According to a paper published in Nature Climate Change, a team of social scientists and ecologists from North Carolina State University authored a report that found that children can increase their parents’ level of concern about climate change because, unlike adults, their views on the issue do not generally reflect any entrenched political ideology. The findings from the report suggest that conversations between generations may be an effective starting point in combating the effects of a warming environment.
God, we pray for the coming generations -- that they may discover a powerful voice for justice, and that their voice may be heard by those in power. When we are the ones in power who need to listen, may our ears be open. God, we pray that you would give us leaders -- young, old, rich, poor, powerful, robbed of power -- who will guide us toward a future filled with hope, creativity, and flourishing.
An immigration facility in El Paso, Tex., presents an immediate risk to the health and safety of hundreds of migrants being held there, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. A report released last week highlighted numerous indecencies, including accounts of detainees standing atop toilets in crowded rooms just to find air to breathe, many detainees kept in “standing room only” cells for weeks, and limited access to showers and clean clothing. Investigators found 155 people in a cell that was supposed to hold 35, and 41 people in a cell that was supposed to hold eight.
God, bring swift restoration, justice, and accountability in this situation. We pray that the persons with power would use it to intervene. We pray that we might advocate for policies and practices that aim to offer safety, human dignity, and hospitality instead of dehumanizing conditions to people desperate for safety.
In the past two years, almost 2,000 Syrian refugees who fled and then later returned to Syria have been arrested — then interrogated, forced to inform on close family members, and in some cases tortured. In order to return to Syria, these refugees first had to gain permission from the government and were required to report any contact with the political opposition -- and many now report being harassed and extorted by the Assad regime.
God, for so many Syrians who long for home, we pray. For those who have found their homes destroyed or erased, who have faced violence or danger, who continue to grieve and suffer, we offer our prayers. Have mercy, Lord.
The thousands of Indigenous women and girls who were either murdered or disappeared across Canada in recent decades are victims of a "Canadian genocide," says the final report of the national inquiry created to probe the ongoing tragedy. The report concluded that genocide driven by the disproportionate level of violence faced by Indigenous women and girls occurred in Canada through "state actions and inactions rooted in colonialism and colonial ideologies." The inquiry's report acknowledges that there are disagreements over what constitutes genocide and whether it could relate to Canada and will be preparing a supplemental report according to the legal definition of genocide.
God, a report cannot fully contain the grief, the oppression, the broken hearts, and the lost lives of so many women and girls and their family members -- beloved in your sight. But we pray that this report will lead to something new: new commitment to justice, new openness to repentance, new hope for Indigenous women and girls who have long been silenced, ignored, and forced to live in fear.
The American Dream and Promise Act of 2019 would provide Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) recipients with protection from deportation and an opportunity to obtain permanent legal status. Contact your Representative today.
Victoria is the newest member of our team. She joins our team this week as the Justice Communications Team Coordinator, working for the Centre for Public Dialogue, Office of Social Justice, and Canadian Indigenous Ministries Committee. Learn more about Victoria!
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