In 2018, the Trump administration announced its decision to cut all US aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) as well as all bilateral humanitarian assistance to the West Bank and Gaza. UNRWA helps administer critical services and...

Last week, in a report to congress, the Administration proposed setting the refugee admissions goal at an all time time historic low of 15,000 refugees. The administration is required by U.S. law to consult with Congress about the refugee admissions goal, also known as...

Since the beginning of 2020, the security and human rights situation in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon has greatly deteriorated. In the armed conflict known as the Anglophone Crisis, over 3,000 people have been killed and hundreds of villages have been destroyed,...

By September 30th, the administration is required by U.S. law to consult with leaders of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees before deciding how many refugees can be resettled to the United States in FY 2021. But all Senators and Representatives should hear from their...

August 6 and 9 will mark the 75th anniversary of the US’s bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The consequences of the attacks were devastating. The bombings killed an estimated 214,000 people, and the resulting radiation caused higher rates of cancer, leukemia, and...

Tell Your Senator to Support the HEROES Act As COVID-19 cases continue to rise nationwide, there is a need for legislation that protects Americans across the country. On May 15th, the House of Representatives passed the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency...

Tell Congress: Restore Funding for UNRWA and Humanitarian Needs, and Urge Israel to End its Blockade of Gaza Every place in the world is in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The disease does not discriminate: people of every race, gender, class, and identity are...

The Impact of Economic Sanctions Against Iran Amid COVID-19   COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on Iran and on March 20 the Presbyterian Church (USA) joined 25 faith-based organizations and NGO's to urge Trump to ease Iran sanctions to combat the coronavirus...

We are in the midst of a global crisis and are in need of immediate action. The Office of Public Witness has joined with leading faith and advocacy organizations calling upon Congress to address the coronavirus pandemic. Congress recently passed an $8 billion package...

Since the pandemic began, U.S. cities have experienced an increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans. A 2021 Washington Post article posted a picture of Noel Quintana, who was quoted as saying of an attack he suffered, “Nobody came, nobody helped, nobody made a video...

The COVID-19 pandemic and the corresponding economic crisis are devastating families across the country. More than 23 million Americans have contracted COVID-19 and roughly 400,000 have already died.   On January 20th, President Biden released the American Rescue Plan,...

Wednesday, January 6, marked the day of Epiphany, Día de Los Reyes, as the end of the Christmas season. Sadly, on that same day, at 2:15 pm EST, the United States Capitol building was stormed by a mob of insurrectionists intent on disrupting the certification of...

On January 4th, 2021, the For the People Act (H.R.1) was reintroduced into the House of Representatives. The For the People Act is a transformational democracy reform package. This bill seeks to "expand Americans' access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of big money...

Over the past year, the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon has escalated to new heights of violence, with human rights abuses committed by the Cameroonian military and separatist groups. Since the crisis began, over 3,000 people have been killed, and hundreds of villages have...

The war in Yemen, now in its sixth year, has caused incredible devastation to the country and its people. The conflict between the Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, and the Yemeni government, backed by Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E., continues to escalate with no path towards...

Across the country, COVID cases are rising dramatically. The fall and winter ahead of us hold significant challenges, especially at a time when many people are already facing extreme hardship. People are facing hunger and the threat of eviction or homelessness, in...

U.S. military aid and arms sales exacerbate existing conflicts in the Middle East and fuel ongoing regional militarization. In 2020, the amount of U.S. arms sales approved worldwide reached a record-high at $83.5 billion, a $15 billion increase from the previous year, with...

Illegal settlement activity, home demolitions, and restrictions to Palestinian access to vital resources increase despite normalization deals and the global pandemic. Israel has been massively expanding its de facto annexation efforts in recent months, moving ahead with...

It is officially one week until election day! Here are a few tips to remember when casting your ballot: Make sure to read and follow all instructions on your absentee ballot.   Remember to sign your absentee ballot.   If you can, turn your absentee...

On the morning of the 27th of September, Azerbaijan began an unprovoked military attack on Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory whose population is 90 percent Armenian and supported by Armenia. The attack brought Armenia...

Yesterday was National Voter Registration Day. There is still time! Check your registration status—even if you voted in the last election.  Make sure you’re in good standing to lift up your voice and your...

On May 15th, the House of Representatives passed the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (HEROES Act). The HEROES Act provides support for essential workers, protects voting rights and the census, and provides aid to low-income...

Food insecurity is a life-threatening issue globally especially for the LGBTQIA+ community. The National LGBTQ Task Force has determined that more than 1 in 4 LGBTIA+ adults, approximately 2.4 million people, experienced food insecurity within the last year. According to...

While U.S. allies, leadership of the the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and hundreds of past and present world leaders advocate for the the IMF to release Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to help countries combat the global pandemic, the Trump...

The Criminalization of Protest By Rev. Jimmie Hawkins, Director of the Office of Public Witness PC(U.S.A.), and Langley Hoyt, Fellow for Domestic Issues In the weeks following the death of George Floyd, as protestors continue to fill the streets with largely peaceful...

On March 19, 2020, three armed men assassinated local farmer and human rights defender Marco Rivadeneira. Marco was a community leader who promoted peaceful and voluntary coca substitution efforts in his community. He also represented his region in the national network of...

In September 2017, the Trump administration announced the termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA). In response, over three groups or individuals filed lawsuits which went before the Supreme Court of the United States June 28th, 2019...

Tell Congress to Cosponsor Bipartisan Resolution Commemorating 40th Anniversary of the Refugee Resettlement Program and Honor Refugees on World Refugee Day on June 20th   Crises test who we are as a nation – and we are stronger when we are united. The COVID-19 pandemic...

On May 15, Palestinians commemorated Nakba Day.  “Nakba,” an Arabic word that means “catastrophe,” is how Palestinians describe what happened to them following Israel’s declaration of independence in May 1948 and the corresponding war.  During the period, more...

From Rev. Jimmie Hawkins, Director of the Office of Public Witness PC(USA): George Floyd was the trigger for the protests; Donald Trump is the reason for their continuation.   Let us not deceive ourselves, the murder of Mr. Floyd was the initial event which triggered...

One of the most tragic components of the COVID-19 pandemic is that populations already suffering disproportionately from poverty, incarceration and health disparities are also the same ones hit the hardest by the virus. Many cities have reported that Black and brown...

A Faith Response to COVID-19: Part II Webinar The Office of Public Witness is co-sponsoring part II of the “A Faith Response to COVID-19” webinar series. This webinar will explain important details of the recently passed C.A.R.E.S. Act, the positive provisions, and the...

Urge Congress and the Administration to Lift Sanctions on Cuba and Venezuela to Help Fight COVID-19   The Impact of Economic Sanctions Against Cuba Amid COVID-19 Cuba has been under U.S. economic sanctions for over sixty years, costing the island nation billions of...

On January 24th, seven Democrat and Republican Representatives introduced H.R. 763: The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. This carbon pricing bill is an exciting advancement of Congressional effort to limit carbon emissions, by placing a fee on each metric ton of...