News Archives » Peace
US Prelate Highlights Church’s Opposition to Nuclear Weapons February 18th, 2010
Archbishop Edwin O’Brien, a member of the U.S. Bishops’ Conference Committee on International Justice and Peace, reiterated the church’s opposition to nuclear weapons in an address to the Global Zero summit in Paris earlier this month. The gathering brought together 200 international leaders to develop strategies to eliminate nuclear weapons.
The archbishop underlined the Church’s moral teaching on nuclear weapons, based on its commitment to protect human life. Drawing on the principles of just war teaching, Archbishop O’Brien stated, “Nuclear war-fighting is rejected in Church teaching because it cannot ensure noncombatant immunity and the likely destruction and lingering radiation would violate the principle of proportionality.”
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U.S. Death Penalty Year End Report Released December 30th, 2009
The Death Penalty Information Center has released its 2009 report: “The Death Penalty in 2009: Year End Report.”. It says that the United States is likely to close 2009 with the fewest death sentences since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty in 1976. Tight budgets at the State level as a consequence of the persistent economic crisis, coupled with a lack of measurable benefits associated with this punishment, troubled a number of lawmakers – prompting actions in eleven states to consider abolishing the death penalty. This is a significant increase in death penalty legislative action compared to past years, the report said.
Expert Witnesses Detail IDP Situation in Sri Lanka December 17th, 2009
Three panels of expert witnesses testified on December 10, Humam Rights Day, about current realities facing internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in northern and Eastern Sri Lanka. The government’s recent decision finally to allow the resettlement of displaced Tamil civilians who had been held in internment camps since the end of a brutal war in May was commended. At the same time, concern was expressed about inconsistencies in policies governing the recent releases, continued lack of access by humanitarian organizations (including the UN) to IDPs in resettlement areas and former LTTE cadres in detention centers, the safety of released IDPs and the need for further de-mining of formerly populated areas.
The following Issue experts testified:
- Eric Schwartz, Assistant Secretary for Population, Migration and Refugees, U.S. Department of State (Download PDF of testimony)
- Michel Gabaudan, regional representative for the United States of America and the Caribbean, UNHCR (Download PDF of testimony)
- Miriam Young, US Counsel on Sri Lanka
- Christoph Koettl, Amnesty International (Download PDF of testimony)
- Robert Oberst, Nebraska Wesleyan University
- Jennifer Leonard, International Crisis Group
Annual SOA Vigil and Direct Action: November 20-22, 2009 November 11th, 2009
The annual Vigil and Direct Action to shut down the School of the Americas is happening on November 20-22, 2009. Activists are converging on Fort Benning, Georgia to call for an end to the SOA and the demilitarization of US foreign policy. Despite promising comments from President Obama during his election campaign, the SOA/ WHINSEC is still in operation and the Pentagon is moving forward with plans for new U.S. military bases in Colombia.
Register for the event and learn more about SOA Watch…
Clergy Resources for Advent on Torture November 10th, 2009
Torture is a Moral Issue…
The National Religious Campaign Against Torture has created excellent materials for clergy to use during Advent. Advent 2009: Resources for Christian Clergy provides commentary on the scriptures and sermon notes that help connect the scriptures with today’s national dialog on the use of torture.
