Sharing of fr. Michael Deeb, O.P.

My name is Michael Deeb, delegate of the Order in the United Nation, General Promoter of the Justice and Peace.

We have talked a lot in the General Chapter about delegate at the United Nations. The Capitulars have been very positive about supporting and strengthening the delegation at the UN. These people may still be wondering why we in the UN and what is the use of it?

The Order realizes that what we have archived the task to evangelize all nations. The place at the UN is the place where we can meet all nations all over the world, 193 of them in one room, any time we can address them and we can engage to them about all the issues we think we want to be promoting. We know we’re there because we want to promote Justice and Peace in the world. To be able to evangelize we have to bring the Good News of Jesus, which is the Good News of Justice and Peace. The Order decided 23 years ago we established the presence in the UN.  Precisely, to have more impact on the world, because we involved in justice and peace from the beginning of time, and enable us to talk a lot about it. And we focus on a very local level and regional level and even global level at the time. By focusing on the UN, we try to say that we want to promote at every level of our lives as Dominicans, want to promote justice and peace at every level starting from our local communities, our provinces and raising to the UN context where we can have more contact with the global level.

So what do we do in the UN? We do not work separately from what Dominicans are working from everywhere else. In fact, we advocate for things that are coming to us from Dominican on the ground. That why our first task is if you want to engage in the UN is to hear what are the issues, the challenges the Dominicans at the local levels are experiencing and how are you ready to try to treat them already at that level. If you have tried to deal with it at this level and observed the obstacles, then we come in at a broader level to see how can we support you. And how we can advocate for the cause you have advocated for at the higher level, in the UN. So to be effective in evangelizing and promoting the Good News of Jesus at this level, we join with you to start by looking at whatever issue that you are facing at the local context. We are aware that human right has been violated, we know people are suffering to the great victim. And how are you as Dominicans at the local level and as family collaborate as a whole for the human family. We are trying to address those challenges. How do we try to bring those Good News? And if you had done that, please let us know what you are doing how could you do that so we can share those stories with peoples in places. So they, in turn, can be inspired to look at their challenges in their own places. And if you are finding that the issues are much bigger than you can address at the local level, let ask us how can we can support you, so be advocated by the UN.