Save Darfur

The recently-released U.S. policy on Sudan contains many of the top priorities of the Save Darfur Coalition, but the Coalition reminds us that the success of the plan is dependent on implementing it and on President Obama's leadership to build a strong international coalition to work for peace in Sudan. The Coalition urges calls to President Obama to raise the issue of Sudan when he visits China. Please go to the Save Darfur website for more information and to take appropriate action.

Jubilee USA - "Change Not Chains"

Jubilee USA's "Change, Not Chains" campaign, was created to urge the Obama administration to support expanded debt cancellation and to tell Congress to pass the Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending and Expanded Debt Cancellation. Click here for more information and some action steps you can take.

From the Synod

The Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops has as its theme reconciliation, justice, and peace . Click here for the Zenit version of the remarkable reconciliation story of Sister Genevieve Uwamariya, a Rwandan religious who survived the 1994 genocide in her country. Keep in touch with the synod's happenings at Whispers in the Loggia (if you're pressed for time and need a great synopsis) or at the Vatican website (if you wish to dig deeper).

Ending Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Against Women and Children

Also from the Partnership for Global Justice:

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton chaired a UN Security Council Session which resulted in the unanimous adoption of Resolution 1888 which calls for the end of sexual violence against women and children in areas of conflict. Systematic rape as a weapon of war has been ignored for too long. Now the US is leading this new effort to protect women and children in conflict situations and to end impunity for the perpetrators.

Please send a word of thanks and encouragement to Secretary of State Clinton.
Write to: Hillary Clinton, U.S. Department of State, 2201 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20520. To email go to: http://contact-us.state.gov/cgi-bin/state.

Nuclear Disarmament

From Partnership for Global Justice:

So many of us have been writing and praying about Nuclear Disarmament and have written to President Barack Obama asking him to provide strong US leadership for a nuclear weapons-free world. Your prayers and actions bear fruit!!!!

At the UN Security Council meeting on September 24th President Obama established the United States as a leader for nuclear disarmament and secured unanimous support for UN Security Council Resolution 1887, which makes a “revitalized commitment to work toward a world without nuclear weapons.”

Please take time to write, thanking President Obama for his leadership in convening and chairing this important UN Security Council meeting.

Write to: President Barack Obama, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20500. To email go to: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Indonesian Earthquake

International / Asia Pacific
At Least 464 Die as Quake Hits Indonesia Island
By MARK McDONALD and LIZ ROBBINS
Published: October 1, 2009
A powerful earthquake that struck western Indonesia trapped thousands of people under collapsed buildings — including two hospitals, officials said.

Click here for to read more of this NY Times article.

Let's continue to pray.