A resident of a community shows how mining activities have contaminated their drinking water. Photo: Centro Montalvo
As a community of faith, we have the obligation to address the needs of the poor and marginalized in our society. This “Preferential option for the Poor” is one of the principles of Catholic Social Teachings.
On the International Day of Charity, September 5, Canadian Jesuits International (CJI) reaffirms its commitment to love and to serve by working with people struggling for social justice and dignity in the world.
CJI works with Jesuit and other partners in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to accompany people on the margins of society .
This includes Centro Montalvo, a Jesuit social centre in the Dominican Republic. Centro Montalvo strengthens local initiatives for public action to protect the environment and uphold the human rights of communities .
Land stripped bare by mining activity in the Dominican Republic. Photo: Centro Montalvo
Many local communities have been negatively affected by the activities of many mining companies, some of them headquartered in Canada. Their health, the health of their livestock and their natural resources and their agricultural productivity have suffered because of these activities.
Learn more about Centro Montalvo, including how you can support it: https://www.canadianjesuitsinternational.ca/projects/dominican-republic-human-rights-defence/
