Last week, we asked you to contact your representatives to encourage them to sign on to the letter that will be sent to President Obama to ask him to close the SOA. The letter, with 69 signatures of representatives, will be given to the President on August 16. The letter will have the most impact if it is accompanied by calls from around the country telling the President to "Shut it down!" So, call the White House on Tuesday, August 16 and let him know that you support the closure and investigation of SOA/WHINSEC. Click here for instructions and a possible script. Share this information with your friends throughout the country.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Kristof: "Rachel's Last Fund-Raiser"
"Rachel's Last Fund-Raiser" by Nicholas D. Kristof
Published in the NY Times: August 10, 2011
The story: In a grim summer, the story of a 9-year-old girl who teaches us adults about maturity truly renews our faith in humanity. Click here to read Kristof's amazing and touching story of Rachel Beckwith. In life and in death, Rachel has a message.
Published in the NY Times: August 10, 2011
The story: In a grim summer, the story of a 9-year-old girl who teaches us adults about maturity truly renews our faith in humanity. Click here to read Kristof's amazing and touching story of Rachel Beckwith. In life and in death, Rachel has a message.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
81 Children Rescued in Raids on Trafficking Ring
China's Ministry of Public Security said that the police rescued 81 children from a major child trafficking ring that had operated throughout eastern China. Click here to read the NYT story.
Notify your Representative: Close the SOA!
The deadline has been extended to August 10 to contact your representative and urge him or her to support human rights by signing on to a letter urging President Obama to issue an Executive Order to close the SOA (now known as WHINSEC). Rep. Jim McGovern has introduced this congressional sign-on letter. Now he needs your help to urge your representative to sign it! Phone calls are best, but e-mails are accepted, too. Click here to go to the SOAW site to take action. The phone number and e-mail contact can be found there. Share this information with as many friends as possible.
As you may know, the School of the Americas (SOA) is a combat training school for Latin American soldiers, located at Fort Benning, GA. In 2001, it was renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC). No matter what you call it, the facts remain: since 1946, the SOA has trained over 64,000 Latin American soldiers in coutnerinsurgency techniques, sniper training, psychological warfare, military intelligence, and interrogation tactics. These graduates have consistently used their skills to wage a war against their own people. Among those targeted by SOA graduates are educators, union organizers, religious workers, student leaders, and others who work for the rights of the poor. Hundreds of thousands of Latin Americans have been tortured, raped, assassinated, “disappeared,” massacred, and forced into refuge by those trained at the School of Assassins.
As you may know, the School of the Americas (SOA) is a combat training school for Latin American soldiers, located at Fort Benning, GA. In 2001, it was renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC). No matter what you call it, the facts remain: since 1946, the SOA has trained over 64,000 Latin American soldiers in coutnerinsurgency techniques, sniper training, psychological warfare, military intelligence, and interrogation tactics. These graduates have consistently used their skills to wage a war against their own people. Among those targeted by SOA graduates are educators, union organizers, religious workers, student leaders, and others who work for the rights of the poor. Hundreds of thousands of Latin Americans have been tortured, raped, assassinated, “disappeared,” massacred, and forced into refuge by those trained at the School of Assassins.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Paul Farmer's New Book
Partners in Health (PIH) invites you to participate in its five-week, in-depth reading and discussion of Haiti After the Earthquake, Dr. Paul Farmer's newest book. From Evan Lyon, MD, another member of PIH: "During this five-week reading and discussion, you'll be able to chat with PIH staff who are directly involved in our relief efforts, discuss the book with other readers, and enter our contest to win a signed copy of the book. It is my fervent hope that this book will do more than bear witness to the suffering the earthquake caused. Rather, I hope it will educate readers about the historical context in which it occurred and the true scope of what remains to be done." Go to the PIH website for more information
Monday, July 11, 2011
Kristof's Summer Reading List
Thanks to Nicholas Kristof of the NY Times for suggesting this list of atypical "beach books" -- "mindful page turners . . . triumphs of fiction, both fun to read and significant for literary or historical reasons." If for no other reason, check out the article for its catchy title: "Action! Romance! Social Justice."
Sunday, July 10, 2011
South Sudan
Click here to read the Sudan Catholic Radio story on South Sudan's independence, declared Saturday at midnight. Continue to pray for this fledgling country, which continues to experience the pain of extreme poverty
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)