Tag Archives: Justice Issues

French first baby already a winner in the geographic lottery

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Lindsey Talerico-Hedren in Advocacy, Causes

Maybe you’re like me: You have a sudden feeling of joy every time you hear of a baby being born, or a newly announced pregnant mother-to-be. Two months ago, I sat in the hospital, awaiting the birth of my new nephew, ready to hear the sweet melody of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” that’s played each time a baby is born. It’s the same feeling of joy I had earlier this week, hearing the announcement of the birth of the daughter of French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. I recall when we heard the wonderful news in May that the Sarkozys were expecting — around the same time G8 leaders gathered in France to discuss issues of economic and...

Trafficking victims protection: Keeping a law that works

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Jesse Eaves in Advocacy

Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2011 | World Vision Blog

Debating the effectiveness of laws is a tradition as old as our nation itself. But I want to share a story that illustrates how one law is accomplishing exactly what it was passed to do. From 2003 to 2007, the owners of the U.S. company Global Horizons trafficked more than 600 Thai workers to U.S. soil. The company lured the men with promises of high-paying agricultural jobs. When the men arrived after having paid exorbitant recruitment fees, their passports and immigration papers were taken from them. Instead of receiving high-paying jobs, the men were forced to work on farms in Washington state and Hawaii to pay off the “debt” they were told they incurred. In 2007, the owners of the...

Dreaming with Martin Luther King Jr.

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Rich Stearns in Conversations

It was 48 years ago this week that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered one of his most famous speeches on the Mall in Washington D.C. His declaration, “I have a dream” remains one of the most stirring addresses in American history as well as a prophetic discourse opposing injustice and the continued oppression of grandchildren and great grandchildren of slaves. If Dr. King were to deliver his address again this year, I’m sure he would continue to see the need to speak out against the injustices that continue to oppress many black and other minority communities in the U.S. But I believe that Dr. King might also speak out against the injustices, oppression, and poverty that cause suffering in...

International Youth Day: 6 youth changing our world

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Lindsey Talerico-Hedren in Advocacy, Causes

Change our world — that’s this year’s International Youth Day theme. It seems more than appropriate in a year of ongoing economic struggle, debt ceilings, radiation leaks and famines. And there are issues of injustice that fail to make headlines but distress so many people — child abuse, abduction and trafficking, school drop-outs because of forced labor or need for income, neglect of children and youth, and an apparent lack of youth voice. But there are youth out there advocating against such injustices, making real differences in their communities, and changing our world for good. This post is a reminder, on International Youth Day, that youth are to believed in because through them, great things are possible. Don’t let anyone...

Debt ceiling debate: Why foreign aid is an issue of ‘right-wrong,’ not ‘right-left’

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Peter Warski in Advocacy

The International Affairs Budget provides life-saving assistance to children and families living in poverty. Photo: Jon Warren/WV

Consider what you’ve heard in the news over the past several weeks regarding the ongoing impasse over the nation’s debt ceiling. You’ve probably heard a great deal about spending cuts, versus tax increases, versus any combination thereof. You’ve likely heard about the August 2 deadline for raising the limit, lest the United States default on its debts and risk an economic meltdown. In the midst of this, you’ve almost certainly observed a soap opera of political posturing and bickering among members of both parties. But what you probably haven’t heard much about in the context of this debate is the group that stands to lose the most: the world’s poorest, who literally depend on U.S. foreign aid for their survival....