ACTIVE NONVIOLENCE AND PEACEMAKING |
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TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to Reject Weapons Deals and the Sidelining of Palestinian Rights
Congress is preparing to consider a bill that fully endorses Trump's Abraham Accords and lays a pathway to further entrench Israel's apartheid and ethnic cleansing against Palestinians. H.R. 2748, the so-called Israel Relations Normalization Act, masquerades as “peace” while actually supporting weapons sales and business deals between authoritarian regimes. Jewish Voices for Peace urges us to tell Congress to vote no on this dangerous bill. TAKE ACTION
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Ten Ways to Avoid a Devastating War in Ukraine
In an article for America magazine, nonviolence educator, Eli McCarthy suggests that as the crisis in Ukraine accelerates, President Biden and other leaders have acted wisely in continuing diplomatic efforts. However, McCarthy says, leaders in the United States and Russia too often escalate conflict in Eastern Europe with military deployments, at times dehumanizing opponents and rallying their populations for “just wars.” MORE
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Missouri Supreme Court Asked to Weigh Merits of Second Amendment Preservation Act
The Missouri Supreme Court heard a challenge to the controversial Second Amendment Preservation Act, which effectively prohibits Missouri police from enforcing federal gun restrictions and subjects departments to $50,000 fines if their officers violate the statute. MORE
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Independent American and Russian Women Call for Peace
In a message being shared widely with networks and communities across the world, a group of two dozen independent Russian and American women has released an open letter this week calling for peace. They are deeply concerned about the risk of possible war between their two countries, which together possess over 90% of the world’s nuclear weapons. Standing together with sisters in Ukraine, they have issued a call for peace and diplomacy. MORE
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Veterans For Peace Releases Nuclear Posture Review
The U.S.-based international organization Veterans For Peace has released its own assessment of the current global threat of nuclear war, ahead of the anticipated release of the Biden Administration’s Nuclear Posture Review. The Veterans For Peace Nuclear Posture Review warns that the danger of nuclear war is greater than ever and that nuclear disarmament must be vigorously pursued. MORE
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Amid The Russia/Ukraine Crisis, It's Important to Understand the Demise of the INF Treaty
The escalating hostilities between the Russian Federation and Ukraine have forced many analysts to reconsider the future of the European security environment. These developments have resurrected nightmares of nuclear warfighting long considered a relic of the Cold War. Sixteen experts weigh in on the 2019 demise of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and how it opened the door to major changes in US and Russian nuclear forces. MORE
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The Legacy of Racism within the U.S. Border Patrol
Lawmakers and advocates are calling on the Biden administration to address the inhumane treatment Black immigrants face within the U.S. immigration system. The group points to the recent treatment of Haitians as a prime example of how Black immigrants encounter disparities at every point in the immigration enforcement process. MORE
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Biden Weighs Temporary Protected Status for Afghans
The Biden administration is considering designating Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for Afghanistan along with several other countries. Immigration advocates are pushing the administration to use TPS to expand protections to Afghans in the United States. MORE
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Anti-Immigrant Bills Spark Outrage in Tennessee
Four bills in Tennessee, including one seeking to prevent undocumented children from attending public school, are sparking outrage among supporters of immigrants and immigrant rights. One bill is seeking to prevent undocumented children from attending public schools by denying state funding to schools enrolling undocumented students. MORE
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Funnel Stalls Legislation Prohibiting Eminent Domain for Hazardous Liquid Pipelines in Iowa
Bills were introduced in the Iowa House and Senate that would restrict the use of eminent domain on agricultural land for private development projects, such as the carbon dioxide pipeline projects now being proposed to slice through the state. The Senate bill was not brought up for a vote and the House bill did not even get a subcommittee review by the deadline, so neither bill will advance through the rest of the legislative process. MORE
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Bitcoin Miners Revived a Dying Coal Plant – Then CO2 Emissions Soared
The Hardin generating station, a 115-megawatt coal plant in Montana, is part of a wave of America’s “zombie” fossil fuel plants that have been brought back from the dead by cryptocurrency companies looking to feed the insatiable energy demands of their mining operations. Carbon emissions from the plant in the second quarter of last year soared to more than 5000% over what was expelled in the same period in 2020. MORE
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Forced Labor Still Rife in Uyghur Region, Says U.N. Report
China continues its ‘widespread and systematic program’ of abuse, including forced labor, against the Uyghur and other Turkic and Muslim minorities in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, according to a new report from the International Labor Organization. The report finds that China is in violation of several articles of the Employment Policy Convention of 1964, including the right to freely choose employment. MORE
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Bipartisan Bill Would Require Audits to Detect Forced Labor in Companies' Supply Chains
A bipartisan pair of senators have introduced a bill that would require large companies to undergo an audit that seeks to detect forced labor being used in companies’ supply chains. The bill would mandate an annual audit for companies that earn at least $500 million in revenue a year that are involved in mining, manufacturing, and the production of goods for sale. MORE
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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT |
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How Tech Is Driving New Forms of Domestic Abuse
Perpetrators of domestic abuse are increasingly exploiting digital tools to coerce and control their victims. Where there is abuse in a relationship, technology will also feature in how that abuse is conducted. Police forces now expect as much, when responding to cases of domestic abuse. Such technological abuse features everyday tools, from smart devices to online platforms and mobile phone apps. MORE
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Women’s Experiences of Sexual Assault and Harassment Linked with High Blood Pressure
Women who had ever experienced sexual violence in their lifetime — including sexual assault and workplace sexual harassment — were more likely to develop high blood pressure over a seven-year follow-up period, according to findings from a large, longitudinal study of women in the United States. The research indicated that sexual violence was a common experience, affecting more than 20% of the women in the sample. MORE
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HUMAN RIGHTS AND INCOME INEQUALITY |
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TAKE ACTION: Protect Programs that Support our Vulnerable Sisters and Brothers
Congress has passed another continuing resolution to fund the government through March 11. This delay is hurting our sisters and brothers most in need around the world. By not passing the 2022 federal budget, Congress risks losing the additional $4 billion proposed for poverty-reducing accounts. Catholic Relief Services urges us to tell Congress to pass the budget now and to include the highest funding levels possible for foreign assistance. TAKE ACTION
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Why America Has Been So Stingy in Fighting Child Poverty
The failure of Washington to renew the enhanced Child Tax Credit continues a long tradition in America: Our welfare system has long spent generously on the old, but it has consistently skimped on the young. It's a big reason why the United States has a much higher rate of child poverty than most other affluent countries — and even has a higher rate of child poverty than some not-so-affluent countries. MORE
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Michael Gonzales is scheduled to be executed on March 8 by the state of Texas for the murders of Manuel and Merced Aguirre. Please hold Michael, Manuel, Merced, their families, and the people of Texas in prayer. TAKE ACTION
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