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Dominican Month for Peace

Dominican Month for Peace 2019
December 1, 2019—January 1, 2020

The Annual Dominican Month for Peace was developed in an effort to promote a global Dominican solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are trying to bring hope in situations of violence and war. 

The Annual Dominican Month for Peace is focused in 2019 on India. In 2017 we showed our solidarity with Dominicans promoting the national Peace Accord especially involving peasants in Colombia, and in 2018 we supported our brothers and sisters struggling for democracy and peace through credible elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Now we turn to another region and we are directing our Dominican solidarity to India, a country which, in recent years, has experienced considerable growth and development.

However, despite such development, many marginalized and vulnerable sections of society continue to be victims of increasing violence and atrocities. Amongst these, Dominicans are particularly working alongside abused and violated children, women and indigenous (tribal) people in their yearnings for peace and recognition. By supporting them, we also want to join our efforts to those of the universal Church with regard to youth (after the Synod on Youth in 2018) and indigenous people (alongside the Synod on Amazonia in 2019).

Action

Appeal to the Dominican Family for solidarity with our brothers and sisters in India who are promoting peace and an end to violence and exploitation against children, women, and indigenous (tribal) communities.

To show solidarity, Dominicans worldwide are urged to take the following actions:

  1. To organize at least one Prayer Vigil and Solemn Eucharist for peace in India and solidarity with victims of violence and exploitation – children, women, and indigenous (tribal) communities.
  2. To incorporate this focus on peace in India into our ordinary Advent preaching and to diffuse this as far as possible through the media of your entity.
  3. To invite and encourage all artists within the Order (painters, photographers, poets, musicians, …) to contribute towards the process of peace, safety and empowerment at the local and global levels by producing a work of art.
  4. To make a financial contribution to the projects, Project Bloom and Safe Childhood, to support and strengthen the promotion and defense of children’s rights by the Dominican Family in India.

 

Financial Contributions

Account Name: Indian Centre for Integrated Development
Account Number: 13390100062926
Bank: The Federal Bank LTD
Address: HN 576, Yashwant Apartment,
Near Central Mall, East High Court Road, Nagpur – 440010
Maharashtra State; India
IFSC Code: FDRL0001339
Swift Code: FDRLINBBIBD

General Info: Fr. Herald D’Souza, OP harryop@gmail.com

For more information: http://icid.org.in/

 

Common Dominican Projects regarding Children in India

Project Bloom

In Nagpur district, this project is implemented in the Yuvajyothi Children’s Home by Dominican friars in collaboration with Dominican Sisters of the Presentation and Dominican Laity Nagpur Chapter through their registered organization known as Indian Centre for Integrated Development (ICID). The project strives to rescue children and female youth from exploitative, abusive and other disadvantaged situations such as streets, pavement dwellings, workplaces, children begging or rummaging in waste or neglected children and to provide a protective environment where a child finds a safe, dignified and child-friendly atmosphere including their rehabilitation with their families. This is done through various programs such as street outreach, the formation of children’s groups, counseling, life skill education, educational support and sponsorship, provision of safe shelter for children in need, organizing child rights awareness and advocacy programs.

 

Safe Childhood: Breaking the silence and preventing incidences of Child Sexual Exploitation

This project, established by the promoters for Justice and Peace in India, is based on the need for training of the members of the Dominican Family.  As all the entities in India are involved in the protection and education of children, the project aims to equip members with skills in dealing with victims and situations of child sexual abuse.

The project involves developing a curriculum to train the members and their collaborators in their respective ministries on:

  • child sexual exploitation,
  • prevention strategies,
  • symptomatic identification of children suffering abuse and providing support to affected children,
  • formal and informal dialogue and networking with relevant government agencies,
  • supporting and preparing for personal safety lessons in child based institutions,
  • reporting cases for appropriate care and services with the involvement of family members,
  • providing preventive information and increasing the knowledge and life skills of children to understand sexual exploitation and appropriately report the same in time,
  • strengthening families by helping the parents to understand their children’s issues and learn to help their children be free from sexual exploitation,
  • providing nurturing support by visiting the at-risk families at home and ensure family counseling and parenting support.
Preachers of  Truth • Love • Justice