I walked the perimeter of a small rice paddy, surrounded by a few simple houses and groupings of gravestones. The plaques nearby list the names of people who died there, but no one is exactly sure who ended up in which mass grave. Most haunting was the cement-covered path, now imprinted with the steps of…
The massive displacement of farmers because of escalated conflicts and drought has contributed to the problem of food security around the world. According to the 2018 Global Report on Food Crises, about 124 million people were affected by acute food insecurity in 2017 and 74 million of them are in urgent need of life-saving assistance. Nigeria’s…
2018 Essay contest winners announced Saige Lind, a high school sophomore who attends Seattle Mennonite Church, has earned the grand prize of $1,000 in the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) U.S. Washington Office annual essay contest for her essay on mass incarceration that highlights the ways that people of color have been targeted by the war…
In recent months the immigration conversation has been largely focused on the fate of nearly 700,000 Dreamers protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. However, another 300,000 people are now living in uncertainty under Temporary Protected Status (TPS). TPS is granted to immigrants in the U.S. when it is determined that it would…
Recently the Nigerian government has been claiming victory over the insurgent group Boko Haram, even as suicide bombings, kidnappings and killings are still taking place. On January 8, 20 loggers were killed near Maiduguri and on January 17 in an attack at the Muna garage area in Maiduguri, 12 people were killed and 48 injured.…
n President Trump’s first State of the Union address, many priorities and goals were mentioned. Advocates for criminal justice reform were not left out of this conversation. Trump stated that his administration would focus on reforming prisons to ensure that returning citizens have access to second chances. For several years, presidential administrations and Congress have mentioned the need…
Addressing gun violence On February 14, a 19-year-old gunman killed seventeen students at a Florida high school with an AR-15 assault rifle. This tragedy, like many others, has led to renewed discussions about federal gun laws. President Trump and others have suggested arming teachers and school officials with weapons. After receiving a backlash from students at…
