds a Virtual Prayer Vigil to lament upcoming executions and bear witness to the inviolable dignity of all human life. Virtual prayer vigils are held live via Zoom conference and live streamed on CMN's Facebook page. The day of the vigil, all registrants will receive an email with a link and additional instructions on how to join the event.

Restorative Justice

Restorative Justice is “an approach to crime and harm that seeks healing, rather than vengeance. Where people and relationships are violated, restorative practices include those impacted by harm in voluntary processes aimed to address needs, build understanding, and make amends, to move forward in the spirit of right relationship.” (Catholic Mobilizing Network)

On September 16 at 3:00 p.m. ET to learn more about CMN’s Restorative Justice Communities of Practice and meet fellow ministry practitioners. Register here for this event.

Additional Resources

Learn more about the death penalty in the United States:

10 facts about the death penalty in the U.S. by the Pew Research Center
The Equal Justice Initiative offers this regarding the death penalty – “The question we need to ask about the death penalty in America is not whether someone deserves to die for a crime. The question is whether we deserve to kill.” Learn more.
Watch Why We Need to Abolish the Death Penalty by Bryan Stevenson
There are many myths about the death penalty. Amnesty International identifies five common myths and debunks them.

Nuclear Disarmament

In 2007, the Adrian Dominican Sisters adopted a Corporate Stance that called on the U.S. government to lead the way for the global abolition of nuclear and all other weapons of mass destruction and develop a plan that will ensure that there are no new nuclear weapons, no new materials for nuclear weapons and no testing of nuclear weapons. In 2022, we are still urging the U.S government to be a leader in this effort but unfortunately, even in this climate of increased danger of nuclear war, the United States has not diminished its nuclear stockpile and continues to spend on nuclear weapons systems.

Learn More

On July 7, 2017 – following a decade of advocacy by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons and its partners – an overwhelming majority of the world’s nations adopted a landmark global agreement to ban nuclear weapons, known officially as the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. It entered into force on January 22, 2021. Read the full text of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
Survivors of nuclear weapons use and testing, and other experts from around the world, have created an interactive map as an educational tool to provide an overview of what is known about the impacts of nuclear weapons use and testing of the over 2,000 nuclear weapons detonated since 1945, featuring dozens of survivor testimonies and stories of their activism for justice.
Although 86 countries have signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, there are still nine countries who have not signed and these nine countries happen to be those with nuclear weapons, United States, Russia, France, China, United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea. In total, the global nuclear stockpile is close to 13,000 weapons. Not even the COVID-19 pandemic could slow down spending by the nine countries who are reported to have spent collectively $72 billion on nukes in 2020. Read more.

Take Action

Here are actions that we can take to safeguard the world from a nuclear holocaust and urge the United States to become a leader in abolishing nuclear weapons:

Send a letter to government officials including the President, members of Congress, and the Ambassador to the UN urging them to ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Here are some tips and a sample letter.
Use social media. Most political leaders have social media accounts. Use these platforms to urge political leaders to ratify the treaty. Check here to see whether your government is active on social media. Here are some ideas for posts directed at your government.
Stay informed and sign up for the newsletter from the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.

Immigration

President Biden campaigned on making significant changes to our immigration system including modernizing America’s immigration system, welcome immigrants into our communities, reassert America’s commitment to asylum seekers and refugees, implement effective border screening, and tackle the root causes of migration.

One year after President Biden took office PBS Newshour provided an evaluation of how the Biden Administration has responded to the issue of immigration. Watch the report.

There are many myths that circulate regarding immigration. Much fear is fomented by the myths that continue to haunt immigration in the United States. It is important to know the facts about immigration because immigrants are necessary for our economic growth and contribute enormously to our quality of life. Read more about immigration myths and realities.

Operation Allies Welcome

Who are our new Afghan neighbors? Since August 2021, over 75,000 Afghan nationals (about half of whom are children) have been resettled in the United States, following the U.S. military’s withdrawal from the country. The U.S. government dubbed this Operation Allies Welcome. There are still 100,000 Afghan people waiting to come to the United States who had been promised safe passage for their service to the U.S. military during the war that was waged in Afghanistan for 20 years.

Even those who are here are not secure as they must apply for asylum which has many complications for them. Recently, both the House and the Senate have introduced a Bipartisan, Bicameral Afghan Adjustment Act. This legislation creates a pathway to citizenship for tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees who came into the United States after the U.S. withdrawal.

Take action:

Write a letter to your Senators and Representative in support of the Afghan Adjustment Act. Here is a sample letter.
Sign up for the Justice for Immigrants campaign to stay up to date on the latest immigration policies and advocate for the wellbeing of Afghans and other at-risk populations.

New Rule for DACA Program

Recently the Biden administration finalized a new rule for the DACA program, and the rule does not expand eligibility or re-open DACA for first time applicants. Although the president campaigned on strengthening and fortifying DACA, he has failed in fulfilling this promise. DACA recipients deserve to have full legality which is the only protection that would safeguard their security and remain in this country.

Take action:

Let President Biden know that you support our Dreamers and urge him to take bold action to provide for the safety and security of DACA recipients. Email the White House. Call the White House and leave a message for the President.
Call your Senators and urge them to take up the American Dream and Promise Act (H.R. 6) that has already passed in the House of Representatives. This legislation would provide certainty and a pathway to citizenship for our hardworking Dreamers.

Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking in Ukraine

Russia’s war in the Ukraine has created a humanitarian crisis that also includes increased incidents of human trafficking of women and children. The UN’s Envoy and special representative on sexual violence in conflict, Pramila Patten, has called for a coordinated regional approach to deal with the crisis. “Although there is never accurate bookkeeping on an active battlefield,” she said, “it is clear that in the context of Ukraine, all the warning signals for the commission of atrocity crimes, including conflict-related sexual violence, are flashing red.” Read more about this issue.

Human traffickers wait at the borders to take advantage of Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war. Watch this video about traffickers targeting refugees.

Human Trafficking in the United States

Human trafficking is a billion-dollar business that impacts every city, state, province, and country. Here in the United States, human trafficking occurs in some of the most unlikely places and recognizing the signs of human trafficking is very important. The United States Department of Justice investigates human trafficking regularly. Here are some recent articles regarding the occurrence of human trafficking across the United States from the Department of Justice.

“Hotels and motels are a common venue for sex trafficking due to ease of access for buyers, ability to pay in cash and maintain secrecy through finances, and lack of facility maintenance. What are the major hotel chains doing to curb human trafficking on their properties?” Watch this video to learn more.

Take Action

What can the average person do to help end the scourge of human trafficking?

Join with the U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking (USCSAHT). Learn about the current campaigns supported by USCSAHT and be an advocate for the victims, the women, children, and men who are being trafficked.
Sign up to receive the STOP HUMAN TRAFFICKING Newsletter produced by USCSAHT, to serve as a forum for exchange among religious congregations and their collaborating organizations to promote awareness regarding human trafficking; to exchange best practices in advocacy for and empowerment of survivors of human trafficking; to recommend actions to counter human trafficking; to share information about survivor services.