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The Refugee Crisis
The refugee crisis is escalating rapidly. While the world watched fishing boats overloaded with men and families fleeing from Africa and war-torn Near Eastern countries, suddenly for-hire trucks became death traps. More and more money was to be made by offering people even a slight chance to escape from desperate situations.
The locally generated war and the war-by-proxy in Syria has produced millions of refugees. When the possibility of escape began to offer a glimmer of hope, people frozen in fear began to move.
Why Syrians are risking everything to reach Europe, explained in 9 devastating photos, link
We all need to understand the essential facts.
Why people are fleeing Syria: a brief, simple explanation, link
The refugee crisis extends far beyond Syria. There are huge numbers of repressed peoples living under corrupt and exploitative governments throughout the world but especially in the Middle East and some parts of Africa. There may be a growing tide of people wanting to be free. Yet in every country that could offer help there are minorities who, rightly or wrongly, feel themselves to be ill-treated and are unsympathetic to the plights of others.
Europe's refugee crisis, explained at greater length, link
Pope Francis and other world leaders recognize what most ordinary people see very clearly, namely the urgent need to help the refugees.
Pope Francis to Shelter Refugees in the Vatican, Urges Catholics Across Europe to Do the Same, link
With not enough coverage in US media Americans have given far too little attention to what has been happening around the world.
Why Is the U.S. Not Doing More to Help Syrian Refugees?, link
Want to help? Click the link below.
and/or contact government representatives to do more to help these refugees
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Effort Focused on Tri-Valley Poverty
Raising awareness of poverty in the Tri-Valley was initiated at a luncheon last October 30th with 150 people in attendance. A working group of 30 to 40 people has met every month except December since then. These have been two-hour meetings on Thursday afternoons but in June a somewhat larger group met for a five-hour retreat. The group made many important decisions about organizing an effort to reduce poverty in Livermore. Pleasanton, Dublin, San Ramon and Danville. An approach called "Collective Impact" was adopted as the appropriate way to enable many diverse nonprofits, components of city and county governments, school districts, religious groups, and interested individuals to combine their respective capabilities effectively. Meetings in July and August produced further progress.
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Click on any of the links below
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