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Ask Your Member of Congress to take Action on Immigration Reform April 6th, 2009
People of faith continue to call for reform of the broken immigration and border systems in the US. With the Congress on Easter/Passover recess from April 6 – 17, and many Members in their home districts, we have a wonderful opportunity to ask them to take action on immigration and border reform. Faith communities across the United States are coming together in more than 120 Neighbor to Neighbor in-district meetings with their Members of Congress to ask them to enact Comprehensive Immigration and Border Reforms this year.
The Oblate JPIC Office has released a resource guide on Immigration and Border Reform that includes talking points for meetings with your elected representatives. The resource is a PowerPoint that can also be used as a discussion tool with groups.
Download the PowerPoint on Immigration and Border Reform
Immigration and Border Reform educational document available in PDF (Download PDF)
Tell your Member of Congress to act boldly on immigration reform. Join your faith community or interfaith group for action. Contact George Ngolwe [gngolwe@omiusa.org] for additional information about neighbor-to-neighbor in-district visits and tips on talking about immigration and border reforms.
Civil Society Groups Urge President Obama and Congress to Curb Food Speculation to Fight the Global Hunger Crisis March 27th, 2009
Letter to White House, Congressional Leaders Demands Swift Action
WASHINGTON, DC – Tuesday, a coalition of faith, hunger, international development, farm and food organizations including the Oblate JPIC Office, sent a letter to President Obama requesting decisive support for efforts to wring out excess speculation in agricultural futures markets that threatens the food security of hundreds of millions of people. The letter notes that “A significant part of last year’s food price fluctuations were the result of excessive speculation in the commodities markets by the very hedge funds and investment banks that helped create the current economic meltdown.”
Click here to read more »
National Call-in Day on March 30 to End the Use of Cluster Bombs March 25th, 2009
When nearly 100 nations – including Britain, France, and Germany – gathered in early December to sign a global treaty banning cluster bombs, the U.S. was conspicuously absent. And yet, the U.S. has been the world’s biggest user of these weapons, which always end up killing more civilians than soldiers.
President Obama and Congress can fix U.S. policy. In fact, they have already started. In March, Congress passed a law permanently banning exports of nearly all U.S.-made cluster bombs.
Now we need Congress to act to prevent any further use by U.S. troops.
Call your senators on Monday, March 30 and ask them to co-sponsor the Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act, S. 416.
Learn more – click here to our Action Alert on the subject (with thanks to FCNL)
Sri Lanka: No Let-Up in Army Shelling of Civilians March 25th, 2009
Tamil Tigers Unwilling to Release Their Hold on 150,000 People
The Sri Lankan army, despite government denials, is indiscriminately shelling the “no-fire zone” in northern Sri Lanka where thousands of civilians are trapped by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday, citing new information from the region. More than 2,700 civilians have reportedly been killed over the last two months, and the number of casualties rises daily.
Click here to read more »
Cardinal George Calls for End to Immigration Raids March 23rd, 2009
On Saturday, March 21, Cardinal France George OMI, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called on the Obama White House to end immigration raids that are splitting up families. He challenged the current administration to live by its campaign promises of change by working towards immigration reform.
Cardinal George spoke before several hundred people attending an interfaith prayer forum inside Our Lady of Mercy Church in Albany Park in Chicago. The forum was organized by advocates calling for changes to U.S. immigration policy. It was organized in collaboration with U.S. Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) as part of a 17 – city tour focusing on immigration. Cardinal George articulated the position of the Catholic Church on immigration as one that doesn’t approve of people breaking the law, but that believes everyone deserves respect. He said a cessation of raids would demonstrate the administration’s sincerity to voters in the immigrant community.
