The following resources were listed in the September-October 2018 issue of NewsNotes.
Refugees: As of June 30, 2018, the U.S. had resettled roughly 16,200 refugees for fiscal year 2018, which is at a pace to admit less than half of the 45,000 refugees allowed by the end of the year under the Presidential Determination. Ask your members of Congress to urge President Trump to commit to the resettlement of 75,000 refugees in 2019 and robust overseas refugee protection, as well. http://bit.ly/Refugees2019
Season of Creation: From September 1 - October 4 We offer resources for you to pray with us, try lifestyle changes, and take action for the care of environment. http://bit.ly/SeasonsofCreation2018
Nuclear disarmament: International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons is September 26. Find background, messages, and resources at the United Nations website http://bit.ly/UNSept26
2018 Letelier-Moffitt International Human Rights Award will be awarded to Maryknoll Sr. Patricia Ryan and Derechos Humanos y Medio Ambiente (DHUMA) on October 4 in Washington, D.C. for their work with indigenous farmers in the Andes Mountains of Peru. For ticket info, go to http://bit.ly/2KGypU8
The Search for Peace & Justice in the Holy Land is a five-week small-group course produced by Churches for Middle East Peace (https://cmep.org/) about topics such as the Christians of the Holy Land, the ties of Israelis and Palestinians to the Holy Land, and how to be an effective advocate for just peace in Israel and Palestine. Sign up to receive more info about the course at http://bit.ly/2wy7hOA
Cuba: New Cuba Advocacy Toolkit from the Latin America Working Group. This comprehensive resource contains everything you need to educate, advocate, and mobilize for a forward-looking U.S. Cuba policy http://bit.ly/LAWGCuba
U.S.-Mexico border: Hope Border Institute published a 52-page report “Sealing the Border: The criminalization of asylum seekers in the Trump Era.” https://www.hopeborder.org/sealing-the-border
U.S.-Mexico border: A 108-page report published by Detained Migrant Solidarity Committee and Freedom for Immigrants on conditions in the Otero detention camp in New Mexico, not far from El Paso--one of four camps in the region. http://bit.ly/OteroReport
Human Rights Defenders: New 72-page report by Global Witness entitled “At What Cost? Irresponsible business and the murder of land and environment defenders in 2017.” At least 207 environment defenders were brutally murdered in 2017 – the deadliest year on record, with the rising death toll linked to demand for consumer goods like coffee, bananas and palm oil. Download the report at https://bit.ly/2O3Yond Watch the 3-minute video at http://bit.ly/GlobalWitness2017video
Agroecology: CIDSE, an international network of Catholic social justice organizations (mostly based in Europe) developed principles on agroecology. They now have the principles and infographics available in seven languages. Principles: http://bit.ly/CIDSEprinciples and Infographic: http://bit.ly/CIDSEInfo
New documentary: “White Fright” examines the treatment of a white terrorist and failed congressional candidate who was plotting to blow a mosque in Islamberg, New York, a community of African American Muslims. The film can be streamed online. Go to the film's website http://www.whitefright.com/
Justice for Immigrants National Conference will be held December 5-7 in Washington, D.C. The last national conference was in 2015 and with the challenges and threats that immigrants and refugees and their families are facing, it is an important moment to convene again. For more information, visit https://justiceforimmigrants.org/jficonference/
Botswana: The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns sent a letter to the Embassy of the Republic of Botswana in Washington, D.C. in response to international news reports of nearly 90 elephants found dead and their tusks hacked off, presumably for illegal ivory trade. Read our letter and learn more about the issue at http://elephantswithoutborders.org/