November 13, 2009
The Sudan Council of Churches, a MCC partner in Sudan, recently participated an Sudan Ecumenical Forum. The
Melissa Engle/MCC
meeting resulted in a statement detailing challenges facing the region and steps for moving forward. Here is an excerpt:
We as churches of the Sudan together with our worldwide partners are committed to the promotion of peace, dialogue and development and are stepping up our efforts to engage with our governments in the North and South.
We will concentrate our efforts on promoting and conducting dialogue and conflict resolution on all levels of society, from the grassroots to the leadership.
We will not keep silent as we witness severe human rights abuses including first signs of potential ethnic cleansing, where ever and by who ever they are committed.
We will spare no effort to rescue the CPA from collapsing, in order to avoid the worst case scenario of potential new war(s) in Sudan that would have devastating effects in the whole Region.
But to do this in the most effective way possible, we appeal especially to all witnesses and guarantors to the CPA, namely IGAD, the AU, the EU, the UN and individual States for urgent concerted and coherent diplomatic action and support of these efforts in solidarity with the people of the Sudan.
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Africa | Tagged: CPA, Sudan, Sudan Council of Churches | 
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Posted by Mary Stata
November 13, 2009
As reported Monday, the House passed a health care reform measure on Nov. 7 (see how your Representative voted). Here are some of the highlights from that day’s voting:
House Summary
- Stupak Amendment: Before the final vote, the House adopted an amendment offered by Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI-01) to prohibit federal funding for abortion under the public health insurance option and to prohibit the use of federal affordability credits to purchase a policy in the Exchange that covers abortion.
- Immigration: It was expected that Republican leaders would use a procedural motion at the end of debate to force a vote to bar undocumented immigrants from purchasing insurance in the Exchange with their own money. Instead, GOP leaders chose to force a vote on tort reform. That motion was defeated. (Read more.)
Senate Action
A merged Senate bill is expected any day now. Debate in the full Senate could start as early as next week. As the Senate rules differ from the House, expect a longer debate with many more amendments offered. Senate leadership wants to have a bill passed by the end of the year.
For additional resources on health care reform, visit the Abundant Life health care page.
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Abundant Life, Health Care, Legislative Updates, News Stories | 
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Posted by Tammy Alexander
November 12, 2009
A guard tower at the U.S.-Mexico border wall
This week marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Many news outlets are reporting on this historic event, but few are mentioning the walls the United States government continues to build. On our southern border with Mexico, hundreds of miles of fencing and walls have been built in recent years. These walls separate communities, sever wildlife migration routes, and perpetuate the politics of fear and separation that were so prevalent during the cold war.
Dan Mills of the Sierra Club writes:
In Germany, 96 miles of concrete divided a population for 28 years. It cost 136 people their lives, and when it fell, millions cheered the demise of a symbol of repression.
Only five years later, construction would begin on another wall, this one between the United States and Mexico. Since its inception, 5,600 people have perished trying to cross what is now more than 630 miles of steel, concrete, and vast, unforgiving desert.
When President Obama spoke in Berlin last year, he, too, decried these types of walls:
The walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic cannot stand… The walls between the countries with the most and those with the least cannot stand. The walls between races and tribes, natives and immigrants, Christian and Muslim and Jew cannot stand.
And, yet, we continue to build walls.
Learn more about impacts of the U.S.-Mexico border wall and share what you learn with others in your church and community. Visit the U.S.-Mexico border page.
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Environment, Immigration, News Stories | 
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Posted by Tammy Alexander
November 12, 2009
The message from the Senate is clear: development and foreign assistance comprise a vital pillar of our
Senator Ben Cardin
foreign policy, therefore USAID must be given the authority, as well as the resources and personnel, required to accomplish its mission on behalf of the American people.
- Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD), in a statement praising the unanimous passage of a resolution to strengthen and empower the US Agency for International Development (USAID)
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Posted by Mary Stata
November 11, 2009
A tenuous power-sharing government and floundering economy continue to plague Zimbabwe. The 2008 Global
Morgan Tsvangirai
Political Agreement (GPA) established Morgan Tsvangirai, of the MDC political party as Prime Minister and Robert Mugabe, of the ZANU-PF, as President. The fragile unity government was recently tested when Tsvangirai and other MDC cabinet members staged a three week boycott. The arrest of Deputy Minister for Agriculture and Mugabe’s refusal to fully implement the GPA were cited as primary reasons for the boycott.
There are reports of deepening political unrest. According to a partner in Zimbabwe,
The decision by the MDC to disengage from government has resulted in increasing cases of arbitrary arrests and human rights violations… There is a general hardening of positions, increase in hate language by the state media and intimidation of civic groups. A senior army official recently issued a public statement claiming that non-governmental organizations were now waging asymmetrical warfare against the state. There seems to be a deliberate strategy to target civic groups and perceived opponents.
Reports also indicate that close to 100 teachers have fled their stations due to harassment by the ZANU-PF.
Leave a Comment » | Africa | Tagged: GPA, MDC, Morgan Tsvangirai, Robert Mugabe, ZANU-PF, Zimbabwe | Permalink
Posted by Mary Stata
November 10, 2009
Rep. Jim McGovern (MA) along with Rep. Jan Schakowsky (IL), Rep. Donald Payne (NJ), and Rep. Mike Honda (CA) is circulating a ‘dear colleague’ letter in the House of Representatives addressed to Secretary of State Clinton calling for a change in U.S. policy towards Colombia. The letter calls for a decrease in military spending and increased U.S. support for human rights and humanitarian efforts.
Parts of Colombia have recently experienced an upsurge in violence. MCC partners are reporting that church and community leaders have come under increasing attack. The letter makes a strong case for why there is no time to waste in changing U.S. policies towards Colombia.
Read the full action alert and contact your representative.
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Posted by Theo Sitther
November 9, 2009
It’s no secret that the global economy’s near collapse in 2008 had a widespread effect. In addition to lay-offs and
LaShinda Clark/MCC
mortgage foreclosures, Wall Street’s tumble has had significant implications on funding for HIV/AIDS programs.
Until the economic crisis, funding for HIV/AIDS has steadily increased in recent years. This global allocation of resources has succeeded in declining AIDS deaths worldwide. Now, HIV/AIDS programs face significant funding slowdowns. Dr Tido von Schoen-Angerer of Doctor’s Without Borders aptly notes:
“After almost a decade of progress in rolling out AIDS treatment we have seen substantial improvements, both for patients and public health. But recent funding cuts mean doctors and nurses are being forced to turn HIV patients away from clinics as if we were back in the 1990s before treatment was available.”
This funding slowdown has caused some countries, including Tanzania, Uganda, Swaziland, and South Africa, to pull back planned services. According to the World Bank, over 1.7 million people could be at risk by the end of 2009.
PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief) and the Global Fund are two programs that have effectively produced results in treating and preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. Consistent increases in funding and resources directly contributed to these successes. It is clear that further budget cuts will be a step backwards and that the United States needs to fulfill its promise to scale up funding for the fight against HIV/AIDS.
This is the first in a series of weekly blog posts leading up to World AIDS Day on December 1. Click here to learn more about MCC’s HIV/AIDS programming and here to learn more about HIV/AIDS policy.
Leave a Comment » | HIV/AIDS | Tagged: global economic crisis, Global Fund to Fight AIDS TB and Malaria, PEPFAR, World AIDS Day | Permalink
Posted by Mary Stata
November 9, 2009
The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, late Saturday night 220-215. One Republican, Joseph Cao of Louisiana, joined 219 Democrats in voting for final passage of the bill. From the Washington Post:
Democrats have sought for decades to provide universal health care, but not since the 1965 passage of Medicare and Medicaid has a chamber of Congress approved such a vast expansion of coverage. Action now shifts to the Senate, which could spend the rest of the year debating its version of the health-care overhaul. Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) hopes to bring a measure to the floor before Thanksgiving, but legislation may not reach Obama’s desk before the new year. Read more.
For additional resources on health care reform, visit the Abundant Life health care page.
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Posted by Tammy Alexander
November 6, 2009
Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach writes in Third Way Cafe about debt relief:
Melissa Engle/MCC
In the international financial system, a scenario, not too unlike the parable’s, has played itself out, as wealthy countries and international financial institutions have profited from loans made to developing countries.
Often these monies have not brought about any benefits for those living in poverty. Rather, they were pocketed by corrupt leaders or spent on the military. Now, countries are caught in the trap of paying back these loans with interest.
Click here to read the rest of the article.
Leave a Comment » | Abundant Life, Articles, Global Economic Justice | Tagged: debt relief, Third Way Cafe | Permalink
Posted by Mary Stata
November 6, 2009
It’s not to late to call your Representative and urge them to vote “Yes” on health care reform. The House bill is H.R. 3962 and is expected to come up for a vote on Saturday. You can use the toll-free number: 1-888-797-8717.
Read the full action alert here.
Leave a Comment » | Abundant Life, Action Alerts, Health Care | Permalink
Posted by Tammy Alexander
