Lent begins Wednesday, February 13, 2013. One way of entering into this sacred season is to engage in prayer, study, action, and sharing resources in the spirit of global solidarity and Shalom. The CRS Rice Bowl program offers free quality resources to educate and animate action on behalf of our global family in need. Follow these links for parish, school (grades 1-12), and university resources.

In Canada, the theme for this year's Development and Peace Lent Campaign is Human Dignity: More Than Ever. The campaign builds on the concept of global solidarity rooted in the understanding that we are all made in the image and likeness of God. Learn more/take action.  

For Lent this year, Terri MacKenzie, SHCJ offers "Spirituality of Soil: A Lenten Journey from Cosmic Dust to Easter Garden," a five-week program for groups or individuals. Grounded in Lenten themes, Scripture, and the Universe Story, participants deepen their appreciation of Earth and the gift of soil. Reflections on the role of earth in the Gospels and in our evolution story highlight the importance of mitigating the current threats to E/earth. Each week contains a closing activity and suggestions for Earth-care action. Click here for this wonderful free resource.   

The roots for Black History Month in the U.S. can be traced to 1926 and the commemoration of "Negro History Week" set for the second week in February to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In Canada, its origins can be traced to 1950 when railroad porters began promoting the idea in Toronto. (The porters had learned of it on their travels in the United States.) Follow this link for some nice U.S-focused and Canadian-focused Black History Month resources.   

"Promoting empowerment of people in achieving poverty eradication, social integration, full employment, and decent work for all" will be the priority theme at this year's Commission for Social Development at the United Nations in early February. This year Eileen Reilly, SSND will take part in the discussions concerning opportunities for persons with disabilities, a world program of action for youth, an international plan of action on aging, family issues, and emerging issues in the global development agenda. Learn more.   

The Idle No More protest movement originated with the First Nation, Métis, and Inuit people of Canada (as well as their non-Aboriginal supporters) in response to what they perceived as an assault on indigenous rights in Canada, Bill C-45, which passed in December. They believe that Bill C-45 makes changes to the Indian Act, removes environmental protections, and further erodes the treaties with native peoples.

                 

A recent Global Day of Action spurred round dances and rallies in cities throughout North America and around the world. Learn more about Idle No More.     

Back to Top 

This week both President Obama and a bi-partisan group of senators have put forward blueprints for comprehensive immigration reform legislation.   

     

The Justice for Immigrants campaign believes a bill could make it to the Senate floor by late spring. Learn more, take action. 

Back to Top 

The grounding of Shell's petroleum drilling ship on a remote Alaska Island was the latest in a series of mishaps that have occurred since Shell was given government approval to explore for oil in the Arctic Ocean. The drilling sites are 1,000 miles from Coast Guard resources. Critics continue to warn that conditions are too harsh and the stakes too high to allow this type of offshore drilling. The Arctic needs our protection; an oil spill here could be devastating. No one knows how to clean up oil in the remote, icy waters of the Arctic. Learn more/take action.  

A new report estimates that 30-50 percent, or 1.2-2 billion tons, of all food produced on the planet is wasted. Most of the waste can be attributed to poor practices in harvesting, storage, and transportation, in addition to market and consumer waste. These numbers don't reflect the large amounts of land, energy, fertilizers, and water that also are lost when food simply ends up as waste, the report says. How do we stop wasting food and start feeding the world? We can start by returning to traditional, organic farming methods, including putting an end to Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), or factory farms. Learn more.  

Climate change has come home in a year of crippling drought, record-high temperatures, devastating wildfires, and Superstorm Sandy. The first step to addressing the climate crisis is for President Obama to reject the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. To that end, thousands of Americans will be heading to Washington, DC, on February 17 hoping to make Forward on Climate the largest climate rally in history. The goal is to form a massive human pipeline through Washington and then transform it into a giant symbol of the renewable energy future we need and are ready to build. Learn more, take action.   

On February 14, individuals and groups in more than 170 countries will take part in One Billion Rising, a day of action to reveal the collective strength and solidarity of those around the world who pledge to rise up to stop violence toward women and girls. The concept of the campaign is simple. If you take into account the statistic that 1 out of 3 women will experience violence in her lifetime, you are left with the staggering statistic that over 1 billion women on this planet will be impacted by violence. Watch this video, learn more/take action.

BREAK THE CHAIN