July 1, 2009
MCC/Melissa Engle
Sudan’s bloody civil war concluded in 2005 with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). This document outlined the South’s semi-autonomous government, guidelines for sharing oil revenue, and intentions for a national election in 2009. The elections have now been delayed for a third time, according to Reuters, and will happen in April 2010.
Sudan’s National Elections Commission said delays in the release of census details and a decision to postpone voter registration until after the rainy season were reasons for changing the vote timetable for a second time in three months.
Increasingly high levels of fighting in the South have raised concerns that the impending elections will be marked by violence.
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Africa, News Stories | 
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Posted by Mary Stata
July 1, 2009
For the past 15 years, the United States has enforced a travel ban on people living with HIV/AIDS. This ban has prevented students, researchers, and refugess affected by the illness from working in the US or obtaining a green card. A Voice of America article explains
The US Congressional reauthorization of PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, in July, 2008, lifted a 15-year ban on HIV-positive foreign nationals from entering the United States. On Tuesday, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) initiated the final regulatory steps toward halting implementation of the ban.
The policy was initially enacted based on fear and misinformation about HIV/AIDS. Only twelve other countries in the world, including Saudi Arabia and Libya, still enforce travel bans on HIV positive foreign nationals.
Health care is the first theme of the Washington Office’s campaign Abundant Life: Economic Justice for All. Visit washington.mcc.org/life for resources and information. This post is the second of a weekly series that will highlight an aspect of health care until July 19, 2009.
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Abundant Life, HIV/AIDS, News Stories | 
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Posted by Mary Stata
June 30, 2009
Mennonite Church USA is hosting its semi annual convention in Columbus, Ohio this week (June 30-July 5). MCC’s Washington Office will be leading several workshops throughout the event:
July 1, 6:15 Peacebuilding in Palestine/Israel (Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach and Tim Seidel) Room C115
July 2, 4:15 Colombia: Faith and Hope Amidst Conflict (Theo Sitther) Room D233
July 3 and July 4, 1:45 (Youth) The United States: “A country of immigrants” or “A country under siege”? (Tammy Alexander and Saulo Padilla) Room E151
July 4, 1:45 and 4:15 (Youth) Middle East 101: Beyond the News (Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach and Tim Seidel) Room C124/125
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Events | 
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Posted by Mary Stata
June 30, 2009
Melissa Engle/MCC
Arrests need to be made immediately of known rapists and war criminals at the highest levels. The United Nations must stop supporting military actions, because they are doomed in Congo. And the root economic causes of the war need to be addressed with the leaders of countries in Africa’s Great Lakes region who commit violence to reap benefits from Congo’s minerals, as well as their Western corporate partners. They, too, are liable for these atrocities.
- Eve Ensler, playwright and activist, urging action to end gender based violence in eastern Cogo. Read the article here.
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Posted by Mary Stata
June 29, 2009
Established in 2007, AFRICOM is the US military command devoted to Africa. AFRICOM was the source of much controversy following its inception, due to concerns over US interests in oil reserves and increasing military aid to African countries. A recent NPR report featured an interview with General William Ward, the head of AFRICOM. The report highlights AFRICOM’s efforts to counter terrorism on the continent and details recent military aid to Somalia.
Mennonite Central Committee continues to advocate for policies that improve the lives of the impoverished and disempowered in Africa, rather than policies that increase military might.
Leave a Comment » | Africa, Militarism, Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by Mary Stata
June 26, 2009
Earlier this evening, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy & Security Act, HR 2454, a bill to address climate change and promote renewable energy. According to the New York Times:
The vote was the first time either house of Congress had approved a bill intended to curb the heat-trapping gases scientists have linked to climate change, and its provisions could lead to sweeping changes in many sectors of the American economy, including electric power generation, agriculture, manufacturing and construction. The House vote also establishes a marker for the United States when international negotiations on a new global climate change treaty begin later this year.
Read the full article here.
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Posted by Tammy Alexander
June 25, 2009
Tammy Alexander wrote on the personal impact of health care reform in a PeaceSigns article, sharing about her sister’s experiences with a chronic condition and reflecting how health care reform may affect the lives and concerns of millions of people.
I spoke with my sister recently to get her thoughts on health care reform. She is not a health care provider. She doesn’t work for an insurance company or a pharmaceutical manufacturer. No one would consider her an ‘expert’ on health care policy. However, she knows more about how the health care system actually works than anyone else I know.
My sister raised several concerns about the reforms being bandied about in the news–concerns I hear echoed by many others. If there were an individual mandate, requiring everyone to have health insurance, how would she afford the premiums? Would her premiums be higher due to her preexisting illness? Would the bureaucracy for getting subsidized health insurance be as problematic for her as wading through the Medicare morass?
The decisions made in the next few months will affect millions of people, many of whom will not have a voice in the debate. Let’s make sure that policymakers hear the voices of everyone who has a stake in the process–and not just those who stand to profit from it.
The full article is available at PeaceSigns.
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Posted by dfoxvog
June 25, 2009
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on the American Clean Energy and Security Act, H.R. 2454, as early as tomorrow. The bill, as written, is far from perfect, but is an important first step toward addressing climate change. MCC is supporting the bill but asking representatives to strengthen many provisions – particularly those which will affect low-income communities in the U.S. and around the world. For more information, and to send a letter to your representative, see this action alert.
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Posted by Tammy Alexander
June 25, 2009
Noe Reyes Navarrete helps to plow the family field outside Teticic, Mexico. (Matthew Lester/MCC)
On June 24 Rep. Mike Michaud (D-ME) along with 105 original co-sponsors reintroduced the Trade Reform, Accountability, Development and Employment (TRADE) Act (H.R. 3012). The TRADE Act was first introduced last year as a way to offer an alternative to current U.S. trade policy.
“This is an exciting day for trade policy,” said Michaud. “Last year, we had 74 cosponsors of the TRADE Act and this year we have 106. Members are sick and tired of being against trade agreements and they want to stand for something. I have no doubt the number of cosponsors have increased because the American people are demanding a new course on trade. The TRADE Act is a tremendous step forward in the debate and could help shape the future of our trade policies.”
The TRADE Act offers a way forward to reform U.S. trade policy, which is often guided by narrow national self-interest, which translates into seeking the interests of U.S.-based capital, corporations and agribusinesses. This has had a detrimental impact on poor communities all over the world. Millions of family farmers have lost their livelihoods, their lands and have been forced to migrate. Trade policies must work to advance the common good rather than the interests of a few.
Click here for more information on the TRADE Act (H.R. 3012).
Leave a Comment » | Capital Quotes, Global Economic Justice | Tagged: cafta, FTA, nafta, Rep. Michaud, trade, TRADE Act, wto | Permalink
Posted by Theo Sitther
June 25, 2009
Delegates from more than 80 countries are meeting in Berlin this week to discuss plans for destruction of cluster bomb stockpiles. So far, 98 countries have signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions. This treaty forbids signatories from using the bombs or engaging in joint military operations with armies that use the weapons. The meetings in Berlin are an encouraging sign that dozens of countries are committed to destroying their stockpiles.
Cluster bombs scatter dozens of smaller explosives across areas the size of football fields. Innocent civilians feel the effects of cluster bombs long after a conflict ends because the bombs often fail to explode on impact.
Hundreds of millions of cluster bombs are still owned by countries, including the United States, that have not signed the treaty.
Click here to learn more about cluster bombs.
Leave a Comment » | Militarism | Tagged: Cluster bombs | Permalink
Posted by Mary Stata
