Margaret O'Dwyer
Author
People’s University Highlights Dignity of Persons Affected by Homelessness
Can you imagine just one day, When you can wake well rested, Make your coffee and breakfast, Get ready to enter the world in a visible way, Camouflaging yourself Fitting right in and Knowing for just one day There’s an equal chance You to(o) may win All your losses...
Plastic – A Day of Trying to Break Dependence
I’m a prisoner to plastic. It’s hard to admit. My brain is plastered with multiple social media images of “plastic soup.” It lingers there like Muzak—constantly in the background but without my paying it much attention. But recently, the time came to examine my own...
A Response to Human Trafficking—Address Vulnerability
Many people read extensively to stay updated on human trafficking, but feel stuck in finding practical ways to combat it. A Holy See event during the recent Commission on the Status of Women at the UN illustrated that we all can engage in addressing a key component of...
Saint John’s Interns Boost UN Advocacy Through Social Media
Interns enhance our work at the UN in immeasurable ways. One is their savvy with technology, which constantly either speeds advocacy efforts or provides a creative twist to it. Using Prezi instead of power point for a presentation. Spreading the word...
Children on the Move
Unforeseen circumstances uproot couple. They take shelter in a manger for lack of better accommodations. The birth of their child instills hope and joy in many, but fear of a murderous leader causes them to escape to another country. When repatriated, the family is...
Vincentian Family Collaborative Action Program (VFCAP)
Do you or your Vincentian organization want to help find creative ways of systemically addressing poverty on local, regional and global levels? The Vincentian Family Collaborative Action Program (VFCAP) can help! Since its inception in 2013, VFCAP has motivated over...
Students Share Time with Vincentian Family U.N. Representatives
Wednesday, November 1 was All Saint Day, and I found myself sitting in a meeting room at The Church Center at United Nations Headquarters in New York with a group of approximately 35 college students from Saint John’s University. Included as part of the group were a...
Ten Takeaways From 2017 Sustainable Development in Africa Report
A new report released in New York recently reveals Africa’s progress towards achieving goals articulated in both the UN’s 2030 Agenda and Africa’s own Agenda 63. The first report to simultaneously track both agendas, it is titled, “2017 Report on Sustainable...
Vincentians at the U.N.: bringing our unique relationship with the homeless to the table
The Vincentian Family at the United Nations decided to focus our efforts this year on the issue of homelessness. According to the most recent report by the UN, which was 2005, there were an estimated 100 million people who were homeless worldwide. As many as 1.6...
United Nations Observes International Day of Peace
The United Nations in New York is bustling with world leaders, their entourages, and security teams as the 72nd UN General Assembly is underway. Fittingly, as vital issues are hashed out in conference rooms and assembly halls today, the world observes International...