May we be free of torture, may there be peace in hearts and minds - Human-rights and animal links
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Human-rights and animal links
Took part in these action alerts today:
ONE poverty-fighting campaign coalition:
Late last night, Senators Joe Biden (D-DE) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) introduced a new amendment. It would restore the $2.6 billion we have been working toward and add an additional $1.5 billion to the international affairs budget. This funding would bring the Senate in line with what President Bush requested earlier this year, and would be a strong boost for America’s lifesaving work around the globe.
Please call your senator today (202-224-3121) and tell them:
-You are constituent and a ONE member
- You want them to support the Biden-Lugar amendment to restore $4.1 billion to the international affairs budget, to match the president’s budget request.
The sponsors of the original $2.6b amendment - Senators Feinstein (D-CA), Smith (R-OR), Durbin (D-IL), Sununu (R-NH), Dodd (D-CT) and Coleman (R-MN) - have turned their support to this new effort as well. It is quickly building the steam that it will need to pass.
More senators will be signing throughout the day. Check back to the ONE Blog for the most up-to-date list of senators signed on so far. We only have a few hours to make calls and save billions of dollars in critical poverty-fighting funding.
Africa Faith and Justice Network petition for diplomatic support for peace between Rwanda and Congo: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1552/t/1384/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=949
5.4 million people have died in recent years in the Congo and civilian women and children are experiencing a rape epidemic. If that many people died in a Western conflict we'd sure see some international attention - so let's work for peace and development.
Second Harvest food bank network - support hunger relief through the Farm Bill: http://www.hungeractioncenter.org/index.aspx
The greatest thing we could do is to support debt relief coupled with gradual reductions in farm subsidies so that international farmers will have a chance to compete on the free market. That will provide lower costs to consumers also.
Send a personal message of support to women in the Congo experiencing sexual violence and slavery (will be sent through IRC-supported organizations working with the ladies): http://ga3.org/campaign/survivors
Please do this, as the survivors experience ostracism and shame upon returning to their homes. It would mean a lot for them to see that people around the world stand with them!
Habitat for Humanity - support the GROWTH act to encourage women to be equally able to own property around the world. This will protect widows and children from becoming homeless when husbands die in wars in so many countries.
The GROWTH Act - short for the Global Resources and Opportunities for Women to Thrive Act - would make protecting and strengthening property rights a priority in U.S. foreign assistance and trade programs, thereby enhancing women’s economic opportunities around the globe. Habitat for Humanity has helped win strong bipartisan support for this important legislation, but now it's up to you to help secure passage of the bill in the Senate.
Over 6,000 Habitat supporters have already written Congress in support of this important bill. Will you take just a minute to pick up the phone and ask your Senators to do the right thing by supporting the GROWTH Act?
If you've never called Congress before, don't worry - it's easy! When a staff member answers your call, introduce yourself as a constituent. Then, tell him or her that you're calling in support of the GROWTH Act, S. 2069. Here are some things you might say:
"I'm concerned that women around the world risk eviction because of limited property rights. I'm calling to ask Senator X to ensure that the GROWTH Act passes."
"I recently read that in some countries, if a woman's husband dies, she can be kicked out of the home that she and her family have lived in for years, just because she doesn't have property rights. That is just not acceptable and our government needs to be doing more about this issue! I would like for Senator X to support the Global Resources and Opportunities for Women to Thrive Act."
"The GROWTH Act is incredibly important legislation that would empower women to work towards increased property rights, enable women to start and grow businesses, help women get better jobs, and ensure that benefits of trade reach poor women."
It's that simple! And don't forget - after you've made the call, please tell us how it went.
Giving women property rights not only reduces their risk of eviction or homelessness - it empowers them to make positive changes in their communities. And because women are more likely than men to pass their wealth on to their children, the benefits of women owning land will be felt for generations to come.
Thank you for supporting women around the world.
Some additional alerts for people out of the area to protect feral cats and reduce their populations humanely:
Just Monday night, residents of the Meadows of Chantilly in Fairfax , Virginia came home to find a letter announcing the decision to hire a pest control company to trap and kill the more than two hundred cats. Most of the cats have been spayed or neutered in Alley Cat Allies' Northern Virginia Spay/Neuter Clinic. This decision broke the management’s earlier public promise that they would meet with all of the involved parties before making a decision on the fate of the local cats.
Alley Cat Allies is truly disappointed with this announcement. We have left multiples messages and faxed a letter to the property manager, Equity Lifestyle Properties, urging them to postpone any trapping and to meet with us face-to-face. We are offering our humane, effective services at no cost to them.
Many residents tell us how much they truly care about these cats and consider them part of the community. We are fighting for these cats, whose lives are in imminent danger.
Complain to property management and urge humane treatment for the cats:
http://action.alleycat.org/c.mmL3KgN3LzH/b.806667/k.9ED9/Action_Center/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=mmL3KgN3LzH&b=806667&aid=9970
Meanwhile, a town in Iowa has just announced a bounty on outdoor cats. The mayor of Randolph , IA has instituted a $5 bounty payment on the “catching and delivering of live cats to the mayor.” Once turned in, the cats will be taken to a local vet and killed. Mayor Vance Trively is encouraging all residents to take part. Any cat who cannot easily be identified as an owned cat will be killed. The plan is inhumane and ineffective and it could result in the surrendering of neighborhood pets.
As expected, the citizens of Randolph are very concerned about this new plan and have been expressing their views on the community website - remarking on both the inhumane approach and the danger to town pets.
I have spoken to the mayor and requested an immediate stop to the bounty and implementation of Trap-Neuter-Return. I have urged and will continue to urge the town to put an end to this cruel program.
Contact the mayor here: http://action.alleycat.org/c.mmL3KgN3LzH/b.806667/k.9ED9/Action_Center/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=mmL3KgN3LzH&b=806667&aid=9985
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