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March-April 2026

Vol. 51, No. 2. A bi-monthly newsletter on international justice and peace issues.

Reflection: Walking for Peace with Buddhist monks

On Feb. 10, a group of nineteen Theravada Buddhist monks completed a 108-day, 2,300-mile “Walk for Peace” from their center for meditation in Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., to share a message of peace, compassion and nonviolence. Stefan Andre Waligur, founder of Community of Peace in Louisa, Virginia, a Taize-style intentional community, wrote the following reflection on his experience accompanying the monks on their walk that day and participating in an interfaith service of welcome for the monks at the National Cathedral.

Venezuela: Solidarity in the aftermath of U.S. attack

The January 3 U.S. attack on Venezuela and capture of President Nicolás Maduro continue to have dramatic reverberations inside Venezuela and globally. The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns (MOGC) has been following events together with partner organizations in Latin America and the United States.

Beyond the Cuts: What U.S. Foreign Aid Survives

In a definitive act of oversight, Congress restored billions in funding for global health and democracy, even as the traditional structures of U.S. foreign aid begin to dissolve. Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns Program Associate Fellow Mark Joyce reports.

Threat of New Nuclear Arms Race Grows

As the final treaty governing the world’s largest nuclear arsenals expires without a successor, faith leaders and advocacy groups are calling on the United States to reject a new arms race and embrace a path toward disarmament.

Foresight Africa Report in 2o26

The nations of Africa face numerous challenges, both internal and external, but the Brookings Institution’s annual Foresight Africa report highlights areas where the continent can overcome headwinds, at least to some extent.

Africa’s Energy Leap: Leading the Global Transition

Some African countries are bypassing the era of fossil fuels to pioneer decentralized renewable energy, a historic shift that highlights the growing economic dominance of green power and the urgent need for global climate equity.

Renewable Energy and Land Use

Renewable energy technologies—solar, wind, bioenergy, hydropower, and geothermal—interact with land systems in complex ways, influencing land health and productivity, the provision of ecosystem services, and local socio-economic outcomes. The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) report “Natural Fit: Renewable Energy and Sustainable Land Management,” addresses this conundrum and offers achievable solutions.

Faith Groups Call for U.S. Return to Global Climate Table

In a significant push for continued international cooperation, the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns and a broad coalition of faith-based organizations are advocating for a reversal of the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).