Earthquake Reconstruction: Another look at progress

January 25, 2012

Wawa and Kristen Chege reflect on the international response to the Haiti earthquake and the need for transparency in reconstruction efforts in the latest Third Way Cafe.

In this chaos of reconstruction, with an influx of aid money and the pressure to spend quickly, international companies have instead found an opportune time to push Haiti down the path of industrialization. Investors have reframed their factories as opportunities for development, and in the process secured significant funding from USAID and international financial institutions.

Read the article here.


Farm Policy to Heal Nations

January 19, 2012

Jesse Epp-Fransen writes about the the Hunger Report put out by Bread for the World and the need to refocus  farm policy on producing healthy food and supporting small- and medium scale farmers in the latest Mennonite Weekly Review.

The 2008 farm bill is expiring and will need to be reauthorized this year. This is a chance to put the focus of farm policy back where it belongs, on supporting farmers to produce the food we all need for healthy bodies and healthy lives… A farm bill is an opportunity to build justice, health and economic stability. This could be a chance to work for the healing of the nations.

Read the entire article here and then let us know what you think on facebook or in the comment section.

The full 2012  Hunger Report is available at Bread for the World.


We Remember Haiti

January 12, 2012

Photo by Ben Depp/MCC

Today marks two years after a devastating earthquake killed more than 300,000 people and displaced more than a million in Haiti. Haitians continue to struggle through the process of recovery with at least half a million people still living in displacement camps and many other survivors struggling to meet their basic needs.

We pray for Haiti’s continued recovery and remember all those who have endured much hardship.

Advocate for Haiti | Haiti Photo Gallery | MCC’s Response

 


More info on immigrant waiver process

January 11, 2012

Regarding the big announcement last week on a new waiver process for the 3- and 10-year bars, here are some resources from USCIS and AILA :

more immigration resources


Big news for immigrant families

January 6, 2012

Big news today!  A new waiver process (for the 3- and 10-year bars) should help keep thousands of undocumented immigrants from being separated from their families in the U.S.  From the Associated Press:

(AP) WASHINGTON — The Obama administration plans a rule change to help reduce the time illegal immigrant spouses and children are separated from citizen relatives while they try to win legal status in the United States, a senior administration official said.

Currently, illegal immigrants must leave the country before they can ask the government to waive a three- to 10-year ban on legally coming back to the U.S. The length of the ban depends on how long they have lived in the U.S. without permission.

The official said Thursday the new rule would let children and spouses of citizens ask the government to decide on the waiver request before the illegal immigrant heads to his or her home country to apply for a visa. The illegal immigrants still must go home to finish the visa process to come back to the U.S., but getting the waiver ahead of time could reduce the time an illegal immigrant is out of the country.

The waiver shift is the latest move by President Barack Obama to make changes to immigration policy without congressional action.

Read more | Immigration resources


‘We don’t know who really won in the Congo’

January 6, 2012

Patricia Kisare provides analysis on the November elections in Congo.

W don’t really know who won the presidency, because there are many indications that the electoral process was flawed. Local and international election observers found the elections to be fraught with widespread irregularities. The Carter Center reported that “the quality and integrity of the vote tabulation process has varied across the country, ranging from the proper application of procedures to serious irregularities, including the loss of nearly 2,000 polling station results in Kinshasa.”

Read the article here.


January 9: National Faith and Immigration Webinar

January 5, 2012
  • Monday, January 9, 2012, 3:30pm Eastern Time
  • RSVP here.

Please join the Interfaith Immigration Coalition on January 9th for the National Faith and Immigration Webinar on Secure Communities.

The webinar will provide concrete tools to launch a community campaign to demand your city or state to stop turning people over to ICE and to halt unjust deportations.

Lines will be limited, so register today!

  • Monday, January 9, 2012, 3:30pm Eastern Time
  • RSVP here.
See the full action alert announcement here.

Immigration resources  |  State-level policy resources


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