ACTIVE NONVIOLENCE AND PEACEMAKING |
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Making Peace Between Israelis and Palestinians – Is Now the Time for a Different Approach?
The violence in May 2021 between Israelis and Palestinians was the latest deadly eruption of a decades-long conflict that has proved immune to attempts at forging a comprehensive peace. Two Middle East experts assess what can be done now to promote peace: both imagine there’s a way forward, though their scenarios are very different. MORE
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Mexico Sues Gun Companies in U.S., Accusing Them of Fueling Violence
For years, Mexican officials have complained that lax U.S. gun control was responsible for devastating bloodshed in Mexico. Last week, they moved their campaign into American courts, filing a lawsuit against 10 gun companies. The suit accuses the companies of actively facilitating the flow of weapons to powerful drug cartels and fueling traffic in which 70 percent of guns traced in Mexico are found to have come from the United States. MORE
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Baltimore Bets on a New Type of First Responder: The Librarian
The city of Baltimore has witnessed over 190 homicides just this year. In an attempt to bring healing to the community, the city is teaching its staff how to spot and assist people dealing with trauma. In 2021, recognizing the reach of the public library branch system, city librarians and staff are taking it a step further, helping to address the root causes of violence. MORE
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US Urges Iran's New President Ebrahim Raisi to Resume Nuclear Talks
The US has called on Iran's new president to return to talks on reviving a historic nuclear deal. The window for diplomacy would not remain open forever, a spokesman for the US state department warned. Tensions between the US and Iran have soared since 2018 when then-President Donald Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal and restored sanctions. Ebrahim Raisi has said he would support "any diplomatic plans" to end sanctions on Iran. MORE
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UN Chief Laments Slow Progress on Nuclear-Free Goal
Underlining UN commitment to achieving a nuclear-free world, Secretary-General António Guterres has urged governments to strengthen efforts to make this goal a reality. “The only guarantee against the use of nuclear weapons is their total elimination”, he said. Although the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons entered into force this past January, he expressed deep concern over the lack of progress towards achieving a nuclear-free world. MORE
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Catholics Must Act on Francis' Mandate to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
Pope Francis declared in 2019 that "the use of atomic energy for purposes of war is immoral, just as the possessing of nuclear weapons is immoral." Today the Biden administration is requesting $43 billion for nuclear weapons in its budget for fiscal year 2022. Pax Christi asks: Should not all Catholics, including President Joe Biden and all other Catholic politicians, be following the lead of Francis in advocating for total nuclear disarmament? MORE
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TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Support a Pathway to Citizenship in the Reconciliation Package
Congress has the opportunity to pass legislation that will help not only DACA recipients but also essential workers, like farmworkers, and TPS holders, get on a pathway to citizenship. If Congress keeps a pathway to citizenship in the next reconciliation package it will not only help thousands of families but it will also help our economy. MomsRising invites us to tell Congress to include a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients in the next reconciliation package. TAKE ACTION
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Why Immigrants Are More Likely to Become Entrepreneurs
We know that immigrants around the world are more likely to start companies than native-born populations but we have a limited understanding as to why. New research suggests personality-based self-selection — in particular, a propensity for risk-taking — may be a hidden driver. MORE
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TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Invest in Infrastructure & Create Green Jobs
President Biden has proposed the American Jobs Plan, a historic investment in infrastructure that will create good-paying, clean energy jobs. It will rebuild our nation’s transit systems, modernize our electric grid, repair and replace outdated water pipes, and expand access to high-speed broadband. NetGen America urges to tell Congress to pass the American Jobs Plan and fully invest in infrastructure and clean energy jobs. TAKE ACTION
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IPCC Climate Report: Profound Changes Are Underway in Earth’s Oceans and Ice – What the Warnings Mean
Humans are unequivocally warming the planet, and that’s triggering rapid changes in the atmosphere, oceans, and polar regions, and increasing extreme weather around the world, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns in a new report. In it, 234 scientists from around the globe summarized the current climate research on how the Earth is changing as temperatures rise and what those changes will mean for the future. MORE
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Biden, in a Push to Phase Out Gas Cars, Tightens Pollution Rules
President Biden last week announced a multistep strategy aimed at rapidly shifting Americans from gasoline-powered cars and trucks toward electric. The new rules, which would apply to vehicles in the model year 2023, would cut about one-third of the carbon dioxide produced annually by the United States and prevent the burning of about 200 billion gallons of gasoline over the lifetime of the cars, according to a White House fact sheet. MORE
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As Disposable Glove Costs Skyrocket, So Do Risks of Forced Labor
Before the pandemic, a two-year contract for the supply of gloves for the U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS) cost about $400m. The pandemic has caused NHS costs to rise dramatically, especially for Personal Protective Equipment with many workplaces buying items like gloves in bulk for their employees. It was only a few months ago that the U.K. was caught sourcing disposable gloves from a Malaysian company guilty of modern slavery. MORE
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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT |
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‘A Poison in the System’: The Epidemic of Military Sexual Assault
For decades, sexual assault and harassment have festered through the ranks of the armed forces. Women make up only 16.5 percent of the armed services, yet nearly one in four servicewomen report experiencing sexual assault in the military. Of the more than 6,200 sexual assault reports made in fiscal year 2020, only 50 — 0.8 percent — ended in sex-offense convictions under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. MORE
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IPhone, IPad Update Will Detect and Report Child Sexual Abuse Images
Apple announced new features last week that will scan iPhone and iPad users' photos to detect and report large collections of child sexual abuse images stored on its cloud servers. "We want to help protect children from predators who use communication tools to recruit and exploit them, and limit the spread of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)," Apple said in a statement. MORE
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HUMAN RIGHTS AND INCOME INEQUALITY |
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TAKE ACTION: Pass the PRO Act
Every day, we hear about American corporations openly union-busting and retaliating against working people without consequence. The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act would empower workers to form unions and bargain over wages and work conditions and hold corporations accountable for union-busting. The Coalition on Human Needs urges us to tell Congress to pass the PRO Act. TAKE ACTION
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California Launches Largest Free School Lunch Program in U.S.
When classrooms in California reopen for the fall term, all 6.2 million public school students will have the option to eat school meals for free, regardless of their family’s income. The undertaking, made possible by an unexpected budget surplus, will be the largest free student lunch program in the country. MORE
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Grassroots Fight For $15 Movement Has Won $150 Billion In Raises for Millions of Workers
The Fight for $15 grassroots labor rights movement has been applauded for years by progressive lawmakers and advocates for its tireless efforts to secure fair pay and the right to organize for all workers—and last week, new research showed how the group has been instrumental in changing the lives of tens of millions of people across the country. MORE
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John Ramirez is scheduled to be executed on September 8 by the state of Texas for the murder of Pablo Castro. Please hold John, Pablo, their families, and the people of Texas in prayer. TAKE ACTION
Rick Rhoades is scheduled to be executed on September 28 by the state of Texas for the murders of Charles Allen and Bradley Allen. Please hold Rick, Charles, Bradley, their families, and the people of Texas in prayer. TAKE ACTION
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