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Ignatian Delegation Participates in the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development

BY JESUIT CONFERENCE OF CANADA AND THE U.S. STAFF | July 11, 2019

[Editor’s Note: This story was originally published by the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States on July 9, 2019.]

An Ignatian delegation is taking part in the United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), which runs July 9-18, 2019, in New York City.

Ignatian Delegates

Ignatian delegates included (from left): Max Melstrom, Institute of Environmental Sustainability; Nick Napolitano, Northeast and Maryland Provinces; Ann Marie Brennan, Christian Life Community (CLC); Valeria Mendez de Vigo, Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat; Nate Radomski, Magis Americas; Nancy Tuchman, Institute of Environmental Sustainability; Joan Woods, CLC; Cecilia Calvo, Office of Justice and Ecology.

The HLPF brings together governments and organizations from around the world to review the implementation and achievements in UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as to examine how countries are carrying out the 2030 Agenda through Voluntary National Reviews. The forum’s theme is “Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality,” and the SDGs that will be reviewed include quality education, reduced inequalities and climate action.

Member of the Ignatian delegation include: Cecilia Calvo, Jesuit Conference Office of Justice and Ecology; Valeria Mendez de Vigo, Secretariat for Justice and Ecology for the Jesuit Curia; Fr. Pedro Walpole, SJ, and Albrecht Arevalo of Ecojesuit; Nicholas Napolitano of the Maryland and USA Northeast Jesuit Provinces; Dr. Nancy Tuchman and Richard (Max) Melstrom of Loyola University Chicago’s Institute of Environmental Sustainability; Brenna Davis of the Ignatian Solidarity Network; Fr. Kevin White, SJ, of Jesuit Refugee Service; and Nate Radomski of Magis Americas.

In addition to attending the forum, the Jesuit delegation is hosting an event entitled “How can the Ignatian Family Collaborate in the Care for our Common Home?” on July 11 at the Jesuits’ USA Northeast Province Office in New York City. It will feature a panel of speakers from Ecojesuit, the Jesuit Conference Office of Justice and Ecology, Jesuit Refugee Service and the Loyola University Chicago Institute of Environmental Sustainability.

Fr. Arturo Sosa, SJ, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, expressed his support. “This is an important event for the Society of Jesus, first of all because we have a long experience of working in all these fields in numerous places in the world: accompanying excluded persons and communities, working for justice and reconciliation and for the care of our common home.”

“These themes have been confirmed in the recent Universal Apostolic Preferences, that we have received from the Holy Father, following the path traced by General Congregation 35 when it encouraged us to ‘establish links in the field of public advocacy between political power and those who find it difficult to make their voices heard, building bridges and offering new forms of understanding.’”

The full program of the HLPF can be viewed here, and the flyer for “How can the Ignatian Family collaborate in the Care for our Common Home?” can be viewed here.

 

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