A new U.S. push to release more detainees in Iraq
February 22, 2008 The Christian Science Monitor
In a move to foster “goodwill and reconciliation,” the U.S military has this month released 300 detainees in Iraq who are no longer considered a threat. It appears to be part of a push by the U.S military to finally release thousands of individuals who have been imprisoned for months or even years without ever being charged with wrongdoing. Read about the details.
Israeli, Palestinian Comics Take Show on the Road to the Heartland
February 22, 2008 The Washington Post
Not the kind of traveling show you might expect to see, the Israeli-Palestinian Comedy Tour, a show that tries to break down cultural barriers in the Middle East by lampooning the politics and hypocrisies of the conflict-ridden area, is currently embarking on a tour of American college campuses. Read about the attempts to have Jewish and Muslim student groups come together to watch the spectacle and to have them take part in a healthy student dialogue about the state of affairs in the Middle East.
For Muslim Students, a Debate on Inclusion
February 21, 2008 The New York Times
Across the U.S’s colleges and universities, Muslim Students Associations debate what it is to be a Muslim-American and what kind of Islamic laws should and should not be followed within the context of the United States. Many Muslim students are trying to negotiate and reconcile their dual identities as Muslim and American, and doing so by attempting to make their Associations more inclusive. Read more about this debate.
February 22, 2008 The New York Times
Read the New York Times editorial on what kind of deal should be struck between Kenya´s political rivals and what kind of actions must be taken by the government in order to ensure lasting peace and stability in the conflict-ravaged nation.
The possibility of a new spiritual and political revival?
February 21, 2008 Minnesota Public Radio
Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners Magazine, has written a new book, “The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith & Politics In a Post-Religious Right America,” in which he argues that America is on the verge of a revival, as people of faith search for common ground to find solutions for such issues as poverty and climate change. Listen to an interview with Wallis in which he likens this revival to those of previous centuries in the U.S which helped end slavery and institutional racism.
February 20, 2008 African Path
Since the 1980s Africa has seen–and heard–the growth of radio programs that have been set up in post-conflict areas in order to counteract the poisonous messages of hate spread by ethnic and/or political factions. With governments often unable to reach and educate their people, the media plays a crucial role in supporting the peace process in areas brutalized by years, often decades, of insurgency. Read more about the influence of such programs (including those produced by SFCG), as with the example of Oryema, a former LRA child soldier, and the problems these programs face in maintaining their operations.
