Weekly Justice Highlights

Challenging Unjust Structures: The Gambian President has decided to execute all death row inmates in just a matter of days, despite serious concerns over whether the inmates ever received fair trials. This past weekend, nine individuals were dragged from their cells without warning or good-byes and executed. Urge Gambian President Yahya Jammeh to stop executing death row inmates. (International Action is available)

Protecting Housing:  One in seven of the world's population lives in slums.  More than 2 million people a year who live in slums are displaced through force eviction.  Forced evictions are illegal under international and regional law.  Urge African leaders to protect citizen's rights to housing.   (International Action is available)

Human Trafficking:  September 4 is National Call-In Day with regard to the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) of 2011(S. 1301).  U.S. citizens are invited to contact their federal legislators (1.202.224.3121; charges apply) urging them to reauthorize S. 1301.  Action on this and other human trafficking legislation can be taken here. (Scroll down page)

Challenging Unjust Corporations: Oil and gas giant Enbridge is working to mislead the public (taking islands from its public video and map to make route look less treacherous than actually is) into accepting a dangerous pipeline and tanker project.  The company is fighting to get permits to build 1,177 km of pipeline across North America despirt massive public opposition.  Enbridge has caused over 800 oil spills in the last decade alone.   Urge Enbridge to stop misleading the public and pull the ads immediately.  (International Action is available)

Nuclear Weapons: Urge President Obama and members of Congress to take swift action to eliminate all nuclear weapons.

Challenging Unjust Systems: Things are really heating up in this campaign! Reynolds finally agreed to meet with FLOC and initial discussions are in the works. But this fight isn’t over. It’s time to kick it into high gear.   For months consumers have been asking Kangaroo —the largest convenience store chain in the Southeast that sells tobacco products including Reynolds— to use their power and influence to ensure Reynolds does the right thing. After hundreds of messages and store visits from our supporters, Kangaroo says that they did encourage Reynolds to meet with FLOC. Urge COB Ed Holman to visit North Carolina tobacco fields with FLOC.

Empowering Women:  It has been 320+ days since the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) expired and over 1280 victims as a result of Congress inaction.  Individuals are invited to urge U.S. Representatives, U.S. Senators and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to pass the VAWA as soon as possible (1.202.224.3121; charges apply).

In the Spirit of St. Vincent:  The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has a new website on poverty in the United States.  The website offers tools and resources to spread the word about poverty in America.  Resources include an interactive poverty map with state and county level poverty statistics, a Poverty Tour video which gives viewers a sense of what it is like to live at the federal poverty line, videos and links to PovertyUSA's social media sites, including www.facebook.com/povertyusa.