Now is the time for Peace!

April 1, 2013

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: , | Permalink
Posted by Jesse Epp-Fransen

Give me [your tired, your poor,] your high-tech workers

August 1, 2012

Tammy Alexander writes about proposed legislation to increase high-tech worker immigration.

A bill set to be introduced soon in the U.S. House of Representatives would open up 55,000 more green cards for immigrants who have graduated from U.S. colleges in certain high-tech fields. On its face, this might seem like a good idea.

However, it is important to remember that policies like this would contribute to brain drain in the countries sending these students. Moreover, rather than creating 55,000 new green cards, the proposal would take these slots from what is called the Diversity Visa Lottery, virtually the only way someone can immigrate to the U.S. if they do not have a job lined up or family already here. More than 16 million people applied for the lottery in 2011.

Read the entire article here.

Learn more about MCC’s work on immigration here.

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Posted by Jesse Epp-Fransen

For the sake of humanity

March 6, 2012

Imageby Tammy Alexander

I had the opportunity recently to visit Nogales, Mexico, just over the border from Nogales, Arizona. One of the places I visited was a bus station not far from the border. It was a place of waiting. Several people, mostly men, sat in detached bus seats in a large square shelter. Most had been deported through the port of Nogales in the past few days.

There was nothing to do but wait. They had been dropped off at the border with little more than the clothes on their backs. Some had spent years in the U.S. and had left families behind. Others had left family in Mexico or Central America and were apprehended trying to cross the border heading north into the U.S.

As I listened to their stories, I was struck with an overwhelming urge to apologize for the sins of my country, for the terrible injustices they had experienced in their journeys. In the words of Isaiah, I saw the U.S. as a “sinful nation, people laden with iniquity, offspring who do evil, children who deal corruptly, who have forsaken the Lord…” (Isaiah 1:4, NRSV).

Read the entire article here.

Leave a Comment » | Immigration | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Jesse Epp-Fransen

A Trip Report from Haiti

September 24, 2010

Mennonite Central Committee

Theo Sitther writes for PeaceSigns about his recent trip to Haiti:

In August, I visited Haiti as part of a delegation of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) staff.  The purpose of this trip was to meet with MCC’s staff in Haiti, connect with partner organizations and to gain a firsthand look  at the situation on the ground.  The following are some key insights that we learned from this visit.

Decentralization: One reason for the large scale of the disaster is that aid, development, and economic policies have historically focused on Port-au-Prince.  Many of Haiti’s rural areas were neglected and neo-liberal economic policies devastated Haiti’s agriculture.  This forced many to migrate to the capital city to find work.  People were crowded into dense slums, factories, and homes when the earth shook and the buildings collapsed.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

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Posted by Mary Stata

An Ounce of Prevention

August 23, 2010

Mary Stata writes for PeaceSigns about steps the U.S. can take to prevent violent conflict around the world:

Melissa Engle/MCC

“‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,’ the old saying goes.  Adages about the merits of prevention abound, urging action before a dilemma or problem develops.  Despite the prevalence of these truisms, our government continues to invest huge amounts of money in fighting wars rather than preventing them.  As the United States faces an overwhelming deficit and high unemployment rates, military spending continues to increase.  Earlier this year, the United States  reached $1 trillion in operational spending on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Clearly, war comes at a high cost.  This staggering figure does not take into account ongoing U.S. military assistance to other countries including Colombia, Uganda, Mexico, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.  As an alternative to military spending, the United States must invest in policies  that address human needs and prevent conflict before it starts.   Conflict prevention isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s cheaper.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Leave a Comment » | Articles, Militarism | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Mary Stata

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

July 23, 2010

Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach writes about Gaza for PeaceSigns:

Ryan Beiler/MCC

For a brief moment in late May, the world turned its attention to the unjust blockade of Gaza.  International outrage over the deadly response to the Free Gaza flotilla prompted Israel to announce it would ease restrictions.  Over the past several weeks there has been a moderate increase in the number and types of goods allowed into Gaza.

But Gazans themselves are still not free to come and go as they wish.  This week Israel stated that it will not relax its policy of prohibiting Gazans from leaving the Gaza Strip, except in rare cases of medical emergency.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

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Posted by Mary Stata

The Risks of Transformation

June 16, 2010

Christina Warner writes for PeaceSigns about U.S. housing:

In today’s markets, public housing offers security to vulnerable people where the private market does not.  Increased housing costs have decreased the number of affordable homes available in the United States.  Consequently, there is no community where a person working a full-time, minimum wage job can afford a modest one or two bedroom apartment.

Transforming Rental Assistance (TRA) is a new proposal to address unmet maintenance needs from decades of underfunding, now estimated at over $20 billion.  TRA would allow local Public Housing Authorities to function like the Section-8 project-based voucher program.  In Section 8, the government subsidizes private properties in order to keep them affordable.  However, higher profits in the private market have led private landlords to leave the program, taking 10-15,000 homes with them each year.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Leave a Comment » | Articles, U.S. Economic Justice | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Mary Stata

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