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An open letter to the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Rt Hon Helen Clark
Cluster Bombs & NZ Super Fund
26 February 2008
The Right Honourable Helen Clark
Prime Minister Parliament House
WELLINGTON
Dear Prime Minister
In writing this letter we want first to assure you of our thanks for the many very good initiatives taken by
your government during the last three terms. We recognize and appreciate the quality of leadership you
have offered consistently to the Parliament and the nation.
We commend the Government’s willingness to host the recent international conference on Cluster Bombs.
The banning of these weapons and of land mines and similar indiscriminate means of warfare is an urgent
necessity if the world is to know any lasting peace. Thank you for being willing to consider a ban on such
weapons.
In the publicity surrounding this conference, we became aware that significant sums of the New Zealand
annuation Fund were, as of 2006, invested in 8 companies which are known to be involved in the production
of cluster munitions. If this remains the case, we would consider it totally unacceptable. We think there is a
fundamental contradiction in investing funds designed to support the life of New Zealand’s elderly in companies
which benefit from killing or maiming innocent people.
We seek information about an investment policy which has enabled this to happen, and about any measures
the Government is planning to disinvest from these and similar companies.
We will send copies of this letter to the Ministers more directly involved as the information we seek may more
appropriately come from them.
Yours sincerely,
Members of the Mission Committee of the NZ Dominican Sisters and Friars
Cc: The Honourable Michael Cullen; The Honourable Phil Goff; The Honourable Winston Peters
26 February 2008
The Right Honourable Helen Clark
Prime Minister Parliament House
WELLINGTON
Dear Prime Minister
UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGNEOUS PEOPLES
We have followed for many years the progress of this declaration through the various stages of the
UN process. We know from direct experience of the incredible efforts made by tangata whenua
of this country to contribute to the framing of the declaration and to pursue its acceptance by the
international community. This contribution from Maori has been made at considerable personal cost,
and to a large degree, at their own expense.
All through this long process we have been saddened by the apparent resistance of successive
governments to the aspirations of Maori and of other indigenous peoples. We were further saddened
and ashamed to know that New Zealand was one of the four countries that refused to sign the declaration.
A recent news item from Canberra (17 Feb 2008) indicates that the Labour led Australian Government
is consulting with stakeholders about reversing Australia’s opposition to the declaration. Encouraged by
Australia’s willingness to review its earlier decision, we urge the New Zealand Government to reconsider
the choice made in 2007. We would love to be able to celebrate a new level of recognition by our
Government of the place of Maori among the millions of indigenous people in the world.
With best wishes
Yours sincerely
Members of the Mission Committee of the NZ Dominican Sisters and Friars
Cc: The Honourable Parekura Horomia
The Honourable Tariana Turia; The Honourable Pita Sharples The Honourable Winston Peters
Some thoughts about preaching
As we continue to reflect on our Dominican founding 800 years ago we find that the
context for the original preaching of Dominic and Bishop Diego included public
disputations having the character of theological debates. At the same time, they
engaged in revivalist preaching both inside and outside church buildings. We know
of historical examples of incidents in which such disputations and missions of preaching
occurred. The work of evangelization that inspired the foundation of the Order was not
normatively homiletic preaching during Eucharist, but catechetical preaching in any
contexts where adult faith formation could take place.
What then does our history show us about the Dominican charism of preaching?
We see three elements:
(a) The Dominican preaching charism is a faithful and compassionate response to an
uncatechized (or poorly catechized) world.
(b) It is a broad weaving together of words and contexts: study, proclamation, teaching
and earnest conversation, on the one hand, and books, churches, universities, and multiple
other social contexts, on the other.
(c) The charism is also a title for members of the Order--not only ordained, but all members
--to participate in the broad structures of a highly diversified apostolic existence.
So what is the role of women in the ‘holy preaching’?
Times have certainly changed since Dominic’s day; but here are some important signs of our
own times:
(a) In many parts of the world, not only are women the clear majority of churchgoers, but the
majority of ecclesial ministers as well.
(b) In mission countries, it is still largely non-ordained catechists who are responsible for faith
formation and community organization for the majority of Catholics in parishes and mission
churches.
(c) In North America, northern Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Central and South America,
and elsewhere, where no presbyters are available to serve in many parishes as residential pastors,
the majority of those who become local parish leaders in the absence of a priest are lay (and largely
women).
(d) In most parts of the world, the responsibility for catechetical formation falls upon the laity, prominently to women who are not religious.
Some questions for us as Dominican family to ponder in light of the above signs of the times :
• How do we reinterpret what it means to preach “for the salvation of souls” in our present day conditions ?
• In what ways is collaborative preaching by women and men, lay and ordained, essential to the Church’s witness to the Gospel ?
• How does profession in the Order of Preachers provide a title for preaching as a participation in the essential mission of the Order ?
Some thoughts about preaching
As we continue to reflect on our Dominican founding 800 years ago we find that the context for the original preaching of Dominic and Bishop Diego included public disputations having the character of theological debates. At the same time, they engaged in revivalist preaching both inside and outside church buildings. We know of historical examples of incidents in which such disputations and missions of preaching occurred. The work of evangelization that inspired the foundation of the Order was not normatively homiletic preaching during Eucharist, but catechetical preaching in any contexts where adult faith formation could take place.
What then does our history show us about the Dominican charism of preaching?
We see three elements:
(a) The Dominican preaching charism is a faithful and compassionate response to an uncatechized (or poorly catechized) world.
(b) It is a broad weaving together of words and contexts: study, proclamation, teaching and earnest conversation, on the one hand, and books, churches, universities, and multiple other social contexts, on the other.
(c) The charism is also a title for members of the Order--not only ordained, but all members--to participate in the broad structures of a highly diversified apostolic existence.
So what is the role of women in the ‘holy preaching’?
Times have certainly changed since Dominic’s day; but here are some important signs of our own times:
(a) In many parts of the world, not only are women the clear majority of churchgoers, but the majority of ecclesial ministers as well.
(b) In mission countries, it is still largely non-ordained catechists who are responsible for faith formation and community organization for the majority of Catholics in parishes and mission churches.
(c) In North America, northern Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Central and South America, and elsewhere, where no presbyters are available to serve in many parishes as residential pastors, the majority of those who become local parish leaders in the absence of a priest are lay (and largely women).
(d) In most parts of the world, the responsibility for catechetical formation falls upon the laity,
prominently to women who are not religious.
Some questions for us as Dominican family to ponder in light of the above signs of the times :
• How do we reinterpret what it means to preach “for the salvation of souls” in our present day
conditions ?
• In what ways is collaborative preaching by women and men, lay and ordained, essential to the
Church’s witness to the Gospel ?
• How does profession in the Order of Preachers provide a title for preaching as a participation in
the essential mission of the Order ?
-summaries taken from a submission by Paul Philibert, Mary O'Driscall et al.