By Amanda Kloer at change.org –
The Texas Rangers baseball team are celebrating finally getting two new pitchers from the Dominican Republic just in time for spring training. The team hired Omar Beltre and Alexi Ogando five years ago, but they were banned from traveling to the U.S. at the time because they had been convicted of being involved in a human trafficking ring in the DR.
But the two new pitchers have served their time and even performed voluntary community service. The ban has been lifted, and they are now …

I wanted to let everyone know about a great new blog by Rachel Neftzer where she chronicles her efforts to eat ethically during Lent. Inspired by reading Everyday Justice, she decided to figure out what it would take for her to eat consciously this season. She writes -
So following Julie’s example, I’ve decided that this year for Lent I will begin the process of sorting through what it looks like to eat ethically. Part of this commitment is sharing the information that I find in this blog. I’m …

From the Franciscan Action Network –
Every year at the Solemn Vigil of Easter, the Church welcomes new members into the Body of Christ through the Sacrament of Baptism. This Sacrament initiates persons into the community of faith and unites them with Christ’s ministry. Descending into water, which can both destroy and sustain life, catechumens share in Christ’s death; rising from water, they share in His Resurrection to new life. Made new in Christ, baptized persons are called to be Resurrection people, co-creators of life.
Many of our choices bring death …

from the Vancouver Observer by Kathie Wallace -
The Salvation Army has launched “The Truth isn’t Sexy” campaign to raise public awareness about human trafficking in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
As Trisha Baptie, a former sex-trade worker said, “It’s human slavery. There are women in brothels in Vancouver right now, and more will come before the Games.”
The Salvation Army defines human trafficking as “…illegal movement of people for the purpose of exploitation in the form of commercial sex, domestic service, manual labour, and sales of organs.” The Salvation Army’s focus …

From Southwestern University’s Newsroom -
Southwestern University has signed an agreement with the City of Georgetown that will enable it to meet all its electric needs for the next 18 years from wind power.
The agreement makes Southwestern the first university in Texas to have all of its electricity supplied by wind power and one of fewer than 20 universities in the country to have a totally “green” source of power, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“In recent weeks, much attention has been focused on how the world can reduce greenhouse …

From Jubilee USA –
JANUARY 13th – Jubilee USA is calling on the Obama administration to take 3 specific steps as part of its comprehensive response to the Haiti earthquake: (1) Provide massive assistance for relief and reconstruction in the form of grants, not loans; (2) Cancel the rest of Haiti’s debt; and(3) Provide Temporary Protective Status to Haitians living in the US. Use your voice for Haiti today. Please call the White House today at 202-456-1111 and ask President Obama to take these steps.
Here’s a sample script:
“Hi, My name …

from the Huffington Post -
“A resolution passed by the US Senate in 2007 marked January 11 as a day of awareness for the countless victims of human trafficking across the globe. And it does occur everywhere across the globe. Certain countries have created huge demand. And like most marketplaces, where there is demand, supply follows.
We could talk about which nations are source, transit and destination countries. We could state how some countries have become so infamous for trafficking that they are now known as both supply and destination countries. We …

As 2009 ended and the new decade began, we were all treated to all sorts of lists both looking back and looking ahead. There are two in particular that spoke to justice issues that are well worth the read.
First is Bono’s op-ed piece for the New York Times. As he describes the list – “So here, then, are 10 ideas that might make the next 10 years more interesting, healthy or civil. Some are trivial, some fundamental. They have little in common with one another except that I …

From JubileeUSA –
Our long-anticipated moment has arrived! Late yesterday, the Jubilee Act (HR 4005) was introduced by Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA), along with Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA), Ranking Member Spencer Bachus (R-AL), and seven more Republican and Democrat members of Congress. This encouraging bi-partisan effort by powerful leaders in Congress is a tremendous holiday gift for our sisters and brothers in the Global South.
The bill expands life-giving debt cancellation to 22 additional impoverished countries left out of previous debt relief deals and calls for …