Whereas:

• The National Catholic Student Coalition is committed to actively participating in the Roman Catholic Church and to representing U.S. Catholic Students in national and international forums;
• The International Movement of Catholic Students encourages solidarity and support for Catholic students around the world;
• The National Catholic Student Coalition is committed to the social teachings of the Church, which include preserving the dignity and lives of all people.

Acknowledging:

“Building peace within and among nations is the work of many individuals and institutions; it is the fruit of ideas and decisions taken in the political, cultural, economic, social, military, and legal sectors of life.  We believe that the Church, as a community of faith and social institution, has a proper, necessary, and distinctive part to play in the pursuit of peace.”[1]

Aware:

• That political violence can take place in the form of:

o       Abduction / Kidnapping,

o       Assault

o       Attempted murder / death threats

o       Disappearance

o       Displacement

o       Lack of freedom of expression / intimidation / victimization

o       Rape

o       School closure

o       Torture

o       Unlawful arrest

o       Unlawful detention

• That the victims of political violence are not only combatants, but also include the often overlooked groups of women, children and youth, the sick and weak, students, indigenous groups, minorities, among others.
• That we must not only condemn political violence but all forms of violence and actively promote a life that cultivates inclusiveness of others as well as empathy.

 Be it resolved that:

• We, the members of NCSC, show our solidarity with the victims of violent acts, praying for the alleviation of their suffering.
• We also stand in solidarity with countless other victims of political violence around the world.
• We support the role that the United Nations has to offer in accountability, preventing the spread of violence and warfare, and promoting a culture of peace.
• We pray and urge that governments not to seek hasty retaliation for attacks on another country where innocent lives may be lost.
• We call on all countries around the world to support and pray for victims affected by political violence, such as those killed and injured in the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai. We also pray for an end to the violence taking place on the Gaza Strip, the genocide in Darfur, the ongoing war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we stand in solidarity with the struggles that the peoples of Burma and Zimbabwe have had to endure.

We call on all Catholic campus ministries to consider these suggestions for actions:

• Work with Catholic Relief Services and development agencies to advocate and raise awareness on issues regarding victims of political violence;
• Work with partner IMCS organizations to foster solidarity and better understanding the variety of the world’s cultures;
• Organize vigils in university communities to educate the faithful on victims’ realities and memorialize those suffering from political violence;
• Urge elected U.S. officials to be voices for peace and to act on issues which safeguard the human rights of men, women, and children around the globe.

Sponsored by the International Relations Committee of the National Catholic Student Coalition at the 25th Annual NCSC Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.