Leaders Urged Congress to Take a Moral Stand on Refugee Resettlement; Spoke Out Against Inflammatory Rhetoric Towards Refugees and their Families Washington, D.C. – In the wake of the tragic attacks in Paris and more recently in San Bernardino, Calif., many have been quick to point fingers and place blame on refugee families fleeing horrific violence in Syria and other …
Xa’s Courage
CWS Vietnam team | December 7, 2015
Ly Lo Xa, 13, is from the La Hu ethnic minority group, a nomadic tribe without a tradition of sending children to school. His house is in a mountainous village, Ta Ba, where many of the community members face poverty. The roads and paths are in poor condition and Xa and his fellow students travel rugged trails through the forest …
Religious Leaders Send Letter to Congress Urging Support for Syrian Refugees
December 3, 2015
WASHINGTON – In response to H.R. 4038, the so-called “American Security Against Foreign Enemies” (SAFE) Act and rumors that a must-pass appropriations bill may include policy riders to stop the resettlement of refugees from Iraq and Syria, more than 152 bishops, presidents of denominations and CEOs of faith-based organizations, as well as over 450 local pastors, rabbis, imams and other …
I am joining COP 21 in Paris. Here’s why.
December 2, 2015
1988 was an important year. My son was born, and the U.S. Senate was first alerted to the threat of climate change. Three years later, I personally learned about climate change as a graduate student. I learned from my instructors who monitored global temperatures, rainfall patterns and sea level rise. Ice core analysis for climate markers was relatively new then …
Updated appeal: Europe refugee crisis
Appeal Code: 76-6640 Appeal amount: $200,000 Funding Received to date: $141,000 This is an update to our October 8 appeal. SITUATION As of the end of October, more than 689,000 Syrians have sought asylum in Europe since the beginning of the conflict in 2011. They are joined in this journey into Europe by refugees and migrants from many other nations. …
Global Warming and the Pan African Summit on Climate Change
the Rev. John L. McCullough | November 27, 2015
Two weeks ago, I addressed representatives from all over Anglophone Africa: parliamentarians, ministers of the environment, faith leaders and civil society leaders. The occasion was the Pan African Summit on Climate Change which took place in Nairobi, Kenya. I was there in my capacity as the US Ambassador for the ACT Alliance Climate Change Campaign. We had gathered in advance …
Rep It For Refugees
Hana Sahar | November 25, 2015
How are CWS and fitness competitions related? On a chilly Sunday in November, Liberated Fitness in New York City generously agreed to host Rep It for Refugees, where $1,610 was raised for the CWS response to the Syrian refugee crisis. Gym members and their friends signed up to participate in a fitness competition held in two divisions with different workouts …
Creating welcome spaces one child and one family at a time
Ivette Pineda | November 23, 2015
In the midst of the anti-immigrant and anti-refugee rhetoric that is currently dominating our politics, it’s not easy to see the path towards a society where all are welcome. At North Valley Caring Services this path is already being established one child and one family at a time. NVCS’ Family Literacy Program provides the necessary services to enable pre-school children …
The Syrians I know
Sarah Ivory | November 20, 2015
The Syrians I know are shy middle schoolers who love science and look up to their mom who was a physics teacher before her country fell apart. The Syrians I know work hard to learn English and complete cultural orientation and love to laugh and make silly faces and joke with their friends. The Syrians I know crocheted me a …
Church World Service Supports Administration’s Appeal of DACA/DAPA Injunction
WASHINGTON – Earlier this month, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the injunction against President Obama’s expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and creation of the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) program, leaving millions of individuals living in fear of deportation. Following the court’s ruling, the Obama administration filed an appeal today with …