Statement of Resolution
To support human rights and democracy, LCWR shall participate in the Mexico/US Election Project through collaboration with the cross-border coalition being developed. The project will provide U.S. observers to the Mexican elections in 2000 and host Mexican observers to the U.S. primaries and national election.

Rationale
By this project, U.S. women religious will take specific action to protect human rights by supporting the development of democracy. This project supports previous LCWR Assembly resolutions on non-violence, human rights, and immigration. It will give women religious an opportunity to have first-hand experience of the Mexican situation and perspective.

Call for Specific Action
1. The justice person on national staff shall coordinate LCWR’s participation within the coalition.
2. LCWR will announce in UPDATE the opportunity for member congregations to send observers to the Mexican elections (July 2, 2000) and to host observers from Mexico at the time of the U.S. elections.
3. Individual congregations will advertise this opportunity to their members and support some of their sisters as election observers in Mexico and be hosts for observers from Mexico. Coalition NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) will train, organize and coordinate teams.

Additional Facts/Related Circumstances
As women of the Gospel, we are committed to supporting faith based communities in our country and around the world. We seek to be both collaborative and mutual in our efforts. We strive to stay away from colonial errors of the past and support the emergence of democracy. In our post-NAFTA world, it is very important that we take a mutual, “regional” approach (Mexico, U.S. and Canada) to justice issues. In Ecclesia in America, Pope John Paul II affirms growing support throughout the continent for democratic political systems and writes that the Church must support lay people involved in law-making and government (#19). In some areas of the U.S., Hispanic voters are harassed as they attempt to vote. In Mexico, there is a history of corruption in the election process. LCWR can work in collaboration with other justice-oriented faith-based groups to support the emergence of the voice of the poor by their very presence. This action regarding political participation complements LCWR’s work for economic justice through alleviating the international debt of the world’s most impoverished nations.

Origin of the Proposal: This proposal was first developed in November 1998 by a bi-national group of 50 persons representing 40 NGOs from the US and Mexico. These groups included representatives from LCWR, CMSM and other faith-based groups. 

Budget: This project can be organized within existing LCWR budget and staff considerations. Congregations or regions would pay for the costs of their members’ participation.

Supported by:        Regions 1, 6, 10, 11, 14, and 15
Contact person:    Simone Campbell, SSS, (213) 746-2117
 
 

The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) has approximately 1,000 members who are the elected leaders of their religious orders, representing 76,000 Catholic sisters in the United States. The Conference develops leadership, promotes collaboration within church and society, and serves as a voice for systemic change.