Quadrennial Report Final

Sisters of Charity Federation

(formerly Elizabeth Seton Federation – officially changed on 22 July 2008)

Headquarters

Sisters of Charity Center 6301 Riverdale Avenue, Bronx, NY 10471, USA Phone: 718-879-5268; Fax: 718-549-6712 maryanndalysc@msn.com http://www.sisters-of-charity-federation.orgSpecial Consultative Status Approved: May, 2001 This report covers the years 2006-2009
Report submitted by:Caroljean Willie, SC, Ph.D. – NGO Representative

NGO Office

211 E. 43rd Street #504, New York, NY 10017, USAPhone: 646-678-0210; Fax: 315-220-6486; email: cjwilliengo@gmail.com
Second contact person:Mary Ann Daly, SC – Director of Sisters of Charity Federation6301 Riverdale Avenue, Bronx, NY 10471Phone: 718-879-5268; Fax: 718-549-6712email: maryanndalysc@msn.com

Introductory Statement

This Sisters of Charity Federation is an international federation of organizations formed in 1947 to strengthen the bond of union among congregations of women religious in the Charity tradition in order to support and promote their work with those living in poverty. The Federation endeavors to alleviate and eliminate all forms of poverty through advocacy, witness, systemic change, and direct service. The sixteen member organizations also work towards the establishment of peace, human rights, sustainable development, social and economic development, as well as intercultural and interreligious understanding. The Federation currently has members in 38 states in the United States, 9 Canadian provinces and 25 other countries.

The Federation became affiliated with the ECOSOC as a non-governmental organization with Special Consultative Status in 2001. This affiliation has provided a means of collaboration through which we work to bring about systemic and structural change so as to eliminate the root causes of poverty. Since our affiliation was granted, there have been no changes in our sources of funding. Two of our member organizations have merged: the Vincentian Sisters of Pittsburgh have joined the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. The title of the federation was officially changed from the Elizabeth Seton Federation to the Sisters of Charity Federation in July of 2008 at the Substantive Session of the Economic and Social Council. The purpose, membership and activities of the organization remained the same.

Report Summary Statement

Since our affiliation with the ECOSOC, the members of the Federation continue to improve their awareness of and support for the goals and activities of the United Nations. The Federation maintains a full-time representative and an administrative assistant in New York. In addition, two members of the organization in the New York area are active on various NGO committees. The main representative is responsible to disseminate information about the United Nations and to encourage members’ participation in UN activities and global advocacy. Individual members are responsible to report on best practices and advise the NGO New York office of continuing needs in their areas of expertise and work, and to advocate, at least monthly for UN issues affecting the poor.

Participation in ECOSOC and subsidiary bodies (2006-2009)

The Federation was represented at and participated with NGOs at the following:

Commission for Social Development: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
The NGO representative is an active member of the NGO Committee for Social Development (CSocD – a committee of the Conference of NGOs, CONGO), currently serving on the executive as secretary. The representative has submitted written statements and collaborated with others on oral statements presented at the Commission. The Federation has also sponsored or co-sponsored side events at the Commission and in 2008 chaired the task force that organized the Civil Society Forum held on 3 February. The Federation is involved in extensive work for poverty eradication, health and social services particularly in developing countries, and funds anti-poverty as well as disaster relief projects. The NGO representative is also a member of the NGO Sub-committee on Poverty Eradication where she serves as a member of the core team.Written statements include:

Commission on the Status of Women: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

The Federation is a member of the NGO committee on the Status of Women (a Committee of the Conference of non-governmental organizations, CONGO). The Federation has submitted written statements to the Commission on the Status of Women. The Federation conducts, staffs and finances numerous projects for the advancement of women in health, education and development.

Written statements include: E/CN.6/2009/NGO/21;  E/CN.6/2009/NGO/22

Commission for Sustainable Development: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

The Federation has participated in the Commission and is a member of the NGO Committee (CONGO). The Federation has also sponsored or co-sponsored side events during the Commission and initiated, staffed and financed projects for sustainable and environmental development.

Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

The NGO representative and members of the Federation have been supportive observers at the Forum each year, working with other NGOs, and forwarding information to our members who work with indigenous populations.

Financing for Development Committee: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

The Federation has several members on the Financing for Development (FfD) NGO committee and one member currently serves on the executive of the committee. The Federation has been active in the FfD process since its beginning by participation in the NGO caucus on debt, by attending the Monterey Conference in Mexico in 2002 and follow-up meetings, through collaboration in written and oral statements to FfD, by attendance at high-level sessions on the financial crisis and by initiation of several advocacy actions on FfD issues. In 2007 the Federation chaired the task force that organized the Civil Society Forum held in April.

ECOSOC High Level Segments: 2007, 2008, 2009

Through collaboration with the NGO committee on Social Development (CONGO), the organization has contributed in statements and discussion to the various segments and meetings.

Cooperation with UN Bodies and/or specialized agencies in the field and/or at Headquarters

NGO Conference of Department of Public Information: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

The organization is affiliated with DPI. For the years 2006 and 2007 the Federation was represented at the annual conference held at United Nations’ Headquarters in New York with a minimum of 12 delegates who then reported back on the event to their membership. Since there were only three passes available for 2008 for the conference in Paris, the Federation sent three representatives. The NGO representative and associates attend the weekly DPI briefings and disseminate material from such briefings through organizational newsletters.

Through newsletters, monthly action alerts, workshops and other mailings, in English and French, the NGO representative has distributed materials regarding the United Nations, the Millennium Development Goals, Financing for Development, Human Rights and numerous meetings and issues at the UN.

Other Relevant Activities: 2006-2009

Since 2006 the organization has worked to alleviate poverty through financial support, initiating projects and/or providing personnel in the following geographic regions: Central America and the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, South America and inner city areas in major cities throughout the United States and Canada. Activities include:

• Financial support and administrative oversight for water and sanitation projects in Peru, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, India and Nepal ($600,000)
• Financial support and staffing for micro-financing programs for women in Nigeria, Malawi, Haiti, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, and India ($65,000)
• Providing scholarships to the Coady Institute in Antigonish, Canada (a center for teaching development and micro-financing skills) for people from developing countries
• Investing $30,000 in Zambia for a widows/orphans AIDS skills empowerment center to expand and initiate business skills training and communication services.
• Participating in a new initiative of Health and Education in Sudan ($300,000)
• Initiating a Social Work Training Program in Bihar, India which will allow the young to have professional skills and to be employed in the social action/work field as middle level workers
• Providing transitional housing at several sites for those living in poverty in the United States
• Opening a Peace Center in Guatemala to facilitate reconciliation, healing of memories, and learning peace-making alternatives
• Initiating a computer-based literacy education program for women and children in Guatemala that networks with 14 craft cooperatives and works in conjunction with a technology firm for technical support
• Providing funding for literacy education in Haiti ($15,000)
• Investing $20,000 in TransFair, A United States’ certifier of fair trade goods worldwide
• Providing financial support for educational programs in Tanzania and Ghana
• Sponsoring personnel and finances for direct service projects with the homeless in Canada and the United States
• Providing university scholarships for single mothers in Canada
• Providing donations for disaster relief in Indonesia, Peru, Bangladesh, China, Myanmar and the United States ($5,000-$100,000)
• Providing financial support for Iraqi women and an Iraqi refugees’ trauma project ($3,500)