Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) Blogs

Swords Into Plowshares

Reflections from the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program and the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations

Free the 20

On September 1, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power launched the Free the 20 campaign to draw attention to the plight of women political prisoners and other prisoners of concern. Throughout September, the State Department will highlight 20 individual cases of women prisoners from around the world who are unjustly imprisoned, featuring one case per… Read more »

Human trafficking is in the news

Subway spokesman Jared Fogle has made news recently because he is under prosecution for having sex with multiple children. Some news stories have used prostitution language in their reports. The abuse is human trafficking. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has a long history of fighting human trafficking, including the commercial sexual exploitation of children. You can… Read more »

“We Are Forgotten”

Bishop Gassis and the people of Sudan’s Nuba Mountains by Sarah Hoyle If you are unaware of the tragic situation occurring in the Nuba Mountain Region of Sudan, you are not alone. This New York Times article is one of the only major reports to come out of the region in recent months, though the… Read more »

Happy Birthday, Nelson Mandela

by Willa Van Camp Nelson Mandela Day is celebrated every year on July 18, Nelson Mandela’s birthday. Today, July 24, there was celebration of the day which included the awarding of the inaugural Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize. The prize was awarded to two laureates who have each embodied the values of Mandela in their life… Read more »

HIV/AIDS MDGs achieved ahead of schedule

by Sarah Hoyle As the focus in the UN changes from the Millennium Development Goals to the Sustainable Development Goals, it is important to celebrate the Goals that have been achieved, When the MDGs were established, the world was gripped in a swiftly spreading AIDS pandemic that was spiraling out of control. MDG6 was established… Read more »

Remembering Srebrenica

by Nathan Jumper Twenty years ago in July 1995, more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslims were slaughtered, an act that has come to be known as the Srebrenica genocide. These mass killings were perpetrated primarily by units of the Army of Republika Srpska, and the Scorpions, a paramilitary unit from Serbia. In 2004, the Appeals Chamber… Read more »

Youth Civic Engagement

by Willa Van Camp International Youth Day is celebrated every year on August 12th. This day was designated in 1999 with the adoption of resolution 54/120 with the goal to highlight issues that young people are facing around the world. Every year as part of the International Youth Day there is a theme on which… Read more »

On empathy – Sarah Hoyle

Sarah Hoyle, summer 2015 intern, reflects on the role of empathy in ministry and mission on her blog. Here’s a sample: There I was, sitting on the cold linoleum floor of a church on Staten Island, crying until my eyes ached. I was 14 years old, on a mission trip to NYC with my church… Read more »

Women cross for peace

by Amelie Clemot Thirty women from 15 different countries crossed the De-Militarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea on May 24, 2015. Today, July 23rd, 5 of these women presented their expedition at the UNHQ. For a trip that barely exceeded a week, it took countless hours of negotiation and planning. In fact, they… Read more »

End violence against women and girls

In response to an invitation to tell the world why they believe in a future free from violence against women and girls for Orange Day, July 25, to make a short video focusing on their vision for a world without violence against women and girls. Our interns made a video. You can too! Make and… Read more »