The U.S. Senate is expected to release text of an immigration reform bill later this week. Several details about the Senate plan have been reported in major news outlets — the Washington Post has a good summary. The bill would allow millions of undocumented immigrants to get on a path to U.S. citizenship but would also eliminate some family visa categories and increase border security.
We will post more information here as it becomes available.
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Immigration, Legislative Updates, News Stories | 
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Posted by Tammy Alexander
Call Congress every Tuesday for family unity in immigration reform.
The Senate bipartisan proposal is likely to eliminate certain family-based visa categories – siblings and adult children in particular. Now is the time to let our senators know we oppose making it harder for people to reunite with their families.
Make Tuesday Night Family Night. Play a board game as a family or call a loved one. Then call 1-866-940-2439 to leave your Senators a voicemail. Tell them that your (sister, brother, adult son or daughter) – is your immediate family. Tell them that all family visa categories are important, and immigration reform must prioritize family unity.
For resources on family unity in immigration reform, visit the IIC family immigration page.
Click here for action alert including sample script.
Leave a Comment » | Action Alerts, Immigration | Tagged: call, family separation, Family Unity, immigrant families, Immigration, immigration reform, senate | Permalink
Posted by Sterling Miller
This Saturday, April 6, approximately 1,000 campesinos from the Montes de Maria region of Colombia will be taking nonviolent direct action to demand holistic reparations as victims of the decades-long disastrous armed conflict. They will be walking 80 miles from El Carmen de Bolivar to the city of Cartagena.
A panorama of the Montes de Maria region of Colombia.
According to Anna Vogt, a Mennonite Central Committee worker in Colombia, this region has been the locus of battles between the guerrilla group FARC, right-wing paramilitary groups, and state forces. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, this violence was accompanied by numerous human rights violations, including massacres, arson, kidnapping, and mass displacement.
Though The Victim’s Law of 2011 is supposed to facilitate land restitution, delays in implementation and a policy of targeted reparations have prevented real change in these communities. The Victims Unit – the Colombian government entity responsible for implementing the Victims Law – asked if the campesinos would agree not to march if the Unit set up a working group to dialogue on the issues, but the leaders have refused this offer. The campesinos are seeking to create national awareness and true change.
Vogt says “The preparation for the march has turned into an important first step in rebuilding the area, as regional ties are strengthened and grassroots organizing takes place through its planning.”
Stand in solidarity with our Colombian brothers and sisters as they seek justice by participating in Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia. Go to our website to learn more and sign up: http://washington.mcc.org/days.
You can also ask your representative in Congress to stand for peace with justice.
To learn more about the march, see these articles:
2 Comments | Latin America/Caribbean | Tagged: campesinos, Colombia, Days of Prayer and Action, march, Victims' Law | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Gross
A global arms trade treaty was overwhelmingly approved in the UN General Assembly yesterday, April 2. The United States voted in favor of the treaty. Formal approval by the United States of the treaty will require the president’s signature and ratification by the U.S. Senate.
Read an earlier blog entry about the treaty.
Leave a Comment » | Issues, Militarism, News Stories | Permalink
Posted by Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach
Christ is risen, hope lives. Read about what hope means in Colombia in Theo Sitther’s latest article in Peace Signs.
There are plenty of reasons for hope during this Easter season. Remembering the death and resurrection of Christ brings renewed joy and hope of new life. While it can sometimes be difficult to find reasons for hope in political contexts, we are beginning to see signs of hope in Colombia as the government of Colombia and the largest rebel group have entered into peace negotiations.
Read the entire article here.
Find out how you can get involved through Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia here.
Leave a Comment » | Articles, Latin America/Caribbean | Tagged: days of prayer and action for Colombia, PeaceSigns | Permalink
Posted by Jesse Epp-Fransen
This week, MCC released worship resources for churches participating in Days of Prayer and Action for Colombia to use on Sunday, April 28. Participant churches will organize their worship service around this theme of this year’s Days of Prayer and Action, “Now is the time for peace with justice in Colombia.” The packet includes: summaries of the main issues facing Colombia and its peace process; songs for peace in Colombia; prayers and poems; readings; and reflections from MCC staff in Colombia.
Michael. Photo by Anna Vogt.
In its first few pages, the packet presents four issues as the context for this year’s reflection and advocacy. They are: unresolved armed conflict, land restitution and reparations, conflicting approaches to economic development, and internal displacement. Despite enormous challenges in each of these areas, “there are countless signs of hope.”
The songs, prayers, and poems all reflect a passionate desire for peace, an end to injustice, and a petition for continuing strength in the face of hardship. They thank God for being a source of strength: a prayer from the Mennonite Church of Rincon del Lago in Soacha, Colombia reads, “You fill my soul with strength in the midst of my suffering. You have always been there showing your love and unconditional support.”
Colombian churches are also asking God for healing: “Hear our crying and have mercy on us,” writes Adaia Bernal.
The reflections from those in Colombia are infused with words of hope, patience, reconciliation, and justice. They urge Christians to be engaged in the work of shalom by building justice in broken parts of the world. For Christians, this is not an option; this is an occupation.
In her reflection, Sandra Baez of Torre Fuerte Mennonite Brethren Church in Bogota quotes Miroslav Volf: “Being the church means being for others, with others, especially the neediest. The ministries of justice and reconciliation are not additions that flow out of the church, but are constitutive of ecclesial life in union with Christ.” As the Church, our hearts should break when we hear our Colombian brothers and sisters cry to God for justice and weep for their family. Their stories – some of them collected in this worship packet – should move us to action on their behalf as we draw from a Christian tradition of unswervingly pursuing justice.
Read the reflections of those on the ground, hear the words of Colombian believers, and be inspired by words of hope amidst terrible injustice, download the worship packet and sign up to participate in the Days of Prayer and Action.
1 Comment | Faith Reflection, Latin America/Caribbean | Tagged: Colombia, Days of Prayer and Action, now is the time, peace, worship | Permalink
Posted by Sarah Gross
Madeline Gerig, a senior at Bethany Christian Schools in Goshen, Ind., has earned grand prize for her essay on immigration in the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) U.S. Washington Office annual essay contest.
Madeline Gerig won first prize in the MCC Washington Office high school essay for her essay “Roots in Fear” about immigration. (Photo courtesy of Kevin Miller/Bethany Christian Schools)
In her essay entitled “Roots in fear,” Gerig wrote about the bases of conflict over immigration and how this issue is experienced in the United States today. Gerig also described the role of Mennonite Church USA in responding to immigration and the need for the federal government to prioritize the issue.
“The root cause of tension surrounding immigration is racism,” wrote Gerig, whose home congregation is Assembly Mennonite Church in Goshen. “By building relationships with our neighbors and through fair policies, the nation can take the necessary steps in moving towards a more peaceful and prosperous society and government.”
In addition to the grand prize, national honorable mention prizes were awarded to Lea Graber of Freeman (S.D.) Academy and Jean Ahn and Natalie Thorne, both of Bethany Christian Schools. Graber’s essay examined the topic of gun violence, Ahn’s essay was titled “Fighting with love against human trafficking,” and Thorne focused on creating a resolution to the Colombian conflict.
The essay contest highlights the perspectives of youth on significant public policy issues and promotes the involvement of young people in faithful witness to government authorities.
The contest is open to Anabaptist youth of high school age and to all youth who attend Mennonite high schools. Entries are judged on the participants’ understanding of the issues, clarity of argument and degree of creativity in crafting thoughtful policy positions. Grand prize is $300, and honorable mention winners each receive $100.
Leave a Comment » | News Stories | Tagged: High School Essay Contest | Permalink
Posted by Jesse Epp-Fransen
