- JustLove, Strengthening Families and Resolving Crises, Welcoming and Integrating Immigrants and Refugees
Pope Francis’ Pastoral Journey to Myanmar & Bangladesh & Hospitality at the Leo House
On this week’s episode of JustLove, Monsignor Kevin Sullivan focuses on Pope Francis’ visit to Myanmar and Bangladesh and Hospitality at the Leo House with three guests. Catholic Relief Services Emergency Communications Director Caroline Brennan who just returned from visiting the Rohingya refugee camps run by Caritas Bangladesh, shares her personal experiences there, stories of the refugees, and will talk about CRS and Caritas’s work in that region. The Leo House’s Executive Director David J. Smith and Chairman and President of the Board Michael P. Coneys will be in the studio. David and Michael will be sharing with Msgr. Sullivan stories of the Leo House, and sharing with him their plans for their first…
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Tune in to JustLove to Hear Monsignor Sullivan speak with NYS Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and Shari Krull of Catholic Charities Affiliated Agency Grace Institute
On this week’s show Monsignor Sullivan speaks with NYS Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, about his recent trip to Bangladesh to observe its garment industry conditions and also comments on the state’s current affordable housing trends. Also on the show is Shari Krull of Catholic Charities affiliated agency Grace Institute to speak about its involvement in the current Lean In movement and the many programs it offers women as Women’s History Month comes to a close.
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The President Goes Shopping: What’s the Bigger Picture?
I hope President Obama was not trying to surprise his wife and daughters with the gifts he brought for them at the Gap when in New York earlier this week. We all know the point wasn’t the gifts, but rather his desire to highlight the increase in wages that the Gap has committed to paying entry-level workers. This certainly was a good thing to do. It’s encouraging that some of the lowest paid workers will be getting a moderate increase. A couple thoughts came to mind. When I checked around, I discovered that our Catholic Charities agencies were already paying the increased new minimum to their entry-level staff and were…
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Bangladesh: A Step Forward Compensating Victims of Garment Factory Tragedies
Read the recent Wall Street Journal article. When I was in Bangladesh in early December 2013, the issue of compensation for victims of the fire and building collapse tragedies was one of the issues in the forefront. (The other major issues were building safety and working conditions going forward.) Adequate compensation for workers who were disabled and family members whose breadwinners had died was sought. We have insurance and other compensation mechanisms in place in the United States. These are not in place in Bangladesh. Therefore the establishment of this victims fund and the initial contributions to it are major steps forward. Progress does not come easy or all at once,…
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More on Bangladesh
When I visited my family earlier this week for Christmas, the millenniums and the baby boomers were all quite inquisitive about my recent trip to Bangladesh. I showed them my cell phone pictures of the workers who were disabled by the garment factory tragedies of the last year. Immediately, they wanted to know about the conditions in the factories there. Their initial reaction – without even the slightest goading by me – was outrage by the unsafe conditions that led to the two recent tragedies. They didn’t know until a little later that their Christmas gifts would further raise their awareness about the garment industry in Bangladesh – and the…
