News Archives » North America
World AIDS Day: December 1 November 30th, 2010
The global theme for 2009 and 2010 World AIDS Day is “Universal Access and Human Rights”, as chosen by The World AIDS Campaign. Please visit the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance for materials and information related to this day of focus on HIV/AIDS.
The Secretary General of the United Nations has issued a brief statement on the occasion of World AIDS Day. (Download PDF)
Help Fight World Hunger This Thanksgiving November 23rd, 2010
Here are two important things to do during your Thanksgiving holiday to help fight world hunger:
1) Take action to counteract the massive presence of Wall Street lobbyists in Washington working to insure their profits at the expense of people – call your Senators and ask them to prevent excessive speculation in commodity markets.
At a time when we stop to remember how thankful we are for food on our plates, let’s help make sure that this is a reality for people everywhere. In 2008, price bubbles in food and energy prices led to $4 gasoline in the U.S. and forced over 130 million people world-wide to go hungry, according to the UN. An important factor behind those price bubbles was excessive speculation in the food and energy commodity markets.
Click here to read more »
Ask Congress to Pass the DREAM Act! November 18th, 2010
The United States Congress could be voting on the DREAM Act at any time during the week of November 22.
Take Action Here: Tell your Senator and Representative to pass the Dream Act now.
The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, also called the DREAM Act is bipartisan legislation that would create a path to citizenship for thousands of young undocumented students who were brought to the United States as children and graduated from American high schools. It would give them the opportunity to earn legal status by completing two years of college or military service.
The Majority leadership in the Senate and the House have pledged to bring up the DREAM Act during the lame duck session. Last Tuesday, President Barack Obama reaffirmed to Democratic Members of Congress that he wants the DREAM Act passed in this session. DREAM Act legislation is supported by religious leaders – such as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops – along with University presidents and Administrators, military leaders and the business community. According to the recent survey results, seventy percent of Americans support passage of the DREAM Act.
More information about the DREAM Act may be found at: http://omiusajpic.org/2010/09/14/ask-cong-to-support-dream/
Canada Endorses UN Indigenous Rights Declaration November 17th, 2010
The Government of Canada formally endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples on November 12.
“We understand and respect the importance of this United Nations Declaration to Indigenous peoples in Canada and worldwide,” said the Honourable John Duncan, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-status Indians. “Canada has endorsed the Declaration to further reconcile and strengthen our relationship with Aboriginal peoples in Canada.”
Nobel Laureates Urge End of Nuclear Weapons November 17th, 2010
The Dalai Lama and other Nobel Peace Prize laureates from the last four decades gathered last week in Hiroshima to urge the end of nuclear weapons. The Nobel laureates issued an appeal on November 14th for China, the United States, Egypt, Iran, Israel and Indonesia to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) without delay.
