Advocating for policy change often requires taking the long view. It takes many small, incremental steps to build enough momentum to move what can feel unmovable. But ripples of advocacy for Haitian cholera victims started to gather into something bigger in recent weeks with the United Nations’ (UN) acknowledgement of its responsibility for introducing cholera…
On Aug. 18 the U.S. Department of Justice announced it would soon begin to phase out private prisons due to safety concerns. The change was made due to numerous reports of abuse and neglect occurring in private, for-profit prisons that hold federal contracts. The government began contracting with private companies to run prisons in the…
On the International Day of Peace, September 21, Mennonite Central Committee U.S., along with other organizations, sponsored a “Global Day of Action and Prayer for Syria.” In addition to events that day in New York City, local congregations were encouraged to use the materials to pray and act for peace. As we have worked at…
As Election Day approaches in the U.S., many people have expressed dissatisfaction with all of the candidates on the ballot. While this sentiment is mostly centered on the presidential race here, it can also be found regarding candidates for state and local offices. Some may ask if there is any point in voting. Why should…
Ask your member of Congress to support H.R. 3713, the Sentencing Reform Act. Background: Decades of overly harsh sentences, particularly mandatory minimums, have led to a dramatic increase in the incarcerated population in the U.S. Our country now incarcerates more people than any other in the world. Unfair sentences have affected millions of families across…
Convincing college students that comprehensive immigration reform is necessary for the future of the United States is not an easy task. Many students at Georgetown University where I attend are from Maryland, New York, and New Jersey. Students in certain parts of these states would likely never come into contact with someone who was affected…
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK/North Korea) is probably one of the most mysterious and least visited places in the world for North Americans. Even for many U.S. policymakers, DPRK is often seen through a political cloud of fear and presented as an unknowable and unpredictable enemy. For the U.S. government, the label of…
MCC Washington Memo 