Moving Hearts | Changing Minds

The Edmund Rice Network in England is committed to working with Edmund Rice International in Geneva as an NGO within the United Nations, lobbying governments and international agencies on issues of justice and human rights.

Eri Groups In Schools

Education For Justice

The ‘Essential Elements’ of Edmund Rice education include:

Inspiring the minds and hearts of the young to care for all God’s creation and build a more just society, God’s Kingdom on earth, developing in them the talents for active citizenship and transformational leadership

The hope is for an Edmund Rice International group in each of our schools, supporting the current campaigns co-ordinated in Geneva, and providing opportunities for pupils to be ‘doers for justice’, agents of change. Participation raises awareness of systemic injustice and provides opportunities for practical involvement, immersion, and active citizenship.

Caritas Letter Writing Campaign

School groups put pen to paper campaigning for medication for children born with HIV Aids

Aim:

To make a difference through writing letters to Heads of state, MP’s, Ministers for health and overseas development, Aid agencies, Newspapers and Pharaceutical companies.

Edmund Rice International offers ‘ACTING JUSTLY’, an attractive on-line course on ADVOCACY available to students in our schools.

The aim of the course is to:

• Develop an ‘advocacy’ mindset to complement the ‘service’ or ‘charity’ mindset within the Edmund Rice Network
• Promote a greater understanding of the work of Edmund Rice International and raise awareness about more effective global action for justice
• Promote a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Catholic Social Justice tradition and understanding of the ideals and work of the United Nations and of the contribution both can make to the building of a more just world.

The Advocacy course is particularly appropriate for students returning from immersion experiences in the developing world, who are encouraged to:

• Feedback their experiences to their peers and raise issues of justice and human rights
• Identify ongoing opportunities for advocacy

Advocacy For Destitute Asylum Seekers

The Edmund Rice Network in Manchester, working with Edmund Rice International in Geneva, has co-ordinated a coalition of refugee support groups to produce a submission to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2012 UK Universal Periodic Review

• United For Change (Manchester And Salford)
• Edmund Rice International
• Franciscans International
• Vivat

Submission for the Thirteenth Session of the Working Groupon the Universal Periodic Review: UNITED KINGDOM (2012)

The submission addresses the UK government’s use of enforced destitution as a deliberate instrument of public policy in the treatment of asylum-seekers.

Represented organisations are:

• REVIVE, CHURCH ACTION ON POVERTY, WAST (Women Asylum Seekers Together)
• COMMUNITY PRIDE and CHANGE MAKERS
• GMIAU (Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit)
• GAP (Gender and Participation) UNIT, SRF (Salford Forum for refugees and people seeking asylum)
• MRSN (Manchester Refugee Support Network)
• BOAZ TRUST
• RAINBOW HAVEN
• BROUGHTON TRUST
• MANCHESTER BME (Black Minority Ethic) NETWORK
• EDMUND RICE CHRISTIAN BROTHERS
• SALFORD WOMEN’S CENTRE
• TRIO
• STAR (Student Action for Refugees)

Contact:

Brian Bond
ERI Director Geneva
bpbond@edmundrice.org