During the UCLAF meeting which took place in Guatemala from the 20^th - 25^th of April, it was agreed upon to participate in the Cathedral at the presentation of the final report of a Church sponsored, three year, "Inter-Diocesan Project to Recover the Historic Memory", known as REHMI. The one thousand four hundred page report titled "Guatemala: Never Again" blamed the soldiers and paramilitaries for 85% of the 150,000 murders committed during the 36 year conflict until the December 1996 peace accords put an end to the war.

What made a lasting impression on the delegates was the brutal murder of Bishop Juan Gerardi Conedera within fifty hours of the report's release. He directed the Archdiocesan Human Rights Office and was the intellectual author of the process. If they can so callously murder such a high profile bishop, what might happen to the more than six hundred collaborators who helped file the report and the thousands of people who gave evidence?

During the course of the meeting, the delegates heard testimonies about the mostly Mayan Church sustained by a deeply committed laity and nourished by the blood of so many martyrs. They also visited the apartment of Quiche from where Bishop Gerardi had to flee along with all but one priest during the worst years of the violence between 1980 and 1984.

The testimony of our friars who have been accompanying of late in the remote and mountainous areas the people most affected by the war, as well as the loving care shown to the most abandoned and sick of the Guatemalan society in the Blessed Pedro De Betancur hospital were noteworthy experiences.

From Guatemala the delegates voiced their concern for the deteriorating political and social situations in both Mexico and Colombia as seen in the systematic and generalized abuses against human rights, expressing this concern in writing to the Presidents of both countries.

Responding to an invitation of the 17 solemnly professed friars, two simply professed and six novices in Cuba, the Vice-Director of the International JPIC Office in Rome (Gear÷id Francisco O'Conaire) visited their country from April 30^th to May the 6^th.

He listened to the friars and heard about the innumerable difficulties encountered in day to day living and evangelization there. The recent Papal visit has brought enormous support to the local Church and has been a source of encouragement to religious and lay people alike. Everybody commented on a noteworthy increase in the numbers attending religious services.

The overall impressions and the friars' opinions will be communicated to the Provinces via the JPIC Coordinators at the earliest possible convenience. Please keep the friars and their work in your prayers.

On the 27^th and 28^th of April the JPIC Coordinators of the Mexican Provinces met in Coyoucan, Mexico in the recently opened JPIC Office of the Holy Gospel Province. As well as evaluating the progress and the difficulties in each of the Provinces, it was decided to continue the series of "Peace Missions" agreed upon last year. A peace mission will take place in Manantl½n, Mexico, from Monday the 26^th to the 31^st of October 1998. There are a number of inter-related problems threatening the indigenous population with respect to land issues and open cast mining which need to be highlighted. Should you be interested in taking part, please contact Fray Juan Manuel Corona, telephone number (+52-3) 6070943 or via fax (+52-3) 6564733.

The English Speaking Conference JPIC (ESC-JPIC) and guests met in Pittsburgh, USA, from the 13^th to 16^th of May. As well as the usual business, the participants were challenged on the theme of non-violence through a series of real life examples as recounted by friar Joe Nangle OFM and Marie Denis, the Maryknoll JPIC Coordinator at their Washington Office. A most stimulating talk on "conflict management" was also given by Fr. Bill Headley CSSP, the head of the Conflict Management Department at Duquesne University and the JPIC Director for the Spiritans during the 80s in Rome.

Among the many interesting points he made was that too often in JPIC work the justice aspect tended to be emphasized at the expense of the peace aspect. As well as working for justice we need to promote strategies for peace and reconciliation, which unless in place make life extremely difficult when a country overcome the oppressor(s) or a peace agreement is signed. He also congratulated the friars for including "integrity of creation" so unique to our spirituality as part of our justice and peace work.

It was decided to approach the Holy Name Province to help set up a JPIC presence in Washington for advocacy work which could bring concerns from Latin America and other developing countries to the heart of where political decisions affecting them are often taken. The Brazilian Conference expressed this need two years ago.

The next meeting of the ESC-JPIC will take place in Anderson, SC, from the 18^th to the 22^nd of November. The Conference will also support and take part in the School of Americas Watch protest which takes place in front of Fort Bragg on Saturday, the 21^st of November.

The Executive Committee of the International Council for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation met here at the Curia from the 24^th to the 28^th of May. This was the first meeting of the newly established group which was previously called the Animation Committee. The friar members are: Peter Schorr (Definitor and Director of JPIC Office), Francisco ” Conaire (Vice-Director, JPIC Office), John Quigley (Franciscans International, Geneva), Rodrigo AmÚdÚe Peret (Brazil), JÄrgen Neitzert (Germany) and Boïe Vuleta (Croatia). The purpose of the meeting was to seek ways to create a consciousness of JPIC among the friars as a "constitutive part" of our spirituality as friars minor. The General Definitory's decisions taken on the recommendations of the International Council for JPIC (proposed at the conclusion of its meeting in Rome last September) formed the basis of the reflections.

The Executive Committee also examined the General Chapter's proposals especially on our prophetic call to show solidarity with refugees, displaced people as well as our ongoing preparation to celebrate the jubilee of the year 2,000.

The continuing, systematic violations of human rights in Colombia are cause for grave concern. This is especially true after the army's most recent intimidation of the Inter-religious Justice and Peace Commission when the army recently ransacked their offices and stole confidential information and testimonies documenting the human rights abuses.

We also studied ways to network with other Franciscan groups including Franciscans International as well as other NGOs.