HOTLINE - week of July 17, 2006

"As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, 'If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace!'" - Luke 19:41-42

In a statement issued July 14, CWS and the NCC are calling upon all parties in the Middle East to end the current hostilities, to develop non-violent strategies for engagement, and to work toward a just and sustainable settlement of the issues that plague the region.

In addition, CWS and the NCC are calling upon the religious communities of the region to pray, teach, and lead their people in the ways of peace, and calling upon religious communities throughout the world and people of faith across the U.S. to pray for those who have suffered and walk in solidarity with the people of the Middle East through humanitarian and advocacy actions until peace is achieved.

Read the complete statement here.

"The militias came at night and threatened us," says a middle-aged widow in the Darfur region of Sudan. "The militia men fired shots in the air... if you try to fight the militia, they will kill you."

The mother, along with her four daughters and two sons, fled the town of Mershing, and now the family of seven lives in one hut in a camp for families of the town displaced by the violence. Security is somewhat better in the camp, but she is ready to run if militias attack -- two sacks are packed with clothes and the children's schoolbooks, and an iron box with a padlock guards her families' food.

The Action by Churches Together-Caritas coalition, of which CWS is a part, is providing assistance to the displaced people of Mershing. Working with local partners, CWS is helping to support a clinic, schools, and social programs in the area. CWS continues to work in partnership to help families affected by the violence in Darfur through the provision of water, seeds and training, school materials, and other essentials.

Make a donation for Sudan/Darfur crisis recovery.

This week, July 19-21, the first-ever Interfaith Summit on Africa is being held in Washington, D.C. The event, coordinated by CWS, is bringing together key leaders of the faith community from Africa and the U.S., as well as advocates and policymakers, to address pressing issues facing the African continent. For more information on the Summit, including an agenda, issue papers, and participants, please visit http://www.churchworldservice.org/news/africasummit/.

CWS and the international ecumenical community are decrying the approval of a new U.S. government Cuba report that severely restricts humanitarian aid to Cuba.

The Latin American Council of Churches, the National Council of Churches USA, and others echo CWS's plea for protection of aid and travel permissions for the sake of providing assistance to the people of Cuba through long-time partner the Cuban Council of Churches. Please sign the Petition to Oppose the Curtailment of Humanitarian Aid to Cuba.

CWS is working to support the self-empowerment of some 26,400 orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in four countries of East Africa -- Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda -- through the "Giving Hope" program over the next three years.

In Gitarama Town, Rwanda, children in some 110 OVC households are gaining access to secondary school scholarships, employment opportunities, and job training. The children, with advice from adult mentors, are operating an animal feed production enterprise with the help of CWS and partner the YWCA. The project is generating both an income for the children, and raising monies toward scholarships for 50 additional needy children in their community.

Education is vital in assisting AIDS orphans in becoming self-sufficient after the loss of their parents, and the job training the children are receiving will serve them well as they work to provide for themselves and their siblings.

Learn more about the "Giving Hope" program

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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