Weapons of Mass Destruction |Trafficking |War in Iraq |
Capital Punishment| Refugee Sanctuary|Nuclear Disarmament


Disarmament

On Nuclear Disarmament, revised in November 2006:

The Dominican Sisters of San Rafael call upon the United States government to change the United States military policy to declare that nuclear weapons are not legitimate as political instruments or weapons of war and that this nation will never use nuclear weapons on a first strike basis. We call on our government to lead the way for global abolition of nuclear and all weapons of mass destruction by adopting a plan to lock down, reduce, and eliminate all weapons of mass destruction. We call for immediate development, adoption, and implementation of a plan that will ensure and there will be no new nuclear weapons, no new materials for nuclear weapons, and no testing of nuclear weapons

Trafficking

Against the Trafficking of Women and Children, November 2005:

In the twenty-first century, slavery and bondage still affect the lives of millions of people, but we see the greatest challenge in the trafficking of women and children. Victims of human trafficking exist world wide and are subjected to force, fraud or coercion, for the purposes of sexual exploitation or abusive labor. Their sense of self is destroyed and terror becomes their way of life. The United States has one of the largest demands for this criminal activity. Therefore:

 We, the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, in keeping with our position of nonviolence and respecting the inherent dignity of each person, stand in support of human rights by explicitly opposing the trafficking of women and children for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor.

• We will educate ourselves and others regarding the magnitude, causes, and consequences of this abuse wherever we serve.
  
• Through our justice efforts, alone and in collaboration with other religious congregations, advocacy groups, and nongovernmental organizations, we will speak out for the truth in order to heal and support victims of this injustice and promote life through systemic change for justice.
  
• We will advocate for policies and programs that address the prevention of trafficking and provide alternatives to women and children in danger of being trafficked.
  

War in Iraq

Against the War with Iraq, February, 2003:

As Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, we are committed to a stance of nonviolence and peace. We hold a vision which reverences and affirms the dignity of each person and seeks to bring the Gospel to bear with depth and compassion on the critical issues of our times. There is no more critical issue today affecting the peace and welfare of the whole human family than the impending attack on Iraq by the United States .

Therefore, we declare ourselves to be opposed to our country making a pre-emptive strike against Iraq, taking us into an immoral and unjustified war. An unprovoked attack by the United States would betray our nation's moral principles and heritage to a degree that is unconscionable.

The reasons the thought of such an attack appalls and frightens us are many, among them:

• A war waged against Iraq is without substance or need at this time, and, therefore, would be immoral. Iraq has not directly harmed our country, and there is no hard evidence that Iraq is a threat to us.
  
• The United States, acting unilaterally, would be acting in violation of international law and its own integrity as a signatory of the United Nations Charter. A first strike would be an act of aggression by us and would send a message to other countries that pre-emptive strikes without international support are acceptable.
  
• The ensuing cost of human life and suffering in Iraq, especially that of women and children, would far exceed any possible good that might come of this war. The people of Iraq have already suffered great deprivations and have witnessed the death of thousands of their children because of the sanctions.
  
• In addition to deaths of countless innocent Iraqi citizens resulting from U.S. air strikes, if the U.S. attacks by land, many American service men and.women will also die or suffer the trauma of war.
  
• War in Iraq would further destabilize the Middle East and cause more deaths by violence and hunger. A pre-emptive attack against Iraq will further add to anti-American sentiment and will increase the threat of terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.
  
• Ecological devastation would be an inevitable consequence of the war, causing further damage to an already fragile situation.
  
• The cost of war would be paid by persons in our own country in need of services as military budgets would increase and human services decrease. The shift of public funds to war increases the suffering of the poor, the vulnerable, the sick and the elderly.

As responsible citizens we have a moral obligation to speak to the injustices, particularly those done in our name, and, therefore, we strongly and unreservedly oppose as immoral the initiation of a war with Iraq. Instead of military action, we believe that diplomatic means must be pursued, opportunities for negotiation must be accepted, and the call to restraint must be heeded.

We further oppose the continuation of sanctions against Iraq that impose genocidal suffering against helpless people. We also find horrendous the possibility that the U.S. would consider using nuclear weapons in this impending war. We believe preparing to unleash such destructiveness runs against the life-giving creativity that comes from God. Committed as we are to affirming life and all that nurtures it, we can do no less than stand in opposition to a U.S. war against Iraq.

Capital Punishment

On the Abolition of the Death Penalty, June, 2000:

We, the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, are committed to a stance of nonviolence. We hold a vision which reverences and affirms the inherent dignity of every person and work to transform attitudes and systems which deprive people of dignity. Therefore, we declare our opposition to the death penalty.

• We support a consistent ethic of life that is gospel-based, viewing all life as sacred and all persons as loved by God and redeemable. We stand in solidarity with Pope John Paul II, the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, and people of all traditions who have called for the abolition of the death penalty on religious, moral or humanitarian grounds.
  
• We recognize the need to reach out in compassion to families of both victims and perpetrators, supporting them in their loss and pain.
  
• We recognize the culture of violence in the world in which we live. To assure the safety of society, we hold that life in prison without the possibility of parole is an effective and viable alternative to the death penalty for perpetrators of heinous crimes.
  
• We recognize the necessity to address the roots of violence, to challenge the inequalities in our justice system, and to reform the prison system.

Joining our voices to those who call for an immediate moratorium on the death penalty, we take our stand on the side of life and pledge ourselves to do what we can to see that the death penalty is abolished in our land.

Refugee Sanctuary

On Sanctuary for Central American Refugees, November, 1983:

As persons fleeing the conflict in Central America are seeking asylum and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees has declared these persons "political refugees," the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, in solidarity with the faith community of Christian Churches, have joined the Sanctuary Movement.

Our congregation is hereby a public sanctuary for Salvadoran and Guatemalan refugees. We will therefore:

• provide food, shelter, clothing, and medical assistance until the refugee(s) can become self-sufficient;
  
• provide assistance in finding employment;
  
• arrange school enrollment for children;
  
• arrange/provide for language learning opportunities for adults and children;
  
• provide cultural orientation;
  
• participate in changing U. S. policies which are making sanctuary necessary for Salvadorans and Guatemalans,
  
• encouraging parties to negotiate for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Central America, and
  
• changing the legal status of Salvadorans and Guatemalans in the U. S. to "extend voluntary departure" status with employment rights;
  
• provide a source of personal comfort, encouragement and support to the refugee(s) through the process of adaptation to life in the United States.
  

Nuclear Disarmament

On Bilateral Nuclear Disarmament and the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, November 1982:

We, the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, call upon the United State s Government to take meaningful initiatives towards the goals of bilateral nuclear disarmament and the elimination of nuclear weapons.

We affirm that:

• there is no possibility of winning a nuclear war.
  
• there is no longer any meaningful way to be ahead in the arms race.
  
• a first realistic step toward the process of bilateral disarmament is a nuclear arms freeze, i.e., an immediate halt to any further development or deployment of nuclear weapons by the United States or the Soviet Union.
  
• Nuclear war is preventable but not treatable.

In view of the increased threat of nuclear war posed by the programs and policies of our United States government, we the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael, call upon the United States government to take meaningful initiatives toward the goal of bilateral nuclear disarmament and the elimination of nuclear weapons.

We request that the U. S. government

• change the U. S. military policy to declare that nuclear weapons are not legitimate as political instruments or weapons of war, and that this nation will never use nuclear weapons on a first strike basis;
  
• suspend the present programs of accruing new nuclear weapons' systems including the Trident submarine, the cruise missile, and the MX missile systems;
  
• support the development of creative proposals for converting military weapons' technology to civilians production uses;
  
• propose to the Soviet Union that both countries agree to halt immediately the testing, production and further deployment of all nuclear weapons, missiles, and delivery systems in a way that can be checked and verified by both sides; suspend plans of the Department of Defense to establish a "Civilian-Military Contingency Hospital System."