Faith-based Investors Issue Statement on the Financial Market Failure

Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility
NEW YORK CITY, NY//Sept 26, 2008// For the past three decades, members of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) have worked with financial institutions to address the needs of the poor to obtain access to capital for: sustainable development, affordable housing in the U.S. and responsible lending in developing countries. [...]

Kenya: concerns voiced after report on ‘death squadrons’

Independent Catholic News
Nearly 500 people have been killed in Kenya by ‘death squadrons’ linked to local secret service agencies, according to a new report from This is what the National Commission on Human Rights in Kenya

Cabinet split on Kingsnorth power station: Benn and Miliband oppose Hutton’s plans for coal

By Andrew Grice, Political Editor Friday, 26 September 2008
The Cabinet is split over whether to approve a controversial plan for a £1bn coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth in Kent which has become a key test of its green credentials.
John Hutton, the Business Secretary, wants to approve the project even if it is not chosen for [...]

Gore Urges Civil Disobedience To Stop Coal Plants

Common Dreams
by Michelle Nichols
NEW YORK – Nobel Peace Prize winner and environmental crusader Al Gore urged young people on Wednesday to engage in civil disobedience to stop the construction of coal plants without the ability to store carbon.

Famous priest claims he’s being persecuted by Nicaraguan government

MANAGUA, Nicaragua ([  ]CNS) — A Nicaraguan priest and poet says he is being persecuted by his country’s government. Father Ernesto Cardenal, 83, was convicted in August of defaming a German businessman and was fined $1,025, which he has refused to pay.

Absence of Leadership

New York Times September 24, 2008
It took President Bush until Wednesday night to address the American people about the nation’s financial crisis, and pretty much all he had to offer was fear itself.

Haitian children sucked into gang life find it hard to escape

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti ([  ]CNS) — In the slums that cover much of the Haitian capital, it’s not unusual to see an 8-year-old run interference for a gang operation. The task: cut the brake cables on U.N. tanks, providing enough of a diversion for the criminal gang members to flee.

Bishops say South African leaders must focus on needs of citizens

CAPE TOWN, South Africa ([  ]CNS) — The political officeholders appointed after the Sept. 25 resignation of South African President Thabo Mbeki must work toward rebuilding confidence in the country’s leadership and focus on meeting the urgent needs and demands of ordinary citizens, said the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference.

Africa awash in sunlight, but not solar energy

Mail and Guardian – PARIS, FRANCE Sep 28 2008 07:09
From household solar panels to thermal generators big enough to power a town, sun power has enjoyed explosive growth around the world.
Everywhere, that is, except on the sun-drenched continent of Africa.

Nigeria: Ogoni Land after Shell

International Crisis Group
Dakar/Abuja/Brussels, 18 September 2008: The peace process in Ogoni land – a major test for efforts to bring stability to the oil-rich Niger Delta – is likely to fail if the Nigerian government refuses to consult local communities about new oil operations.
Nigeria: Ogoni Land after Shell,* the latest policy briefing from the International [...]