Weekly Justice Highlights

Care of Earth: Last month, the Obama Administration announced that it would take more time to review unresolved environmental and safety issues raised by the Keystone XL study, particularly analysis of alternate routes to protect the sensitive Ogallala Aquifer, which provides drinking water for millions of U.S. citizens. Urge Senators and Representatives to oppose bills in Congress to push the Keystone XL pipeline through.

Promoting Peace: Pax Christi International invites the global community to share stories of peace. The stories will be used in Bethlehem, Palestine and other locations in educational and religious settings. Email your inspirational Christmas stories for peace in English before December 25. More information is located here.

Challenging corporate practices: Urge the members of the Energy and Commerce Committee to oppose any bill that would give corporations virtually free rein to call cell phones.

Refugees and Displaced Persons: Gently remind President Obama to remember the impact the invasion has had on Iraq and that the U.S. has an obligation to ensure that the internally displaced persons and the Iraqi refugees are taken care of.

Urge U.S. Representatives and Senators to pass an omnibus bill (appropriations) that has no riders and uses funding limits set out in the Debt Deal in August NOT the House budget proposal of April to guide spending.

Urge U.S. Representatives and Senators to extend the payroll tax cuts and Unemployment Insurance by adapting the message on the link above.

Tax cuts for middle class Americans were voted down by Republican Senators (202.224.3121; not toll free). Individuals are invited to call these Senators and express disappointment. Evidently Grover Norquist “gave permission” to allow taxes to go up on the middle class as not violating his “no tax increase” pledge before the vote.

Thank Senator Rand Paul for his leadership in the passage of the Merkley Amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for the effort to end the war in Afghanistan at a quicker pace at

Act Today to urge Trinity Wall Street Episcopal Church to provide sanctuary for Occupy Wall Street protestors.

Call the White House 2.2.456.111 (not toll free) and call on President Obama to insist that the Brazilian government take action to clarify boundaries of indigenous lands, continue to protect indigenous lives that are under constant threat, and to bring justice to those that killed Nisio Gomes.

In the Spirit of St. Francis and the Sultan: Muslims and Christians Working Together for the Common Good is a unique 8-week module that supports respectful dialog and cooperation during this troubling period of polarization in our society. A unique feature of the module is that it brings Christians and Muslims together to work for the common good. Participating groups report that this experience is a hopeful and much needed sign of good will and cooperation. More information is located here.

A new documentary film, “Blood in the Mobile,” powerfully addresses both the limits of the imagination and our sense of connection to atrocities committed in eastern Congo. The minerals in our cell phones finance war.

Striking photos of natural gas flares in PA are located here.

The year in powerful photos is located here (be patient for photos to load).