War/Conflicts

Since the International Criminal Court has issued the arrest warrant for President Bashir of Sudan, he has demanded that all persons associated with humanitarian aid leave Darfur. This has necessarily exacerbated the crisis and the deplorable living situation. 300,000 have died since the beginning of this conflict. The United Nations provides guidance as to how to best address this tragic situation. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/world/africa/25sudan.html?ref=world  or http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/21/world/africa/21nations.html

Franciscans International has been working with the country of Sri Lanka regarding human rights issues for a number of years and now feels that more progress can be made if country leaders put pressure on the Sri Lanka government. FI now urges all parties in the conflict to take all necessary steps to ensure the protection of the civilians and respect the safety zone. Attached is a letter to President Obama composed by Sr. Denise Boyle, Executive Director of FI, which can be mailed to President Obama. To read a recent article on this situation visit http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/23/srilanka-tigers-humanitarian-crisis  and also the Franciscans International website at http://www.franciscansinternational.org/news/article.php?id=1576  You can also email your message on the White House comment line by going to www.whitehouse.gov and click on contact us.