March-April 2021

Vol. 46, No 2.

Read this issue as a PDF

The Great Green Wall of Africa: First proposed in 2007, the project to plant billions of trees along a 5,000 mile corridor in the Sahel of Africa is gaining momentum.

Haiti’s Growing Political Crisis: The political situation in Haiti has brought the country to the “verge of explosion.”

Biden Quickly Begins Immigration Reforms: Since coming into office on January 20, President Biden has taken significant steps to enact his policy agenda on immigration.

Nuclear Arms Treaties in the Biden Era: President Biden has several critical opportunities to address the threat of nuclear weapons. 

Iran Nuclear Deal Petition: MOGC and Pax Christi USA are collecting signatures for the following petition. 

UN Human Rights Review of the United States: A new report highlights the international community’s perspective on the United States’ human rights record.

Calls for Debt Relief and Aid Grow: MOGC and partner organizations continue to push for debt relief for impoverished countries from the IMF and G20 during the COVID-19 crisis. 

Next Steps for Vaccine Equity: MOGC signed onto a joint letter on Feb. 16, excerpted here, urging President Biden to prioritize just and equitable COVID-19 vaccine policy. 

Myanmar: Next Steps After the Coup: Activists in Myanmar and advocates abroad push for three actions to save the democracy after the military coup on Feb. 1.

Brazil: Bolsonaro and the COVID-19 Pandemic: David Kane, an MOGC staff member in Brazil and a returned Maryknoll Lay Missioner, explains how a new study highlights the impacts of President Bolsonaro’s actions on the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil.

Take Action for Palestinian Refugees: The ecumenical organization Churches for Middle East Peace is calling on people to ask President Biden to restore U.S. assistance to Palestinians through the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Included here are also some links to recommended articles on Israel-Palestine.

Biden’s First Actions on Climate: Since day one, President Joe Biden has recommitted the United States to climate action, signaling that the United States is “back in” the fight against this gravest of threats. 

Resources: Find resources for Lent, on Pope Francis' Fratelli Tutti, about our virtual Good Friday Way of the Cross event, Ecumenical Advocacy Days, and much more.

 

 

 

Photo: Hospitals preparing COVID-19 vaccines. Courtesy of the U.S. Navy. Available on Flickr. Creative Commons 2.0.