ACTIVE NONVIOLENCE AND PEACEMAKING |
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TAKE ACTION: Urge President Biden and Congress to Ban Assault Weapons
Thoughts and prayers are not enough. Because Americans deserve a strong response from the federal government, 290+ gun violence prevention groups, chapters, and allies have joined the Campaign Against Assault Weapons to #BanWeaponsOfWar to keep our families and communities safe. The Newtown Action Alliance invites us to sign their coalition petition. TAKE ACTION
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Russia and Ukraine Blame Each Other After Peace Talks Stall
The Kremlin has stated that Ukraine was showing no willingness to continue peace talks, but officials in Kyiv blamed Russia for the lack of progress Russia. The last known face-to-face peace negotiations were on March 29. Officials said contacts had continued remotely but both sides said this week that the talks had stagnated. MORE
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What an American Terrorist Looks Like
Media often jump to an analysis of mass shootings around gun control and mental illness. But what about their connection to electoral politics? Or misogyny in the face of feminist movements? In fact, the rise in these public-place mass shootings and extremist violence correlates with the rise in rhetoric on White supremacy, xenophobia, and misogyny. In the data, a picture emerges of the American terrorist and what sets him off. MORE
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Forgetting the Apocalypse: Why Our Nuclear Fears Faded – and Why That’s Dangerous
The horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki made the whole world afraid of the atomic bomb – even those who might launch one. Today, someone remembering the bomb that well would have to be 86 at least. The memory of nuclear war, once vivid, is quietly vanishing. Today that fear has mostly passed out of living memory, and with it, we may have lost a crucial safeguard. MORE
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Potential US Responses to the Russian Use of Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons In Ukraine
When the rhetoric from the Russian political and military leadership turns to the possibility of a war pitting the United States and its NATO allies against Russia, the mention of nuclear weapons is usually close behind. While insisting that Russia seeks to avoid nuclear war at all costs, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warns that the “danger is serious, real, and we must not underestimate it.” MORE
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Border Patrol Disbands Units Accused of Covering Up Abuse
After a wave of accusations of abuse cover-ups and pressure from Congress and activists, Border Patrol will be terminating all its Critical Incident Teams by Oct. 1. Several Congress members have expressed a lack of confidence in the units and applaud the termination. Coverups have resulted in immense deficits in statistical data from the southern U.S. border. MORE
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Immigration Reform Cannot Be Delayed, Pope Says in Message
Countries must seriously reform immigration policies so they respect the rights of migrants and refugees, said Pope Francis in a message for World Day of Migrants and Refugees. Welcoming migrants presents challenges but it can revitalize a nation and the local church, expanding knowledge of world cultures and religious traditions, he said. MORE
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Private Prisons Are Closing, but Private Immigration Detention Is Not
Privately-owned company Immigration Centers of America is in the process of solidifying a three-way deal with the town of Farmville, Va., to build a 125,000-square-foot detention center at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Opponents of the immigration detention center are pushing back, insisting that the addition will create a bigger rift within their communities. MORE
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TAKE ACTION: Ask President Biden to Use His Power to Act on Climate
The climate crisis, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and rising energy prices underscore the urgent need to break free from fossil fuels. The Biden administration must use all the power and the tools at their disposal to tackle climate change and improve public health. The National Resources Defense Council urges us to call on the White House to use all the tools at its disposal to address the climate crisis now. TAKE ACTION
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Decarbonizing US Energy System Would Save 50,000 Lives and $600 Billion a Year: Study
A new study urges immediate decarbonization of the U.S. energy system, finding that slashing air pollution emissions from energy-related sources would bring near-term public health gains including preventing over 50,000 premature deaths and saving $608 billion in associated benefits annually. The report focuses on emissions from the electric power, transportation, building, and industrial sectors which account for 90% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. MORE
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Could Eating Less Meat Reduce Rates of Deforestation?
Livestock, mainly cattle, directly emits methane during digestion, adding up to 37% of total emissions from human activities. Currently, cattle ranching accounts for 80% of deforestation in the Amazon. One study stated that over half of CO2 emissions from the average American diet come from eating meat. Another study found that going vegetarian for a year would save over one metric ton of CO2 emissions from the average American's carbon footprint. MORE
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Ethiopian Drought Leading To ‘Dramatic’ Increase in Child Marriage
Cases of child marriage in parts of Ethiopia experiencing drought have nearly quadrupled since last year amid hunger and displacement, UNICEF warns. "These people [have their daughters married] because they're desperate for one reason or another. They're afraid of violence, they're afraid for the safety of the girls, they need resources, they can't afford to feed them," says UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. MORE
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Bi-Partisan International Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022 Introduced
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators has introduced the International Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022 to reauthorize and enhance critical programming, policy, and funding essential to the United States’ efforts to reduce and prevent human trafficking around the world. The bill also ensures that the progress of countries toward reducing trafficking is a factor when determining recipients of U.S. development assistance. MORE
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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT |
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The Depp-Heard Case Places a Spotlight on Relationships and Intimate Partner Violence
Former Hollywood couple Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are engaged in a legal battle over public comments about their relationship. Although this is not a criminal case, intimate partner violence is a key character in this trial. Depp is suing Heard for $50 million over an op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post claiming she defamed him. MORE
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Massachusetts DA's Initiative to Clear Backlog of Untested Rape Kit Leads to First Cold Case Rape Indictment
An initiative by a Massachusetts district attorney to clear a backlog of more than 1,100 untested rape kits from his jurisdiction has resulted in an indictment in a 2010 sexual assault. The victim submitted to a sex assault evidence collection kit at the time, but it was never fully tested. It was finally tested in February and resulted in the discovery of DNA that matched the suspect. MORE
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HUMAN RIGHTS AND INCOME INEQUALITY |
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TAKE ACTION: Support Voting Rights
States all over the country are actively working to dismantle voting rights for Black, Brown, and Indigenous people. While our system is set up for states to control this issue, the Federal government can take a stand to protect the voting rights of all Americans. The Peace Alliance invites us to tell our elected officials to clear the way to vote yes on the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and preserve our democracy. TAKE ACTION
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Biden Administration Unveils Action Plan to Boost Affordable Housing
The Biden administration has announced a plan to boost the supply of affordable housing amid rising home prices and overall high inflation. Administration officials say the action will help close the affordable housing gap and "ease the burden of housing costs," noting that housing prices are a key driver of inflation. US home prices rose 19.8% year-over-year in February. Meanwhile, rents are up nearly 20% from two years ago. MORE
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In the more than 150 years since the end of the Civil War, Black American wealth remains a fraction of that held by White Americans. Just after emancipation in 1865, African Americans owned 0.5% of national wealth. By 2019, that percentage had not risen above 2%. While closing this divide is essential to achieving racial equity in this country, it’s important that we apply the right tools for the job. MORE
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Frank Atwood is scheduled to be executed on June 9 by the state of Arizona for the murder of Vicky Hoskinson. Please hold Frank, Vicky, their families, and the people of Arizona in prayer. TAKE ACTION
Ramiro Gonzales is scheduled to be executed on July 13 by the state of Texas for the murder of Bridget Townsend. Please hold Ramiro, Bridget, their families, and the people of Texas in prayer. TAKE ACTION
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