While we affirm the importance of the Society’s initiative, we now recognize ours is not a separate, parallel campaign, but a particular focus in a continuum of interrelated issues such as sustainable agriculture, third world debt and issues of migration of peoples. We are more deeply aware of the fact that we have a contribution to make to the international, multi sector TRIPs/Patenting of Life campaign which ultimately aims to eliminate article 27.3.b from the laws governing international trade under the WTO.

We shared at length our various RMU initiatives and discussed the difficulties surrounding the campaign, especially its relationship to the wider issues of food sovereignty and genetic engineering. Within this context we affirm our diverse Columban contributions to that wider campaign particularly in the local contexts in which we work. We believe that the TRIPs/Patenting of Life emphasis gives us a specific focus to our RMU efforts.

The God of life calls us into mission in the world. What is more, food is at the heart of our Christian experience: not only in how we bless the food that we eat each day but also how we consecrate the bread and wine in the Eucharist. TRIPs and the Patenting of Life challenges us to discern more deeply that the Eucharist makes the Church. Such sensitivities as these animate us in our work and challenge us to further embrace an ecological conversion. Central to our sharing was a deepening recognition of the importance faith makes to shaping our commitment to the TRIPs/Patenting of Life campaign and the broader issues of genetic engineering. The moral perspective we bring to the international debate is one of our strengths.

Furthermore, the experience of the organic farming and sustainable agricultural projects supported by the Columbans in the Philippines highlighted for us the urgency of continued and intensified solidarity with the nearly 3 billion people who depend on small scale, local farming for their existence.

Therefore we recommend the following to our General Council and RMU leaders:

- The appointment of a person to act as a link between the RMUs and support their varied local activities
- The development of a website dedicated to collating and highlighting Columban efforts on GE and TRIPs
- The need and importance to continue on-going education for all the membership, particularly in the light of the rapid push to not only patent life but also pollute the environment with genetically engineered organisms
- That Columbans with expertise in the various disciplines of theology be invited to depth the implications for the church and our faith from the development and deployment of genetically engineered organisms in food and agriculture
- That in 2006 or 2007 the Columban Society co-sponsor a further conference in the area of TRIPs and genetic engineering.

We pay tribute to Sean McDonagh for his prophetic work. Not only has he challenged us personally but has placed the Columbans prominently in the debate on TRIPs/Patenting of Life.