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Sharing the work of our representative at the UN. Fr. Joseph P. Foley, C.M. , NGO representative at the UN, participated in three key events: the 43 rd Commission for Social Development; a briefing at the UN on the ethics of Sustainable Development, and “Ecumenical Advocacy Days.” The Commission for Social Development . The thrust of the NGO involvement in this year’s Commission was: to reduce extreme poverty by half by 2015; to rekindle political will around the issues of social integration; and “decent work.” Ethics Briefing . The Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmiud Martin, formerly the Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, gave an excellent briefing to the members of the Permanent Missions and to the NGO community. The title of the briefing is: “Socio-ethical Thought on the Economic, Social and Environmental Dimensions of Sustainable Development.” Ecumenical Advocacy Days . Because of the perceived opportunity that exists right now for some movement away from violence in the Middle East, leaders of churches and Church-based organization as well a religious NGOs met to strategize and meet with policy makers in the USA. The focus of the meetings was three-fold: to make lawmakers in the USA aware of the desperate plight of Christians in the Holy Land; to get funds for humanitarian assistance and infrastructure rebuilding to the Palestinians as quickly as possible; and to urge that the final disposition of Jerusalem not be pre-determined by the situation on the ground, but by “final status” negotiations. Fr. Foley can provide a copy of the Archbishop’s talk and follow-up information on these events to interested confreres; jpfcm@att.net