Webinar: Human Rights Advocacy and the Legacy of Sr. Dianna Ortiz

Sr. Dianna Ortiz, OSU: 

• Memorials for Sr. Dianna from Pax Christi USA, The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, and from Fr. Joe Nangle, OFM, of the Assisi Community in Washington, DC, where Dianna was a longtime member.  
• A reflection on this month's 26th anniversary of Dianna's vigil in front of the White House, by Catholic Nonviolence Initiative coordinator Judy Coode. 
• Dianna’s book, The Blindfold’s Eye: My Journey from Torture to Truth, is available from Orbis Books.  
• Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition (TASSC) interview with founder Dianna Ortiz, OSU. 
• Dianna ran Education for Justice for the Center of Concern, contributing many resources. It is now a program of the Ignatian Solidarity Network. 
• Fr. William Hart McNichols’ painting, Holy Living Martyr Dianna Ortiz. The description includes Fr. McNichols’ reflection on the piece and on Dianna. 
• Robert Ellsberg spoke on saints and sainthood in his Commonweal Lecture at Fairfield University’s Center for Catholic Studies. 

Human Rights Advocacy Issue Resources: 

      Racial Justice: 

• MOGC Statement on the Conviction of Derek Chauvin for the Murder of George Floyd
• Olga Segura’s The Birth of a Movement: Black Lives Matter and the Catholic Church from Orbis Books. 
• James H. Cone’s The Cross and the Lynching Tree from Orbis Books.  
• Maryknoll Sister Madeline Dorsey, who founded the first integrated hospital in Kansas City and marched with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Selma, died on February 13th at age 101.  

       United Nations Universal Periodic Review: 

• MOGC’s article on the recent review of human rights in the United States by United Nations member states and the UN Human Rights Council.  

       Closing Guantanamo:

• Letter from 24 U.S. Senators to President Biden urging him to close the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay. 
• Join the National Religious Campaign Against Torture in urging President Biden to close Guantanamo.  
• Watch the new film, The Mauritanian, about Mohamedou Ould Slahi and his fight for freedom after being detained, tortured, and imprisoned without charge in Guantanamo.  
• Related: See the new film The Report about the U.S. Senate’s torture report and the CIA’s efforts to thwart it.  

       Earth and Water Defenders: Human Rights and the Environment:

• Maryknoll Magazine article on the book The Water Defenders: How Ordinary People Saved a Country, by Robin Broad and John Cavanaugh.  
• Support the Honduras Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Act of 2021, in honor of slain land defender Berta Cáceres.  
• Global Witness report, Defending Tomorrow, documenting attacks on land end environmental activists.  

       Migration: 

• Maryknoll Lay Missioner Heidi Cerneka’s recent report on “What is Happening at the Border,” and a related action alert to protect asylum seekers.   

        COVID-19: 

• Amnesty International annual report documents increased human rights violations during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa.  
• United Nations report on COVID-19 and Human Rights, and a related UN High Commissioner for Human Rights event.  
• Our webinar on vaccine equity. 
• More resources on human rights and the pandemic.  

         Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Jamal Khashoggi murder:

• See the documentary film The Dissident, about the murder.  
• Watch a discussion of the film , human rights, and accountability, hosted by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the U.S. Congress, and sign up to receive updates from the Commission.  
• Read the unclassified U.S. intelligence report on the murder.  

         Myanmar coup and Rohingya genocide: 

• Reuters special report on genocide determination and coup in Myanmar. MOGC has joined with Refugees International and others in lobbying on this issue.  
• Letter to UN Security Council urging accountability in human rights violations against Burmese women.  
• Global Movement for Myanmar Democracy.  

        Hong Kong democracy movement:

• MOGC article on a Georgetown Center for Asian Law report on Hong Kong’s National Security Law.  

        Israel-Palestine:

• Join MOGC and Churches for Middle East Peace in supporting H.R. 2590, Rep. Betty McCollum’s bill that would forbid U.S. funds from being used by Israel to violate basic human rights of Palestinians.  
• Human Rights Watch report, A Threshold Crossed, making the legal case that Israeli authorities are committing the crimes of apartheid and persecution, both crimes against humanity under international law, and an excellent Q&A on the report.  
• Updates on Israel-Palestine, from the latest issue of our bimonthly newsletter, NewsNotes.