ACTIVE NONVIOLENCE AND PEACEMAKING |
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TAKE ACTION: Tell Lockheed Martin to Begin Conversion to Peaceful Industries
Lockheed Martin is by far the largest weapons producer in the world. From Ukraine to Yemen, from Palestine to Colombia, from Somalia to Syria, from Afghanistan to Ethiopia, no one profits more from war and bloodshed than Lockheed Martin. World Beyond War urges us to sign their petition to Lockheed to urge immediate conversion from weapons manufacturing to peaceful industries for economic, environmental, and survival reasons. TAKE ACTION
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Pulling Away Putin’s Pedestal: Opportunities and Challenges for Nonviolent Resistance
In Russia, there are encouraging signs of mass civilian-based noncooperation. Last month the entire staff at an independent Russian TV station walked out live on air while declaring “no to war” after being shut down over their coverage of the Ukrainian invasion. The week before, over 200 clerics from Russia’s influential Orthodox Church signed a petition to withdraw troops from Ukraine. Increasingly, individual dissent is joining up in potent collective action. MORE
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Our Skyrocketing Military Spending Helps Pentagon Contractors—Not Ukraine
Lindsay Koshgarian of the National Priorities Project points out that the latest U.S. $782 billion military budget won't help Ukraine. The only winners are for-profit military contractors. The U.S. alone already spends 12 times more on its military than Russia. When combined with Europe's biggest military spenders, the U.S. and its allies on the continent outspend Russia by at least 15 to 1. MORE
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What Countries Have Nuclear Weapons, and Where Are They?
Both Russia and the U.S. have thousands of nuclear weapons, most of which are five or more times more powerful than the atomic bombs that leveled Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. These include about 1,600 weapons on standby on each side that are capable of hitting targets across the globe. Currently, Russia also has nearly 2,000 shorter-range nuclear weapons- which are not covered by any treaty - about 10 times as many as the United States. MORE
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Nuclear Arms Control: Still Necessary, But More Difficult Than Ever
Russia’s war against Ukraine has worsened an already deteriorating political relationship with the United States and NATO. Some question whether arms control is even possible in the new world order that was already taking shape before Russia invaded Ukraine. And although the challenges facing future nuclear arms control are daunting, they are not impossible to meet. MORE
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Iran Wants U.S. To Show Goodwill by Lifting Some Sanctions Prior To Nuclear Deal
President Joe Biden should lift some sanctions on Iran to show his goodwill towards reviving the international nuclear agreement with Tehran, Iran's foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said earlier this week. Negotiations have now stalled as Tehran and Washington blame each other for failing to take the necessary political decisions to settle remaining issues. MORE
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African Refugees See Racial Bias as U.S. Welcomes Ukrainians
When U.S. plans were announced to resettle 100,000 Ukrainians, many Black immigrants and refugees — while not begrudging the decision — noted racial bias in humanitarian programs. Temporary Protected Status doesn’t have limits for how many countries or people are placed on it and could be used to protect millions more people, said Lisa Parisio, CLINIC director of advocacy who helped launch Catholics Against Racism in Immigration with NETWORK Lobby. MORE
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US Migration Policy Is Enriching Cartels at the Busiest, and Most Dangerous, Part of the US-Mexico Border
In the U.S. border town of Reynosa, Mexico, migrants try to organize themselves to stay safe. More than 2,000 people from many countries are packed into a square block, living under tents and tarps, amid port-a-potties and cooking fires. Women and children are moved to tents closer to the center of the square, to protect them from kidnappers. Many nights, men raid the square, guns drawn, taking people away and holding them for ransom under brutal conditions. MORE
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TAKE ACTION: Call for a Global Plastics Treaty
Plastic pollution is one of the most fundamental issues threatening the health ecosystems worldwide. Last year, Peru and Rwanda introduced a new draft resolution to create a global legal framework regulating the use of plastic. EarthDay .org invites us to sign a petition calling upon the leaders of governments with the support of our communities, businesses, and non-governmental organizations to sign the new Global Plastics Treaty. TAKE ACTION
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How Much Energy Powers a Good Life? Less Than You're Using, Says a New Report
How much energy does it take to have a good and healthy life? A new study has found that the answer is far less than the average American is using. Comparing energy use and quality of life across 140 countries, researchers found that the magic number is 75 gigajoules a year, or less. For context, one gigajoule of energy is equal to about 8 gallons of gasoline. Americans use 284 gigajoules a year per capita, nearly four times that much energy. MORE
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NY Leaders Commit to Nation's First Fully Zero-Emission School Bus Fleet
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced an agreement on a budget that includes a historic plan to fully electrify the state's fleet of school buses. Specifically, the Electric School Bus Initiative plan calls for all new bus purchases to be electric starting in 2027, and for the state's whole fleet to be by 2035. Environmental groups applauding the move said it puts New York on the path to becoming the first state in the nation with a zero-emission school bus fleet. MORE
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Cadbury Chocolates Faces Child Labor Claims on Its Cocoa Farms
The firm which owns global chocolate brand Cadbury faces allegations that children, as young as ten, are being used to harvest cocoa on its farms. Footage was released showing youngsters with machetes cutting down cocoa pods on farms in Ghana that supply Mondelez International. Farmers, according to activists, cannot afford to hire adult workers. MORE
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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT |
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UN Warns of Rape and Sexual Violence Against Women and Children in Ukraine
The United Nations has called for the increasing reports of rape and sexual violence against Ukrainian women and children during the Russian invasion of the country to be independently investigated. Reports of sexual violence and other war crimes by Russian troops have been emerging from areas retaken by Ukrainian forces, including Bucha, a suburb of the capital city Kyiv. MORE
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Homeland Security Watchdog Omitted Damaging Findings from Reports
An investigative report reveals that the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general and his top aides directed staff members to remove damaging findings from reports on domestic violence and sexual misconduct by officers in the department’s law enforcement agencies. One investigation found that more than 10,000 employees had experienced sexual harassment or sexual misconduct at work. MORE
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HUMAN RIGHTS AND INCOME INEQUALITY |
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TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Extend Crucial School Meal Waivers
At the beginning of the pandemic, Congress gave the U.S. Department of Agriculture the authority to issue waivers that have allowed schools to provide free meals to children, providing essential nutrition. But those waivers are set to expire at the end of June. Thirty million children rely on meals from the program. The Center for Science in the Public Interest invites us to tell Congress to extend the Child Nutrition Waivers. TAKE ACTION
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Florida Governor DeSantis Given Power to Gerrymander State’s Electoral Maps
The Florida legislature will allow Governor Ron DeSantis to take the lead on redrawing the state’s congressional districts, a highly unusual move that will probably diminish Black political power in the state. Lawmakers are awaiting a revised plan from DeSantis, but his original proposal gave Republicans a 20-8 advantage in the state’s delegation. DeSantis appears focused on eliminating two congressional districts with sizable non-white populations. MORE
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‘Too Many People, Not Enough Food’ Isn’t the Cause of Hunger and Food Insecurity
Nearly one in three people in the world did not have access to enough food in 2020. Many assume world hunger is due to “too many people, not enough food.” But this belief moves us away from addressing the root causes of hunger and malnutrition. In fact, inequity and armed conflict play a larger role. The world’s hungry are disproportionately located in Africa and Asia, in conflict-ridden zones. MORE
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Oscar Smith is scheduled to be executed on April 21 by the state of Tennessee for the murders of Judy Smith, Jason Burnett, and Chad Burnett. Please hold Oscar, Judy, Jason, Chad, their families, and the people of Tennessee in prayer. TAKE ACTION
Carl Buntion is scheduled to be executed on April 21 by the state of Texas for the murder of James Irby. Please hold Carl, James, their families, and the people of Texas in prayer. TAKE ACTION
Melissa Lucio is scheduled to be executed on April 27 by the state of Texas for the murder of Mariah Alvarez. Please hold Melissa, Mariah, their families, and the people of Texas in prayer. TAKE ACTION
Richard Moore is scheduled to be executed on April 29 by the state of South Carolina for the murder of James Mahoney. Please hold Richard, James, their families, and the people of South Carolina in prayer. TAKE ACTION
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