Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • The priests navigating Colombia's conflict zones

    Shielded by cultural deference to the Catholic church, Colombian clergy venture into conflict zones to document the clashes, provide aid, and mediate disputes between civilians and armed guerrilla groups. Their efforts have helped response organizations access difficult-to-reach areas and drawn renewed attention to the crises.

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  • ‘Preach now or mourn in the future': How Key West faith leaders are confronting climate change

    Officials are joining forces with faith leaders and churches in order to pave the way for climate resilience. In Key West, Reverend Donna Mote is making a religious case for environmental preservation, clean energy, and emissions reductions. “It would be a shame to preserve all these buildings and then have people scuba diving in them in 100 years,” Mote said.

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  • Seminary Built on Slavery and Jim Crow Labor Has Begun Paying Reparations

    The Virginia Theological Seminary is giving cash to descendants of Black Americans forced to work there during slavery and Jim Crow. Annual payments, taken from a fund set to grow at a sustainable rate, will go to the closest direct descendant of each Black worker. Fifteen descendants have received payments so far, but that number will likely grow as genealogists continue to search through records. The payments, along with efforts to build relationships with the families, are the Seminary’s way of acknowledging their role in the exploitation and recognizing the contributions of those forced to work there.

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  • The Group Turning Religious Leaders into LGBTQ Rights Crusaders

    Persons Marginalized and Aggrieved in Kenya works with religious leaders over the course of many years to build empathy and understanding towards the LGBTQ community. Faith leaders are often not immediately aware of the goal, but PEMA’s continuous and carefully orchestrated engagement allows them to gradually build relationships, hear personal stories from real people, and learn to preach tolerance. PEMA has worked with 619 religious leaders, 246 of which are currently active, and runs a Training of Trainers program where “converted” religious leaders train their colleagues to increase LGBTQ acceptance.

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  • Cleveland's Black Churches Host Vaccine Clinics To Protect Their Flock

    Black churches in Cleveland are transforming into vaccine clinics during the coronavirus pandemic to help get shots into the arms of those who have had trouble accessing a vaccine appointment. The sites have largely reported that of the 2,700 people who have received their first dose through the initiative, the vast majority of the shots they've administered have gone to Black people.

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  • ‘Within minutes I was weeping': the US pastor using scripture to mobilize climate action

    Rev. Scott Hardin-Nieri of North Carolina works with the Creation Care Alliance to better connect his Christian faith with climate action. Over the years they have developed a toolkit for congregations on how to get involved in the climate discussion. They also host eco-grief meetings that are very popular. They would like to reach more conservative or evangelical members of their community that are more skeptical of climate change, but they have had some success in reaching a wide audience.

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  • Embracing the light: Churches tap solar power

    Over 70 Catholic dioceses in the Philippines have entered into an agreement with energy resource company WeGen Laudato Si to install solar panels on their parishes, schools, and other buildings. The Diocese of Maasin on Leyte Island became the first in the world to completely shift to renewable energy. Installing the panels can be expensive, but shifting to solar has saved one diocese at least 100,000 pesos a month in energy bills.

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  • In-person classes. Old buildings. Almost no COVID. Are Philly Catholic schools a blueprint?

    Catholic schools in Philadelphia that have reopened during the pandemic have been able to avoid in-school community transmission amongst students and staff. Relying heavily on safety precautions, rigid systems and protocols, and community trust, the schools have been able to bring back 95% of their elementary students for face-to-face learning.

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  • How a Young Activist Is Helping Pope Francis Battle Climate Change

    Molly Burhans, a young cartographer and environmentalist, is using GIS technology to map out the Catholic Church’s global property holdings to encourage them to improve the environmental impact on the lands they own. Burhans’ organization called GoodLands has been working with various parishes and dioceses to help Church leaders — including Pope Francis — understand their vast landholdings. While finances and COVID-19 have impacted her progress, Burhans’ maps have been used for other purposes like mapping Catholic radio stations in Africa and tracking the whereabouts of priests accused of sexual abuse.

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  • Students Strengthen Their Faith by Making Own Bible Study Group Due to COVID-19

    College students from the University of Georgia meet virtually every week for a bible study group that allows them to connect and worship despite social distancing restrictions that have been in place since the onset of the pandemic. Building a virtual religious community has also provided benefits - such as flexibility - which were not possible in person.

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