From left, Brother Timothy Coldwell, Brother Larry Schatz, Brother Dennis Malloy and Brother Robert Schieler sign the statement.
The leadership of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in the USA-Toronto Region signed a statement on November 19, 2011 advocating for the promotion and protection of the rights of children and committing themselves to helping children achieve their full human dignity. The Regional leadership team includes Bro. Robert Schieler, General Councilor; Bro. Dennis Malloy, District of Eastern North America (DENA); Bro. Larry Schatz, Midwest District; Bro. Timothy Coldwell, New Orleans-Santa Fe District (NO-SF); and Bro. Donald Johanson, San Francisco District.
This public expression of support and solidarity for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child which was adopted in 1989 and ratified by all countries, except the US and Somalia, calls upon political and religious leaders, as well as civil society organizations in this country and throughout the world, to move towards achieving real progress in the protection of children’s rights. Today 14.1 million children in the US are economically poor and much work remains to be done.
The historic signing of the “Standing for Children” statement highlights this year’s Huether Lasallian Conference which brought together 250 Lasallian educators in the U.S. and Toronto, Canada to the nation’s capital. The three-day event at L’Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington, DC, November 17 to 19, focused on putting faith into action in Lasallian education. Three keynote presentations inspired participants with their perspectives on the conference theme and over 20 breakout sessions provided participants with a broad spectrum of topics on civic engagement and social justice. Keynote speakers include Rev. Gerald F. Kicanas, D.D., Bishop of Tucson; Bruce Lesley, President of First Focus; and Marian Wright Edelman, President and Founder of Children’s Defense Fund.
The weekend gathering closed with the celebration of the Distinguished Lasallian Educator Award Banquet hosted by St. John’s College High School in Washington, DC. Award recipients are as follows:
• Brother John Johnston Award–Brother Frederick Mueller
• Distinguished Lasallian Educator Award, DENA–Michael Foley, Brother Michael McKenery, William Price
•Distinguished Lasallian Educator Award, Midwest–Tracie Burke, Christopher J. Winiarski
• Distinguished Lasallian Educator Award, NO-SF–Diahann Larson
• Distinguished Lasallian Educator Award, San Francisco District–Michael Daniels
The Huether Lasallian Conference and the Awards Banquet are annual events organized by the Christian Brothers Conference with offices in Washington, DC.