HOTLINE - week of October 02, 2006

"This humanitarian nightmare has gone completely unaddressed by the UN Security Council, and is one of the world's least known," says Church World Service Executive Director John L. McCullough, of continuing violence and displacements in Burma.

A forthcoming report from the Thailand Burma Border Consortium, of which CWS is a co-founder and an active partner, indicates that in the past year, Burma's military regime has destroyed, relocated or forced abandonment of 232 villages, more than 3,000 villages in the past decade. At least 700,000 people have fled Burma, and half a million are internally displaced.

CWS is calling for the UN Security Council to pass a resolution requiring Burma's military regime to stop attacking ethnic nationalities, and for UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to publicly condemn the latest attacks by Burma’s State Peace and Development Council on ethnic minorities in eastern Burma. To read more, visit www.churchworldservice.org.

Working with the Thailand Burma Border Consortium, CWS helps provide food and shelter for the 140,000 people from Burma in refugee camps in Thailand.

Each year, thousands of people and churches in the U.S. celebrate the Week of Peace in solidarity with Colombians. Forty years of war and the impoverishment, violence, and hopelessness have led many people to support a new vision for peace. This year, the Week for Peace in the U.S. will begin with Days of Prayer and Action. CWS is a sponsor.

On Sunday, October 1, the Day of Prayer, congregations across the country will pray for the many Colombian churches and peace communities that have endured suffering and persecution because they have refused to relinquish the dream of a peaceful and just future for their country. For suggested prayers and responsive readings, visit www.peaceincolombia.org/prayerday.htm.

On October 2, the Day of Action, people of faith will take action to convince our policymakers to promote peace and justice in Colombia instead of further military escalation and violence.

Here’s what you can do to take action for peace in Colombia: 1) Ask your representative to co-sponsor House Resolution 822, that recognizes the work being done by grassroots peacemakers in Colombia. You can contact your representative through the Speak Out section at www.churchworldservice.org.

2) Sign the Inter-Faith Petition to President Bush calling for peace in Colombia, at www.petitiononline.com/ewg2/petition.html. 3) Tell congressional candidates to work for peace in Colombia once they’re elected.

To learn more, go to http://churchworldservice.org/news/Colombia.

Some 8,600 families in Kompong Thom Province are benefiting from agricultural, health, and other projects, with the help of CWS. CWS's Kompong Thom Partnership Program is helping to form community-based organizations and self-help groups that address the basic needs of the community--access to clean drinking water, preventive health care, training in improved food production and animal husbandry techniques, and access to credit for income generating activities.

In 2005 Congress took a vital step toward reducing global poverty by passing with bi-partisan support the Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act. This legislation made access to safe water and sanitation for impoverished people in developing countries a policy objective of U.S. foreign aid. The bill itself did not provide any funding. That falls to the annual appropriations process in Congress.

CWS is urging people of faith to contact their Senators and Representative and ask them to support a $200 million appropriation for implementation of the Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act in the 2007 Foreign Operations spending legislation. Also ask them to ensure that the $200 million go specifically into the development assistance account, and that any emergency water projects are funded separately. You can contact your Senators and Representative through the Speak Out section at www.churchworldservice.org.

More information

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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