May 27, 2020
Action Alert Digest
ACTIVE NONVIOLENCE AND PEACEMAKING
Trump to Pull US Out of Third Arms Control Deal

The US has declared its intention to leave the Open Skies Treaty, which is intended to reduce the risk of war by allowing Russia and western nations to conduct observation flights over each other’s territory. Washington informed the other 33 parties to the treaty of its intention to deliver a formal six-month notice of withdrawal, accusing Russia of violations.  MORE
Trump Wants Troops in Afghanistan Home by Election Day

Senior military officials are set to brief President Trump in the coming days on options for pulling all American troops out of Afghanistan, with one possible timeline for withdrawing forces before the presidential election, according to officials with knowledge of the plans. The proposal for a complete withdrawal by November reflects an understanding that such a timeline may be Mr. Trump’s preferred option because it may help bolster his campaign.  MORE
NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT
TAKE ACTION: Stop Trump from Testing Nuclear Weapons

News broke last week that senior national security officials have discussed conducting an explosive nuclear test for the first time since 1992. The test would reportedly be a political move to persuade China to join arms control negotiations with the United States and Russia. If the U.S. resumes nuclear testing, it is likely that other nuclear-armed nations will follow in their footsteps. Global Zero urges us to tell Congress to withhold any spending for nuclear testing.   TAKE ACTION
How to Reduce Both Nuclear and Pandemic Threats After COVID-19

What will governments learn from this pandemic and what must they do differently in the future to safeguard their populations? Success will require abandoning old concepts of national security and allocating resources wisely to address the growing challenges of public health threats. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists suggests that the funding for readiness should be redirected from other areas of traditional defense spending, particularly nuclear weapons.  MORE
IMMIGRATION
TAKE ACTION: Tell ICE to Release and Reunite Families

The dramatic spread of COVID-19 through ICE detention centers is extremely alarming, and the numerous reports of sanitation shortages and inappropriate treatment by guards are outrageous. Given that social distancing is impossible in detention centers, ICE should release everyone and reunite all families before their detention becomes a death sentence. The National Domestic Workers Alliance invites us to sign a petition demanding families be released and reunited. TAKE ACTION
Asylum Seekers Could ‘Remain in Mexico’ For Years Amid Pandemic

The indefinite extension of travel restrictions across U.S. borders could also extend the months-long wait most asylum seekers affected by the Trump administration’s “Remain in Mexico” program face for a court hearing into one that lasts for years. The recent order to remove migrants apprehended at the border has wreaked further confusion among nearly 60,000 asylum seekers sent to Mexico.  MORE
To Figure Out Who's a Citizen, Trump Administration Is Using These Records

A citizenship question is not included on the 2020 Census, but a backup plan has the Census Bureau scouring government records to discover the citizenship status of adults in the United States. Among the pulled information is data from law enforcement systems, IRS tax forms, Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare. Put together, these records could be used to yield data that could radically change political mapmaking and shift the balance of political power across the United States over the next decade.    MORE
ENVIRONMENT
Vatican Office Invites Church on Journey To 'Total Sustainability' In Next Decade

The Vatican's peace and justice office is inviting Catholic communities across the world to join a grassroots movement to gradually work toward "total sustainability" in the coming decade, a path that would include carbon neutrality, simpler lifestyles, and divestment from fossil fuels. The hope is by starting small, the movement will eventually reach a "critical mass" with more and more corners of the church taking part over time.  MORE
Corn and Soybean Production May Move Out of Iowa Due to Warming Temperatures

The production of corn and soybeans makes up a huge part of Iowa’s economy, but studies show that warming in the Midwest caused by climate change may cause the ideal growing conditions for the crops to move north into Minnesota and the Dakotas in the next 50 years. Data indicates that this northward shift has already begun and is likely to continue if there is no intervention. MORE
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Advocates Work to Thwart Traffickers Who Continue to Thrive Despite Pandemic

Advocates working to thwart human traffickers are alerting children, parents, and vulnerable adults that the coronavirus pandemic has pushed traffickers into new venues, potentially endangering more people to being exploited. The danger is leading the advocates to call for funding of anti-trafficking programs in any new federal legislation in response to the public health crisis.  MORE
One Every Eight Minutes: India's Missing Children

It is estimated that a child goes missing in India every eight minutes. Many are trafficked as part of a nationwide trade which is separating children from their families. Millions end up in forced labor, domestic slavery, and sex work, in what’s become a lucrative industry. But despite this, it rarely dominates headlines, there’s little public outrage, or political will to end it. The BBC investigates India's child trafficking networks and speaks to some of the victims.  MORE
Human Trafficking Research: Professors Win Major Grants

To face the epidemic of human trafficking, it is important to understand the motivation behind the perpetrators. Early research reveals that many traffickers are brought up in families of pimps, who groomed them for the trade, some from as young as age 9. Now a pair of professors at the University of Massachusetts is set to embark on further study on how those in the commercial sex trade are groomed for the job and how they are connected, both socially and commercially. MORE
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT
Sweeping Rape Kit Reforms in Missouri Head to Governor 

Legislators in Missouri passed Senate Bill 569, mandating best practices for the submission and tracking of DNA evidence. The proposal requires that law enforcement pick up a rape kit from a medical facility within 14 days and submit it to the crime lab within 14 days. The bill also expands survivor rights and establishes protocols for tracking DNA evidence. The bill now awaits the Governor’s signature.  MORE
Does Armed Conflict Increase a Woman’s Risk of Suffering Intimate Partner Violence?

The devastating consequences of rape in war and other forms of conflict-related, gender-based violence including child sexual abuse, have been documented extensively. Although women are less likely to die in armed conflict compared to men, those who survive are vulnerable in other ways. In addition to the existing hardships they face during peacetime, during conflict women can experience reduced empowerment, poverty, and forced displacement.  MORE
POVERTY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
TAKE ACTION: Deliver Direct Aid to Families in Need, Not Corporations and the Rich

The House has passed the HEROES Act, which includes a wide range of essential provisions, including aid to our states to prevent cuts to essential services; funding for health; aid for struggling families; a boost to SNAP nutrition assistance; extensions of jobless benefits and paid leave; repeals $250 billion in tax handouts to millionaire business owners and more. The Coalition on Human Needs urges us to tell the Senate to pass legislation that addresses those same priorities.   TAKE ACTION
USDA To Purchase $470M In Surplus Meat, Dairy and Produce

The USDA announced it will spend $470 million to buy surplus food during the pandemic. The department said this will allow more products to be distributed to communities nationwide while giving financial support to struggling producers. By stepping up purchasing efforts, USDA will help alleviate the surplus and provide food to communities that are struggling.  MORE
75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice

How do people feel about race? Although survey data collected since the 1940s do show that racial attitudes held by whites and African Americans have changed, that change is much more complicated than generally assumed. As state and federal policies have been adopted to battle racial inequality there have been changes in some aspects of the nation’s racial climate. But has there been universal change in the hearts and minds of Americans? Apparently, not. Here are some suggestions of ways white people can work to bring about racial justice. MORE
DEATH PENALTY

Carlos Trevino is scheduled to be executed on June 3 by the state of Texas for the murder of Linda Salinas. Please hold Carlos, Linda, their families, and the people of Texas in prayer.  TAKE ACTION