Displaying items by tag: North America

Hawaii's Kilauea volcano is in its 48th day, wreaking havoc with thousands of varying magnitude earthquakes and a lava flow destroying property on its way to the ocean. Guatemala’s Fuego volcano eruptions, which began on 3 June, are different but no less deadly, occasionally shutting the international airport due to ash. Violent eruptions from another peak recently killed over 110 people. Eruptions have left dense volcanic mud covering villages with rescue attempts having to halt every so often due to the unstable environment. At the time of writing 200 people remain missing in Guatemala; 12,000 are displaced, and being supported by NGOs with food, water and relief items. Pray for those helping to restore family links and for those giving psychosocial support. Donald Trump approved a request for federal aid to assist the thousands left homeless after 600+ homes were destroyed by Hawaii’s lava.

In May, Amnesty International said the US government must stop separating asylum-seeking parents from their children and denying them access to asylum procedures through prolonged detention when they present themselves at the US-Mexico border. On 20 June Donald Trump ended this policy, following days of public outrage. Many asylum-seekers are fleeing violent countries which abuse human rights (such as Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala). They usually cross Mexico in caravans, as travelling in a group is safer in dangerous places. Although Trump seeks to brand them as criminals, it is not a crime to seek asylum at official border posts. Recently members of a caravan and their representatives marched through the streets of Tijuana to the border crossing point saying, ‘We are not criminals, we are the hope of Latin America’.

One of the underlying motivations for the American Revolution was to industrialise, and reverse the crippling trade deficit with Britain. Protectionism and trade barriers were the USA's de facto policy for trading until 1947, when it switched to free trade after most of its industrial competitors were wiped out by the war. It signed up to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), whose overall purpose was to promote international trade by reducing or eliminating trade barriers such as tariffs or quotas, ‘on a reciprocal and mutually advantageous basis’. GATT morphed into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 1995, but its original text is still in effect. Pray that current international debates will draw countries back to the roots of GATT and WTO, to reduce or even eliminate trade barriers.

As the weeks pass and the Mount Kilauea eruptions show no sign of stopping, many are grappling with ‘What’s next?’ What happens if lava just keeps coming? How will lava-ravaged communities rebuild? The eruptions are in their fourth week, and for the people living on the island their unpredictable future is seemingly unrelenting. Pray for the thousands of families, particularly the elderly and vulnerable, who are being told on news broadcasts to be prepared to vacate their homes at a moment’s notice. Pray for the people returning to their homes to rescue pets and retrieve medicines who are finding mini-volcanoes in their back gardens. Pray for those living in fear as incessant earthquakes shake their homes and heat the ground under their feet, and for the thousands who have lost everything, or fear losing everything. Volcanologists have no idea when the eruptions might end. May God give hope to all whose future looks uncertain.

ACT for America, an Islamophobic lobby group, has published a 129-page booklet ‘The Art of Chapter Leadership’ which includes advice on how to ‘map’ kindergarten to 12th grade school boards for suspected Islamists, and how to monitor Muslim activities in universities, particularly in political science departments and Middle East studies departments which they say ‘have a real likelihood of being funded by the Saudis and have professors who are pro-Sharia, anti-America and anti-Israel.’ A former FBI agent, who provides counterterrorism training to US law enforcement, was secretly filmed telling police officers that Muslim students in universities pose a threat of ‘jihad’ and that a prominent civil rights group is a front for ‘terrorist’ organisations. He also stated publicly that Muslim Americans should not have the same rights as other citizens, and claimed he was in direct and regular contact with attorney-general Jeff Sessions, who serves under Donald Trump.

Fears are growing that Hawaii's Kilauea volcano is heading for a major eruption. The US Geological Survey has raised the alert from orange to red, meaning that a major volcanic eruption is imminent or very likely. The volcano is one of the world's most active, and its activity level has increased substantially over the past twelve days. A 300m-long fissure has opened on the volcano's side, releasing more lava and gas and sending a plume of ash and smoke as high as 12,000 feet. There were reports of ash and vog (volcanic air pollution) falling as far as 18 miles downwind, the USGS said. Dozens of homes and swathes of farmland in that area have been destroyed. US president Donald Trump declared it to be a disaster on Friday, following a request from Hawaii's governor, David Ige.

In Ontario Paul is in the civic centre and his wife is on a dialysis machine in a small motel room. They have been separated from their First Nations community since sewers froze two months ago. He said, ‘We’re forgotten people.’ Anti-indigenous racism is still widespread in Canada. Last month Ontario’s chief human rights commissioner said racism against indigenous people in Timmins is pervasive and normalised. People are scrutinised in stores, hassled when using status cards, called ‘dirty Indians’ and yelled at by motorists to go back to their reserves. If their name sounds First Nations or they look like one, it impacts their ability to get housing. In British Columbia First Nations officials have spoken out for years against a trans-mountain pipeline that will cross their territory without their even being consulted. On 16 April President Trudeau said work will go ahead, regardless of their objections. See:

Christian satire website Babylon Bee was called ‘fake news’ by Facebook, but their comical take on Christian culture has a deeper purpose. They aim to make Bible believers think. ‘We want to make clear we’re not making fun of Christianity, per se, and we’re not making fun of Jesus or the Bible or the gospel,’ head writer Kyle Mann said on a podcast. ‘What we’re making fun of is a Christian culture that builds around those things and the biblical message.’ He and other members of the Bee team are looking to make a deeper point with their satire. ‘Good satire should really make you laugh,’ he said. ‘And then it should make you think.’ The goal is to help Christians think through whether they have created idols or erred in their handling of issues. They want Christians to recognise in their spirit that some Christian culture is unnecessary, but Jesus and the Bible are eternal foundations to build faith upon.

Christian teacher Chuck Colson has published a list of moral issues facing America today. They are - Preserving sanctity of life by resisting the encroachment of abortion, euthanasia, cloning, and embryonic stem cell research. - Defending the persecuted Church around the world, and defending freedom of religion in America. - Protecting human rights. - Protecting by law the traditional heterosexual definition of the marriage and family. – Strength in the War on Terrorism and in the clash of civilisations against radical Islam. - Restoring the constitutional role of the Supreme Court and restricting judicial activism. - Advocating faith-based solutions to societal problems. - Caring for the poor and restoring prisoners.  - Improving education and promoting choices within the educational system. - Challenging the negative impact of mass media on culture, including speaking out against pornography, sexual exploitation, and violence.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide called for action to end religious discrimination in Pakistani, Iranian, Burmese, Nigerian and Mexican schools. They explored violations where many children experience various forms of mistreatment because of their faith. During an event at the Speaker’s House, in the United Kingdom Parliament, attendees heard how children and young people experience discrimination, verbal abuse, physical violence and even forced conversion at school because of their religion or belief. The Executive Director of the National Commission for Justice and Peace in Pakistan said religious intolerance in his country is facilitated by syllabuses that fuel prejudice. He said, ‘This intolerance has threatened the entire social fabric of our nation, and we have to begin by addressing the biased education system, policies and practices prevalent in Pakistan,’ A speaker representing the Iranian Baha’i community called it ‘cradle to grave’ persecution, ‘Baha’i children do not have an absolute right to education.'