On Speaking Up Against Racism and Islamophobia

What do you do when you hear someone make a demeaning comment about a person, whether it reflects racism, religious intolerance, or an assumption about a person’s immigrant status? Often, we want to say something, but freeze. We might fear escalating the situation or we simply don’t know how to respond in the moment. Read more from Mary's Pence

Some announcements

Maryknoll Requests Action

House Resolution 567 opposes recently adopted European Union (EU) guidelines that call for products made in Israeli “settlements” to be labeled as coming from settlements, which are illegal under international law, rather than labeled "Made in Israel." Click HERE to contact your representative and ask them NOT to co-sponsor H.R. 567. For nearly 50 years, the United States has opposed the construction of Israeli “settlements” in occupied territories. The U.S. government should adopt the EU guidelines. Instead, House Resolution 567 opposes the EU labeling requirements and blurs the line between Israel and the occupied territories by promoting the label “Israel or Israeli-controlled territory.”  

Eliminating Human Trafficking in Production Supply Chains 
During National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month, please consider urging your members of Congress to support an important piece of anti-trafficking legislation. HR 3226 and S 1968 Business Supply Chain Transparency on Trafficking and Slavery Act of 2015 would require the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to create a rule mandating big companies to annually report their efforts to eliminate human trafficking and forced labor within their supply chains. This will enable consumers and investors to support companies that align with their values. Sisters at Nazareth Court and Center and the Motherhouse are taking action. Please join them! 

H.R. 4038 (American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015) Vote Blocked in Senate  

Thank you for continuing to stand in solidarity with our immigrant and refugee brothers. Your calls to Senators kept this anti-refugee bill from proceeding. Had it passed the Senate, it would have ground to a halt the resettlement of Syrian and Iraqi refugees in the United States. While the vote was close (55-43), our voices were heard loud and clear that as people of faith and as Americans, we do not support legislation that discriminates against vulnerable populations. See how your Senator voted here. Please take the time to thank those who voted “Nay” and stood with the refugee community.

SOA Updates

Earlier this month eighteen former military officials in Guatemala were arrested on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity in one of the largest mass arrests of military officers Latin America has ever seen. Twelve of them were trained at the SOA.

The arrests are linked to two cases in particular, both of which have gone before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. The first case concerns the operations that occurred at the military base in Cobán. In 2012, exhumations by forensic anthropologists led to the uncovering of at least 550 victims disappeared between 1981 and 1988. The second is for the disappearance of Marco Antonio Molina Theissen, a 14-year-old boy disappeared by the G-2 military intelligence forces on October 6, 1981. 

The U.S. was deeply involved during the 36-year-long armed conflict that marked Guatemala. Guatemalans continue their struggle to break down the wall of impunity and the culture of silence and fear, and the steps being taken by survivors to bring cases forward have been nothing short of brave and courageous. SOA Watch maintains that in order for there to truly be justice, those responsible in the U.S. for the training and funding one of Latin America's most brutal conflicts must be held to account in any and all courts applicable. The Congregation of St. Agnes supports SOA Watch, and continues to cry out “Close the SOA!” You can help. Ask your Representative to cosponsor HR 1232 Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act.

Faith Groups and Corporate Social Responsibility

During a most recent meeting of Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) of which the Congregation of St. Agnes is a member, a story was done on Religion and Ethics about corporate responsibility on an number of social issues. Click on video to view.

Racism Is a Faith Issue

By Jim Wallis 01-07-2016

Author’s Note: I applaud InterVarsity’s support for Black Lives Matter, which the group announced at its Urbana15 gathering last week. Racism is indeed an issue of faith that the church must address. It’s an issue of missing the imago dei within each and every one of us. This excerpt from my forthcoming book America’s Original Sin looks at the depths of that faith issue and how interwoven it is with our American story. I hope you’ll use it as a resource as we continue to have these important conversations. Read more.

Woman of Courage 2016!

UNANIMA is proud to announce that the recipient of our 2016 Woman of Courage Award is Meera Karunananthan! Meerawas born in Sri Lanka and educated in Quebec, Canada, and is truly a global citizen with a global conscience. Fearlessly, she led a two-year global coalition for the human right to water to be named in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—there was no member state too big or small for her to engage! Her campaign is lauded as one of the strongest rights-based campaigns during the negotiations for a new sustainable development agenda! Meera organizes the Council of Canadians’ public access-to-water campaign, called the Blue Planet Project. She mobilizes public opposition to privatization of water and bulk water exports while organizing grassroots political movements in many countries. READ MORE.