All Souls has a long history and proud tradition of working for social justice and fighting against oppression of all kinds. On this page, you'll find current action alerts—annoucements of social justice actions in which you can take part. Check back often for updates.
Bread for the World Urges US Lawmakers to Lead Response to Horn of Africa Crisis
Washington, DC, August 2, 2011 – With the worst drought in 60 years hitting the Horn of Africa, Bread for the World urges U.S. lawmakers to protect—not cut—international food aid in the ongoing budget debates. The United States must also increase its emergency response to the region and ensure that resources to invest in long-term development are protected.
“The current humanitarian response is inadequate to meet emergency needs,” said Faustine Wabwire, foreign assistance policy analyst for Bread for the World Institute. “Tens of thousands of lives could be saved, but the window of opportunity to do so is extremely limited. A massive, strategic response is critical to prevent death, total loss of livelihood, and social collapse.
About 11.5 million people in the Horn of Africa face a humanitarian emergency—the most serious food insecurity situation in the world today. Currently, U.S. foreign assistance, including emergency food aid, accounts for less than 1 percent of the federal budget.
“Emergency aid is vital right now, but we must think beyond the current crisis. It is much more cost-effective to invest in building agricultural and economic systems that are sustainable in the long run and prevent calamities than it is to respond to emergency food shortage crises,” said Wabwire. “We must pay greater attention to long-term investments in women and children and in country-led initiatives that lay foundations for sustainable agriculture and livelihood strategies.”
Those in need of assistance include 4.56 million people in Ethiopia, 3.5 million in Kenya, and 3.7 million in Somalia. These issues are compounded by high food prices and political instability, which has rendered humanitarian efforts to meet the needs of people in the region difficult and dangerous.
“Any cuts to funding for international food aid programs will not significantly reduce the deficit,” said Rev. Derrick Boykin, associate for African American Leadership Outreach at Bread for the World. “It will cost us more in the long run, undermining the progress already made in reducing maternal and child deaths and severe malnutrition—especially in the Horn of Africa.”
Bread for the World and other faith leaders are part of the Circle of Protection, a nonpartisan movement that insists budgets are moral documents and that poor and vulnerable people should be protected—not targeted—in efforts to reduce long-term deficits.
Tell Congress to create a circle of protection around funding for programs that are vital to hungry and poor people in the U.S. and abroad.
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice's "Summer of Choice"
Jul. 31-Aug. 6. Take part in the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice's "Summer of Choice," a response to the so-called "Summer of Mercy," an organized campaign of harassment run by Operation Rescue aimed at an abortion clinic in Germantown, MD. Find info on events, including a march for choice and peaceful presence defense of the clinic, at www.summerofchoice.com.
Beautify our schools
Sat., Aug. 20, 8:00 am-1:00 pm. On Beautification Day 2011, roll up your sleeves and help spruce up our neighborhood schools. To register or donate, visit www.dcps.dc.gov or contact Vanessa Confesor (DCPS.beautificationday@dc.gov; 202-442-5447).
Women in the military deserve equal access to the same reproductive health care rights as most other employees of the federal government.
Legislative alert from the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.
A current ban on abortion procedures at military health facilities, except in cases of rape, incest, and life-endangerment, means that servicewomen and military dependents have access to abortion services in very limited circumstances. Furthermore, unlike most women whose health care is covered by the federal government, including federal employees and those on Medicaid, military women have health insurance that does not cover abortion, even in cases of rape and incest. This means that most of these women cannot access abortion services, and those few who can must pay for it out-of-pocket. This endangers the health, safety, and dignity of the very women who have committed their lives to defending our country.
Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) have introduced the MARCH (Military Access to Reproductive Care and Health) for Military Women Act to (1) restore abortion coverage to military women who are survivors of rape or incest and, (2) lift the ban on women in the military using their own funds for an abortion in military facilities. According to Rep. Slaughter, the current situation is “preposterous and incredibly unjust to the women who serve our country so proudly each day.”
This bill would allow American servicewomen and military dependents to exercise their freedom of faith and conscience—one of the very freedoms our military defends. American servicewomen and military families deserve safe access to the same essential reproductive-health services as the civilians they protect, so contact your representative and senators TODAY!
Three decades into the HIV/AIDS crisis
To mark the 30th anniversary of the first report of HIV/AIDS in the US, the White House Office of National AIDS Policy released this statement to highlight the Obama administration’s initiatives to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS here and around the world.
On 30th Year of HIV/AIDS, Obama Administration Recommits to Fighting Pandemic
Washington, D.C. – Thirty years ago this Sunday, June 5, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first reported on the condition that would eventually become known as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Over the past three decades, HIV has emerged as a potent global pandemic, and today more than 33 million people around the world are living with HIV and more than two million deaths from Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) annually. Even today, more than 50,000 people in the United States are infected with HIV in the United States.
“We pause to mark the thirty years we have been fighting HIV/AIDS.” said President Barack Obama. “As we remember people in our own lives we have lost and stand by those living with HIV/AIDS, we must also rededicate ourselves to finally ending this pandemic – in this country and around the world.”
“This battle is not over,” said Secretary for Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius. “As long as the AIDS virus threatens the health and lives of people here and around the globe, our work will continue to connect people to treatment, educate them about how to protect themselves, battle discrimination, and to keep the country focused on our collective fight against this pandemic.”
While America has made great strides in the fight against HIV/AIDS in recent years, the Obama Administration has made it a priority to re-focus national attention on a domestic epidemic that is still in play. Building on a growing body of evidence and lessons learned, the Administration released last year and is now implementing a comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy that provides a roadmap for reducing new infections, improving care and health outcomes for people living with HIV/AIDS, and reducing the health disparities that have characterized this epidemic.
The President is also deeply committed to expanding access to HIV/AIDS prevention and care for more Americans and to supporting a robust research agenda to ensure that we make steady progress toward ending the pandemic. Under the President’s leadership, the Administration has increased domestic HIV/AIDS funding to support the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and HIV prevention. On the global stage, the Obama Administration’s Global Health Initiative has built on the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) by expanding access to treatment, prevention and care for those in need around the world, and further enhancing our impact by providing increased support for maternal-child health. Furthermore, the Administration supports the efforts of governments and communities in the developing world to build their capacity to fight this epidemic and meet the other health challenges they face. The Administration will continue to use its leadership to call upon other countries to honor their commitments to defeat a pandemic that demands the attention of the entire world.
On the domestic front and international stage, the Administration continues to work closely with the American people who, on this day, should stand proud of what they have done, at home and abroad, to ignite our collective commitment to this worthy cause.
