Friday, March 7, 2014

UMW ACTION ALERT.March 2014

We have received from GBCS two issues for action that need our response: Peace and Refugees around the World and Immigrant Deportations. Following is more information and specific action requested. This information can be easily re-formatted for a two-up, two-sided piece, so for 25 sheets of paper, 50 people can have the information.
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ACTION ALERT FOR UMW
We have two issues to address by making phone calls or by sending e-mails.
Peace and Refugees around the World.
Refugees are people who are forced to leave their home countries due to war and violence. International laws define who gets refugee status and establish guidelines and rules for the treatment of refugees. The 1951convention of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) protects refugees from being returned to their home countries if they fear they will be harmed; the convention also ensures that refugees are afforded many of the same protections offered to citizens of the country they have relocated to.
   There are an estimated 10.5 million refugees in the  world; 1.1 million fled their homes in 2012.         The war in Syria has displaced over 4 million people. The U.S. currently houses 262,000 resettled refugees and offers training in soil, irrigation techniques and climate to help refugees who are living in agrarian communities.
While women and children comprise 48% of refugees, women bear the major brunt of gross atrocities such as genital mutilation, rape, sexual assault, acid attacks, trafficking, forced marriage, honor killings.

Achieving comprehensive and durable world peace demands that all nations and citizens work to fully integrate refugees and support their desires for personal fulfillment through employment, education and family well-being.
ACTION REQUESTED
Call your local congressional representative at 202-224-3121, or send e-mail, to urge their support of:

H.R. 2855: Making Appropriations for the Department of State, which determines the amount of funding to provide in order to sustain and secure organizations and bureaus overseas, agencies which makes international participation in the refugee community possible.

H.R. 6460: THE Strengthening the Refugee Resettlement Act, which increases protections and services to all categories of refugees.

Urge your Senator to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women.
ACTION ALERT FOR UMW
We have two issues to address by making phone calls or by sending e-mails.
Immigrant Deportations
United Methodist Bishops Minerva Carcano and Julius Trimble, co-chairs of our denomination’s Interagency Task Force on Immigration, and Harriet Jane Olson, top executive of UMW, were among 32 persons arrested on February 17, while kneeling or standing on the icy concrete in front of the White House. Also arrested was Bill Mefford, director of Civil & Human Rights at the General Board of Church & Society.

Ms. Olson said that UMW has collected thousands of postcards to ask the administration to stop immigrant deportations. She added that while there are many things the administration cannot do unless Congress will act, it can choose how to enforce the law. Currently 1,100 people are deported daily. This number represents as many relationships that are broken—families that are torn apart with no reconciliation in sight.

ACTION REQUESTED

Advocate by texting 2million to 877877.

Or visit action.umc-gbcs.org/joinnetworks.

Call President Obama and ask that he end the deportations. The goal is to have 1,100 callers, representing the 1,100 people deported daily.

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There are numerous websites that provide additional information on these issues, among them:




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