Maybe the world would be a nicer, kinder and less violent place if we looked at each other with a certain blindness. What if I could encounter you — someone with ideas, hopes, dreams and enthusiasm for life — and totally appreciate you without getting caught up in your appearance or shape or size or skin color?

The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, formally approved Dec. 10, 1948, in part as response to World War II, is a foundation for much of the advocacy work that religious congregations working at the United Nations do. But human rights defenders and advocates, including Catholic sisters who represent their congregations at the United Nations, say the commitment to uphold the rights enshrined in the document is under threat.

Celebration's Scripture for Life column - The desert is where our soul finds room to expand, where we can remember what we really thirst for. This is the desert we can choose when we want its blessing.

GSR Today - This is the third set of compiled reports from sisters working at or near the border who have written of the need caused by a recent influx of migrants unrelated to the caravan, and the plight of those seeking asylum.

Horizons - I first became aware of the Monks of Tibhirine, as they are commonly known, in the mid-2000s from a friend who was familiar with their story. Most striking to me was their commitment to building bridges between Christianity and Islam and their commitment to understanding the faith, traditions and lives of their neighbors.

Wearing orange on the 25th of every month is a practice followed by a number of sisters and staff of the Religious of the Good Shepherd, Province of the Philippines-Japan. But on Nov. 25, Good Shepherd-run institutions and centers in the Philippines were ablaze in orange to commemorate the start of the 18-day anti-violence against women campaign.

Living life as a woman religious requires me to remember that faith permeates every aspect of my life. This includes what I buy, what my community invests in, and how I treat other people. It also includes sharing that faith with others, including corporations.

Three congregations, the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Kentucky, Adrian Dominican Sisters and Sisters of the Humility of Mary, are charting toward a sustainable tomorrow by establishing goals that reduce greenhouse emissions and focus on sustainable energy. The sisters are applying principles such as permaculture to all aspects of community life.

Notes from the Field - St. John Bosco began a tradition more than 100 years ago that still is celebrated in Salesian communities around the world to this day: the Fiesta of Gratitude. It can be held at any time, and this year, I had three Thanksgivings.

Nuns and members of religious groups and government agencies who serve people with HIV/AIDS gathered at a recent symposium focused on how to end the disease, share best practices and experiences caring for patients and explore how to work together better.