CMSOnAir

This episode of CMSOnAir features an interview with Joanna Williams, director of education and advocacy for the Kino Border Initiative (KBI). KBI is a bi-national organization based in Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico that works to “affirm the dignity of the human person and a spirit of bi-national solidarity” through:

Direct humanitarian assistance and accompaniment with migrant;

Social and pastoral education with communities on both sides of the US-Mexico border; and

Participation in collaborative networks that engage in research and advocacy to transform local, regional, and national immigration policies.

Williams serves as the primary coordinator of the educational and advocacy programs offered by KBI in the United States. She also helps develop and realize the organization’s advocacy policy and plan.

In this episode, Williams details KBI’s efforts to provide humanitarian aid, education, and advocacy to deportees from the United States, migrants who have crossed the border without authorization, and Central American asylum-seekers. She recounts the impact of various changes by the Trump administration on KBI’s work and migrant communities, including the elimination of prosecutorial discretion and the implementation of policies (such as the Migrant Protection Protocols/Remain in Mexico policy) that force asylum seekers to wait in Mexico. Williams also discusses the recent report, “Communities in Crisis: Interior Removals and Their Human Consequences,” co-authored with CMS and the Jesuit Conference’s Office of Justice and Ecology. The study examines the characteristics of deportees and the effects of deportation, and places the findings in a broader policy context.

Learn more about the Kino Border Initiative at www.kinoborderinitiative.org, and follow KBI on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

To download the Communities in Crisis report and get more information on CMS’s research, publications, and events, visit cmsny.org.

This CMSOnAir episode features an interview with Her Excellency Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, president of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly. President Espinosa Garcés speaks with Kevin Appleby, CMS’s senior director of international migration policy, on global migration issues in advance of the upcoming intergovernmental conference to adopt the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration, which will be held in December 2018 in Marrakesh, Morocco.

This CMSOnAir episode features an interview with Her Excellency Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, president of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly. President Espinosa Garcés speaks with Kevin Appleby, CMS’s senior director of international migration policy, on global migration issues in advance of the upcoming intergovernmental conference to adopt the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration, which will be held in December 2018 in Marrakesh, Morocco.

This episode features a conversation with His Eminence Joseph William Cardinal Tobin, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey.

Ordained in 1978, Cardinal Tobin served as a pastor in Holy Redeemer Parish in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan until 1990. He also served in a number of diocesan assignments within the Archdiocese of Detroit, including: Episcopal Vicar; member of the Presbyteral Council, and; official in the Metropolitan Tribunal. In addition, throughout much of his career, Cardinal Tobin served in a number of positions within the Redemptorist Congregation, including as the General Consultor of the Community in Rome from 1991 until 1997, and as Superior General of the Redemptorists in Rome from 1997 until 2009.

On August 9, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Cardinal Tobin to the Roman Curia post of Secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CICLSA), and titular Archbishop of Obba. On October 18, 2012, Pope Benedict appointed him to serve as the Sixth Archbishop of Indianapolis. In 2016, Pope Francis elevated him to the College of Cardinals and appointed him as the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark.

This episode features a conversation with His Eminence Joseph William Cardinal Tobin, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey.

Ordained in 1978, Cardinal Tobin served as a pastor in Holy Redeemer Parish in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan until 1990. He also served in a number of diocesan assignments within the Archdiocese of Detroit, including: Episcopal Vicar; member of the Presbyteral Council, and; official in the Metropolitan Tribunal. In addition, throughout much of his career, Cardinal Tobin served in a number of positions within the Redemptorist Congregation, including as the General Consultor of the Community in Rome from 1991 until 1997, and as Superior General of the Redemptorists in Rome from 1997 until 2009.

On August 9, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Cardinal Tobin to the Roman Curia post of Secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CICLSA), and titular Archbishop of Obba. On October 18, 2012, Pope Benedict appointed him to serve as the Sixth Archbishop of Indianapolis. In 2016, Pope Francis elevated him to the College of Cardinals and appointed him as the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark.

The Community of Sant’Egidio, a Catholic lay association, provides services to and advocates on behalf of underprivileged, disadvantaged, and low income social groups around the world. Started in Rome by Andrea Riccardi in 1968, the Community has grown to 60,000 members across more than 73 countries and four continents. In this episode, CMSOnAir speaks with Paola Piscitelli, president of the Community’s chapter in the United States, on one of the Community’s innovative programs – The Humanitarian Corridors Project.

The project was launched on December 16, 2015 when the Community of Sant’Egidio, the Federation of Protestant Churches, and the Waldensian and Methodist Churches in Italy joined with the Italian Interior and Foreign Ministries to protect migrants and refugees making the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean to Europe. The Humanitarian Corridors Project aims to:

• Prevent deaths at sea and exploitation by human traffickers;

• Provide legal and safe entry to vulnerable people;

• Plan reception and integration processes; and

• Self-fund with no costs to the host country.

Under the initiative, 1,000 of the most vulnerable refugees (e.g., women, children, the disabled, the sick, and the elderly) in Lebanon were allowed to travel to Italy over a two-year period with humanitarian visas. The success of the project has led to the opening of new humanitarian corridors agreements to allow 500 refugees from Eritrea, Somalia and South Sudan in Ethiopia to resettle in Italy and 500 Syrian and Iraqi refugees in Lebanon to resettle in France.

In this episode, Piscitelli describes the history of the Community of Sant-Egidio and explains its Humanitarian Corridors Project, including the process of identifying refugee beneficiaries and the communities to host them, the services and programs coordinated to welcome refugees, and the importance of ecumenical partnerships to serve people in need.

The Community of Sant’Egidio, a Catholic lay association, provides services to and advocates on behalf of underprivileged, disadvantaged, and low income social groups around the world. Started in Rome by Andrea Riccardi in 1968, the Community has grown to 60,000 members across more than 73 countries and four continents. In this episode, CMSOnAir speaks with Paola Piscitelli, president of the Community’s chapter in the United States, on one of the Community’s innovative programs – The Humanitarian Corridors Project.

The project was launched on December 16, 2015 when the Community of Sant’Egidio, the Federation of Protestant Churches, and the Waldensian and Methodist Churches in Italy joined with the Italian Interior and Foreign Ministries to protect migrants and refugees making the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean to Europe. The Humanitarian Corridors Project aims to:

• Prevent deaths at sea and exploitation by human traffickers;

• Provide legal and safe entry to vulnerable people;

• Plan reception and integration processes; and

• Self-fund with no costs to the host country.

Under the initiative, 1,000 of the most vulnerable refugees (e.g., women, children, the disabled, the sick, and the elderly) in Lebanon were allowed to travel to Italy over a two-year period with humanitarian visas. The success of the project has led to the opening of new humanitarian corridors agreements to allow 500 refugees from Eritrea, Somalia and South Sudan in Ethiopia to resettle in Italy and 500 Syrian and Iraqi refugees in Lebanon to resettle in France.

In this episode, Piscitelli describes the history of the Community of Sant-Egidio and explains its Humanitarian Corridors Project, including the process of identifying refugee beneficiaries and the communities to host them, the services and programs coordinated to welcome refugees, and the importance of ecumenical partnerships to serve people in need.

This episode features a conversation with the co-facilitators leading the development of the Global Compact on Migration – Ambassador Juan Jose Gómez Camacho, Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations and Ambassador Jürg Lauber, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations. Among the issues discussed, Ambassador Gómez Camacho and Ambassador Lauber speak with Kevin Appleby, CMS’s senior policy director of international migration, on the challenges posed by rising xenophobia and hostile political climates and the role of civil society, particularly faith-based institutions, in informing and negotiating the final document.

This episode features a conversation with the co-facilitators leading the development of the Global Compact on Migration – Ambassador Juan Jose Gómez Camacho, Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations and Ambassador Jürg Lauber, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations. Among the issues discussed, Ambassador Gómez Camacho and Ambassador Lauber speak with Kevin Appleby, CMS’s senior policy director of international migration, on the challenges posed by rising xenophobia and hostile political climates and the role of civil society, particularly faith-based institutions, in informing and negotiating the final document.

CMSOnAir features an interview with Ron Nixon, a Washington correspondent for the New York Times who covers homeland security issues. Mr. Nixon has reported from Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa, Belgium, Mexico, Malaysia, Senegal, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He also teaches investigative reporting and data journalism at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. Mr. Nixon is author of the book Selling Apartheid: Apartheid South Africa’s Global Propaganda War.

Among other topics in this episode, Mr. Nixon and Donald Kerwin, CMS’s executive director, discuss Donald Trump’s executive orders, immigration enforcement at the US-Mexico border, and the Department of Homeland Security (which at the time of this interview was still headed by Secretary John Kelly who just this week replaced Reince Priebus as White House Chief of Staff). 

To get more information on CMS’s research, publications and events, visit us at cmsny.org.