Number 338, February 19, 1999.
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Our principal topics this week are:
CHURCHES
- CNBB launches National Campaign for the UNEMPLOYED
- CNBB criticizes the maintaining of high interest
- CNBB defends taxation of large fortunes
UPDATE: DINIZ CASE
- Chileans have to wait 30 days before traveling
CHURCHES
- CNBB launches National Campaign for the UNEMPLOYED.
Solidarity with the Unemployed.
Since 1964 the Catholic Church in Brazil during the time of Lent has an
annual Campaign. The themes chosen are to help consciences about the social
reality demanding greater compassion towards those who are affected.
This year 1999 the last year of the century the campaign theme is
Unemployment - "No work... Why?" The phenomenal of unemployment is one of
the greatest preoccupations at the end of the millenium.
Employment is the right of every human person, it gives dignity, helps in
providing for others as well as relating to others. In the economic world
work is superior to capital. The right to work also involves working with
dignity and is justly rewarded. For a person to fulfil this duty, society
has an ethical responsibility to promote and support working conditions
that affirm every working person.
The theme of the 1999 Campaign causes us to question the reasons for
unemployment in Brazil. It invites us to be in solidarity with the
unemployed and to seek solutions for this grave problem, which afflicts
thousands of families. Among some of the main causes are:
1. The technical revolution under the headings of computers etc which are
applied to every sector of production and administration. This process of
technology, which is positive in itself, can cause unemployment when the
technique overrides the ethical value of the human person.
2. The system known as "neo-liberalism", which considers profit and
marketing absolutes over and above the human person causing marginalisation
and exclusion of the weak and vulnerable.
3. The Capital speculation which is disconnected to production; it
circulates from one country to another within seconds in search of the
highest revenue.
4. The insufficient knowledge and technological capacity to be ahead of the
continuous ways of production.
5. Economic methods which indiscriminately favor external bidding allowing
the powerful to dominate the weak.
6. The pressure of external debt and the payment of the same causing the
country to be deprived of education, health, social aid etc, creating
continuous unemployment.
7. Finally and by no means the least important, sin, it is the root cause.
Our acts and decisions have moral values and social dimensions; they can
generate political and economic structures, which provoke injustices and
social exclusions, which are the fruit of sin. This is the social sin the
sum of all our personal sins.
Lent holds a strong call for conversion, a process that can be extended to
all of life. It is the permanent strength, which assimilates all the
evangelical values, which contrasts with the dominant tendencies of the
world and can direct the direction and comportment and decisions of every
person.
The Campaign which has it's strongest moment during Lent is a call to all
of us in particular politicians, large co-corporations, business and
builders of society, a great challenge and a very strong challenge to your
responsibility in search of ways that directs society in a more just,
solidarity and human way. Every one is called to open their eyes to the
social reality of the people and reject solutions that are proposed to
improve the economy based on the laws of profit.
Source: Dom Raymundo Damasceno Assis - secretary general for the CNBB
- CNBB criticizes the maintaining of high interest
Secretary general for the CNBB Dom Raymundo criticized the political
economy of the government and Fernando Henrique Cardosos policy on
neo-liberalism. The government's policy on increasing interest rates which
increases credit leads to the generating of unemployment. He also condemned
the budget plan, which is cutting back on social programs.
They are gigantic the problems which prevent the forming of a new social
order. One of these is the external debt. The canceling of the external
debt, which has been supported by the Pope (...), is one of the ways to
generate employment. With the cancellation of the foreign debt, the money
intended to pay the debt could be used in balancing the social debt. It is
essential to study the economic system called "neo-liberalism", which
places profit over and above all else, thus demoralizing the dignity of the
human person. This economic model generates unemployment. All political
and economic plans put the person in second place. The government and the
politicians as well as entrepreneurs and companies have a responsibility to
change this.
The CNNB textbook titled Brotherhood and Unemployment, with the them being
- "No work... Why?" along with a message from the Pope to all Brazilians is
being sent to the president of the country Fernando Henrique Cardoso and
his ministers. The text, which contains documented facts on unemployment,
statistics about the economy and the 'plano real' suggests that investments
of money be done with banks that have ethical policies. The book also
contains a suggestion that a tax between 0,1% and 0,5% of international
financial transactions to form an international fund to "combat the
problems of hunger and misery".
Unemployment is one of the major problems in Brazil today. The church has
practical proposals to collaborate with the authorities in applying of
public resources in benefit of the poor and a continuation of agrarian
reform along with the expansion of programs in order to generate income.
- CNBB defends taxation of large fortunes.
Dom Raymundo, secretary general for CNBB defended the inclusion of taxation
on large fortunes in the fiscal adjustment by the government. The proposal
was defended during the launching of the 1999 National Campaign
"Brotherhood and Unemployment". The Campaign proposes a reduction in
overtime and extra hours of work in order to combat unemployment. According
to the secretary general there has to be an equilibrium between income and
expenditure. There are people earning huge amounts of money, large fortunes
and they should pay a higher tax in relation to their income.
A proposal by the CNBB to deal with unemployment includes the raising of
the quota from US$150 to US$500. Another proposal is to form groups of
families of five to adopt an unemployed family. Dom Raymundo said that
Governors have an unnegociatable commitment to the education and health to
the people which can not be put aside in order to pay debts.Dom Raynubdo
said "If you have to eat and cloth yourself and have to get medical
attention and pay a debt, I don't believe you would let yourself die of
hunger or a member of your family by first paying the debt"!
Source Folha de São Paulo 18,2,'99
UPDATE: DINIZ CASE
- Chileans have to wait 30 days before traveling
The five Chilean kidnappers of businessman Abilio Diniz have to wait 30
days before returning to Chile. The two Argentina's are awaiting the
approval of their government before they can travel.
The group kidnapped Diniz in 1989 had five Chileans two Argentineans two
Canadian's and one Brazilian. Last year they went on hunger strike twice
with the aim of being expelled from Brazil. To end their hunger strike the
Brazilian and the Chileans made an accord, which anticipated the transfer
of prisoners, which had not yet been voted by the respective governments.
The same method was confirmed with Argentina. In the case of Canada,
parliament quickly approved agreement.
The night before last in Santiago, the governments of Brazil and Chile
confirmed the agreement of the transfer of prisoners. Due to beurcracy, the
agreement will go into effect in 30 days, the process should be concluded
by March 18th. The Argentineans will be transferred only after the
agreement between the two governments, as has been the case with the Chileans.
Source: F .de São Paulo 18,02,'99
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