HOTLINE - week of May 01, 2006

May 4 marks the 60th anniversary of Church World Service. Founded in 1946, Church World Service grew out of the desire by U.S. churches to provide assistance for families in need in post-World War II Europe and Asia, and today continues to work worldwide to help those in need help themselves.

The effects of the October 2005 earthquake are still all too apparent in Balakot City, in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province. Many of the survivors of the disaster remain in tents, and numerous signs of destruction are still visible.

There are signs of recovery, however. The city's market is slowly coming back to life. And a cornerstone of CWS work in the region is bustling: In conjunction with DOSTI, a local partner, CWS is helping train young men in masonry, electricity, welding, plumbing, and carpentry. The training will allow the men to not only build new homes for their families, but also enable them to assist reconstruction efforts throughout the region.

At one of the training centers, the Bissian Construction Trade Training Center, just outside of Balakot City, several dozen young men--who once worked as day laborers or agricultural workers—energetically practice their newly acquired skills, whether laying brick, cutting wood, or fixing wiring.

"We're providing them a skill as tradesmen and to help their communities rebuild," said Ali Awais, 25, the energetic administrator of the center. "It becomes a project not only for themselves but for their families and communities, too."

Please check upcoming Hotlines for more features on quake recovery in Pakistan.

Atrocities and suffering continue in the Darfur region of western Sudan. More than three million people have been uprooted from their homes by the violence, and as many as 400,000 have been killed or have died from hunger or disease. Humanitarian needs are urgent.

On Sunday, April 30, Church World Service joins its partners in the Save Darfur Coalition in rallies for Darfur. The rallies mark the culmination of the "Million Voices for Darfur" campaign to generate one million postcards to send to President Bush asking him to fulfill his Feb. 17 pledge to support a stronger multi-national force to protect the people of Darfur.

CWS Executive Director Rev. John L. McCullough speaks at the Washington rally, while Fidele Lumeya, CWS Associate Director for International Emergency Response, speaks at a similar rally in San Francisco.

CWS is working with Action by Churches Together partners to provide food, medicines, water and sanitation, agricultural inputs and tools, and counseling to some of the most vulnerable of the uprooted people in Darfur.

For information about the crisis and CWS emergency response in Darfur, and to speak out for the people of Darfur, visit www.churchworldservice.org.

The U.S. Senate is planning to revive the debate on comprehensive immigration reform that stalled just before the recent Congressional recess. Please contact your Senators to urge them to ensure passage of well-considered, compassionate, and fair immigration reform that will fix our broken immigration system. Visit the Speak Out section at www.churchworldservice.org to learn more about the issues and use our online advocacy tools.

Some 5,000 Dominican and Haitian-Dominican families (about 25,000 people) in 80 communities are taking part in health, education, human rights, and income-generating projects with the help of CWS and our long-time partner, Social Service of the Dominican Churches.

Project activities include: constructing and repairing small water and sanitation systems; providing access to credit for seeds, other agricultural inputs, and small businesses; and providing training and equipment for community-based health and education promoters and organizers.

Your prayers and support - and your participation in CROP WALKS and the TOOLS & BLANKETS Program - make possible these and other life sustaining programs. For information on how to get involved, please call your Church World Service/CROP Regional Office toll-free at 1-888-CWS-CROP, that's 1-888-297-2767.

For information about free loan videos, please call 1-800-297-1516, ext. 338, or e-mail us at: videos@churchworldservice.org.

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